Dear Heritage Families,
In February Americans have traditionally celebrated the birthdays of President George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. A number of years ago, the birthday celebrations were combined into President’s Day. With that change, many of the valuable ideals and philosophies of these great men were forgotten.
At Heritage, our mission is to instill in the minds and hearts of our young people the ideals and values of the great men and women of the Founding generation. Next week is President’s Day. It’s a wonderful time to reflect on a few of the teachings of these great Americans.
President Washington was born 22 February 1732 in Virginia. He wrote and said many inspiring words. Here are a few of my favorite quotes.
- “My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth.”
- “Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness.”
- “Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.”
- “The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.”
Long before the Constitutional Convention and Washington’s presidency, Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1782, “[Washington’s] memory will be adored while liberty shall have votaries, whose name shall triumph over time, and will in future ages assume it’s just station among the most celebrated worthies of the world.” Indeed, Washington is first in the hearts of his countrymen.
President Abraham Lincoln’s was born on 12 February 1809 in the backwoods of Kentucky. At Gettysburg he reminded us “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
In what many consider the greatest American political speech–Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address—he said, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
While our culture has many fairy tale heroes in movies and comics, Americans are lucky to have real heroes like Washington and Lincoln. Heritage teachers take seriously their duty to teach the ideals and values of these true heroes. During this month, may we reflect on the indispensable American Heritage we have been given and decide to live true to these glorious standards.
Respectfully,
Jared Taylor
Chairman
Learn more about why we celebrate Presidents Day in the USA. Click HERE