White Old Men and the Farce Which is Presidents Day

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

!3 men: only one of them was not an ‘old white man.’ That’s the number of presidents I remember. It would be 14, but I was too young to know what happened in my life when Truman was still in office.

I was 10 years old and turned on the television when I came home from 4^th grade and saw lots of people waving signs with slogans “I Like Ike,” and “Four More Years,” among many others. I didn’t know what I was seeing, but I was fascinated.

As I listened to one of the men broadcasting the event, I learned it was Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second convention. That day began my interest in politics. It was minimal then, but today, July 7, 2025, I feel it is my obligation to keep those who care about our country’s future informed. The truth is mostly hidden from the people by the mainstream media in collusion with Washington politicians on both sides of the aisle.

By the time I was in high school, my interest in how presidents affected our nation’s future had grown.

1960 was an election year, and for younger Americans, those of us who could not vote, the man who would eventually win that election was important. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was young, brilliant, energetic, and reached out to younger Americans, not just to the men and women who could cast their ballots on election day.

Today, I am 79 years old. Since 2012 I have been writing about American politics, not so much from a Democratic point of view, but from the thoughts, beliefs, and principles of a liberal American. I am an Independent voter, and very proud of that fact.

I strongly believe that anyone who is a ‘joiner,’ a member of either political party, is displaying ignorance, natural or chosen. Political parties have agendas which serve themselves and on few occasions 340 million people. Every voter should vote for the best candidate, not because they have an “R” or a “D” next to their name on the ballot.

My other standard is based on reality and personal experience. If you are not a liberal, or if you prefer, a progressive, you believe in either the status quo or the dark policies of the past. The truth is that if you are standing still, you are moving backwards. I share the mantra of all other developed nations, excluding the United States, knowing that social issues are of greater importance than constantly preparing for war, and expressing concerns that corporations might fail and our nation’s economy would slightly suffer.

The United States is far behind in issues including all forms of prejudice. Minorities, all women, freedom of and from religion, the LGBTQ community and other smaller groups continue to endure great difficulties and challenges in America. Human rights, including the right to vote are in greater danger than at any other time in our nation’s 249 year history.

History proves that the two factors which contribute to this ongoing situation are the mostly old, white men who sat behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, and the growing division of the legislative and judicial branches caused by extreme politization and the lack of honest discussion and compromise.

The current resident of the White House is a huge disaster, and America’s biggest mistake. He is the oldest white man ever elected to the highest office in the land. His presidency is clearly the result of Russian intervention, and his agenda is clearly in opposition to the needs of the majority of our nation’s people. His oligarchs/billionaires control that agenda and is one of the reasons why Donald Trump is not a legitimate American President.

Every February, a national holiday, created by and for politicians, reveals a level of hypocrisy which is both alarming and revolting.

‘Presidents Day” is a farce. History proves that most of our nation’s leaders are undeserving of such an honor, and some are guilty of harming the future of their nation’s people. I once enjoyed celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12^th and George Washington’s on February 22^nd. Both were very deserving of the honor bestowed on them by all Americans.

I suppose I should feel lucky to have lived during the all too short presidency of the only great president in my lifetime. We sure as hell could use another JFK today.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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