A letter to George Washington

I thought I would share a recent discovery with ye socks after perusing an online collection of George Washington at the University of Virginia:

http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/documents/confederation/stith.html

This letter written exactly 222 years ago yesterday was sent to our first president by my great-uncle Buckner Stith (1722-1791).

Actually, he hadn't been elected president by that point. We were still operating under the Articles of Confederation in 1787. I suppose that's why the letter was sent to Philadelphia instead of Mount Vernon.

Boring genealogical details: Yours truly descends from Buckner's younger brother Richard Stith of Campbell County, Virginia. All three of them (the two Stiths and Mr. Washington) worked as surveyors as young men. And, two of Buckner's sons married into the Washington family.

History lesson over . . . for today.

Ranking the Presidents

It seems like this day every year, a bunch of liberal eggheads try to spoon feed us their rankings of all the presidents. C-SPAN is offering a prime example today.

I decided to examine the list and rank them myself. Disclaimers: No one got any style points for looking good in a tux or for having a flashy smile. Also, no points were awarded for martyrdom. I only graded on what was accomplised AS PRESIDENT. What happened before or after was not considered.

And, of course, I examine everything from a conservative perspective the aforementioned eggheads will probably never quite grasp.

Ok, so here goes:

1. Ronald Reagan
2. James Monroe
3. Calvin Coolidge
4. James K. Polk
5. Abraham Lincoln
6. Theodore Roosevelt
7. Thomas Jefferson
8. George Washington
9. Dwight D. Eisenhower
10. Harry Truman
11. George H.W. Bush
12. William McKinley
13. Andrew Jackson
14. Ulysses S. Grant
15. Rutherford B. Hayes
16. James Madison
17. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
18. George W. Bush
19. John F. Kennedy
20. Gerald R. Ford
21. Millard Fillmore
22. Bill Clinton
23. William H. Taft
24. Woodrow Wilson
25. John Tyler
26. Chester Arthur
27. John Adams
28. Richard Nixon
29. Grover Cleveland
30. John Quincy Adams
31. Martin Van Buren
32. Lyndon Johnson
33. Jimmy Carter
34. Warren Harding
35. Benjamin Harrison
36. Franklin Pierce
37. Andrew Johnson
38. Herbert Hoover
39. Zachary Taylor
40. James Buchanan

Well, at least we all agreed on Buchanan being the worst.

Note:
Three names were left off the list due to incomplete records:
* James A. Garfield - assassinated only a few months after inauguration.
* William Henry Harrison - died of pneumonia a month after taking office.
* Barack Hussein Obama - current commander-in-chief (shudder!)

Why Washington remains our greatest president.

On this Presidents Day, I am somewhat dismayed to hear modern polls show George Washington slipping in the rankings of our nation's greatest presidents. Modern revisionists have foisted the undeserving Lincoln and FDR to the top of the pack.

So, to counteract this trend, I offer ye socks the three reasons why yours truly believes George Washington remains the greatest president in the history of these United States.

1. He exercised self-restraint. At the end of the American Revolution, he could very easily have seized power and become a military dictator. Instead, he not only resigned his position as commander of the armies, but also refused to accept a crown as the head of a new monarchy. And, when he was eventually elected president, he agreed only to serve two terms.

Lincoln, on the other hand, exceeded his authority on numerous occasions, including his order to suspend the writ of habeas corpus. And, FDR is the only person self-satisfied enough to run for FOUR terms and to attempt to pack the Supreme Court.

2. He was non-partisan. Washington didn't believe in political parties. He thought they bred conflict, stagnation, and bad government. And, history has proved him correct. I doubt either Lincoln (a Republican) or FDR (a Democrat), much less their modern political heirs, would see things that clearly.

3. He believed in a meritocracy. Just as he didn't want another monarchy, he didn't believe in political dynasties or oligarchies. He didn't believe things should be handed to people based on the circumstances of their birth or on the basis of their surname. Rather, he made appointments based on a "fitness for office." Lincoln on the other hand was a product of his time, when cronyism was rampant in American politics. And, FDR was part of the oligarchy that developed. (Remember, he wasn't the first Roosevelt in the White House!)

I understand their are ebbs and flows in the interpretation of history. But, it is a sad to see a great man like Washington being lumped in with the likes of Lincoln and FDR. They were certainly men of great accomplishments. But, George Washington should forever remain first in the hearts of his countrymen.

In God We Trust

A surprising number of ye socks have been circulating a protest email lately, claiming the new presidential dollar series issued by the US Mint is doing away with the familiar "In God We Trust."

This is FALSE!

I have been collecting coins for many years, including this new series. In fact, I'm looking at one right now and can tell you "In God We Trust" still appears on the coin, just not on the front or back face.

The new coins have "In God We Trust" (along with E PLURIBUS UNUM) stamped into their edges!

When you really think about it, this is a better place to put a message that you want to stand the test of time.

Look at any coin that's been in circulation for any length of time, and you'll see the images, dates, etc., are worn down.

But, something that is stamped in to a coin (rather than appearing as raised lettering) will last much longer.

So, if you want to refuse these beautiful new dollars in circulation, that is your right. But, please don't be deceived into using the "In God We Trust" reason. It's just not true!