When I was in grammar school I remember celebrating President Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12th and President George Washington’s Birthday on February 22nd. We now celebrate President’s Day without highlighting any one Presidents' accomplishments. Many students probably do not know very much about these 2 outstanding Presidents. Each of these great men made tremendous sacrifices to ensure America would be the greatest nation the world has even known. It is up to us to help educate our young students about our nation's rich history so they can be the leaders of tomorrow!
President Abraham Lincoln’s life was a stunning example of what we call the American Dream. From his humble beginnings, his parents were mostly illiterate, Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, or working in a general store. He spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, rode the circuit of courts for many years, and in 1860 he was elected the President of the United States and the first Republican President! He fought to ensure passage of the Emancipation Proclamation that declared freedom to all those held as slaves in states that had seceded. He was a man of integrity, commitment, and most important, courage! He made many trips to the battle fields during the Civil War, and had tremendous respect for the soldiers. His heart was heavy seeing all the casualties but he knew the Union had to be preserved for future generations!
George Washington was our first President and the more I read and learn about him, the more I believe that America would not exist if it we did not have George Washington. As a child he was homeschooled and was also tutored in the finer aspects of colonial culture. He fought in many wars before being appointed Major General and Commander-in-Chief of the Colonial Army against the British on June 15th, 1775. The Army was not well equipped, our fledgling nation or the congress could not pay sufficient funds for uniforms, food and needed implements, but General Washington kept the soldiers' morale alive. General Washington had no practical experience maneuvering large formations of infantry, commanding cavalry or artillery. But he was courageous, determined and smart enough to keep one step ahead of the enemy. He also gained the respect of his men through his actions and they were willing to give their all for their General and to win victory!
After victory in 1783 George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief and returned to Mount Vernon, but not for long! During the presidential election in 1789 he was unanimously elected our First President of the United States. President Washington was astutely aware that his presidency would set a precedent for all that would follow. To that end, he preferred the title "Mr. President," instead of more imposing names. He only accepted the $25,000 yearly salary after congress persuaded him to accept the compensation to avoid giving the impression that only wealthy men could serve as president. In March 1797, he turned over the government to John Adams and returned to Mount Vernon, determined to live his last years as a simple gentleman farmer. Washington could have been a king. Instead, he chose to be a citizen. He was not only considered a military and revolutionary hero, but a man of great personal integrity, with a deep sense of duty, honor, and patriotism. “His most important legacy may be that he insisted he was dispensable, asserting that the cause of liberty was larger than any single individual.”
Our current president could learn a lot from the lives of Presidents' Washington and Lincoln. He could learn humility, honor, conviction, respect and support for our brave military, courage, and doing what is right for America and Americans rather than his own political gain. Most important he would learn that he is dispensable because the cause of liberty was and is larger than any single individual.
God Bless America!
Thank you for all you do,
Roseann
Working Together To Make A Difference
Democrat Priorities
This week the Legislative Democrats announced that they intend to dramatically expand Californian's greenhouse gas reduction laws, with the support of Governor Brown. But here's the kicker- Senate Democrat Leader Kevin DeLeon calls the legislative package of environmental measures a "jobs program." The package of bills includes measures that will aim to cut our state's petroleum usage in half by 2030 and expand the proportion of electricity use from solar and wind from one-third to one-half. The irony of calling this bills package a "jobs program" seems to be lost on Democrat leadership. Expanding AB 32 regulations will hurt the businesses that keep our state moving, like our farmers in the Central Valley and utilities businesses all across the state, and only really helps "green energy" jobs that are most often found on our state's coastal regions. Once these bills take shape, we have to do our best to defeat them!
Club Spotlight
The Club Spotlight is back! And this week it highlights the Thousand Oaks Republican Women Club in our Southern Division. The club threw a fantastic event! ◼ CLICK HERE for more information! I encourage any of you that would like your club to be featured in the "Spotlight" to Email or call me at gylnkastner@gmail.com or call 707-255-2815. I look forward to hearing about what makes your club shine... Gaylon Kastner-CFRW Membership Promotion Chair
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