4 Feats of Awesomeness by Obscure U.S. Presidents

President’s Day is a holiday that many Americans associate with used car dealers offering “CRAAAAAAZY DEALS!”  It was originally meant to honor the birthday of the founder of our nation, George Washington, and later it expanded to more generally honoring some of our most recognized presidents, such as Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, or James K. Polk.  What?  Not familiar with the populist presidential portents of Polk?  Sounds about right, so let’s turn our attention to some feats of awesomeness performed by some of America’s lesser known commanders in chief.

4)  William Henry Harrison (1841)

Terms:  1/45^th

Win/Loss Record:  1-1

Party Affiliation:  Whig

Feat of Awesomeness:   Established Rules for Presidential Succession

Zero Tolerance

I had a shocking experience several years ago noticing a neighbor’s young daughter would constantly cry in the morning while her mother was bathing her.  Upon inquiry, the young girl’s senior sister casually told me in Hausa that “An yi mata kachiya ne” (she had a circumcision).  To say I was shocked by what I heard is an understatement.  I could not believe my ears.  I had heard about such practices but thought they had long been stopped.  When I asked my mother about it, she told me it is alive and still practiced in certain communities.  Further inquiries showed the principal reason given in most cultures for this practice is “to prevent the girl from becoming promiscuous” while others regard it as an important rite of passage.

Day of Service

The inauguration of President Barack Obama for his second term was extra special because it coincided with the day that is observed as public holiday to commemorate the birthday of famous civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.  His birthday is also a day of service.  On this day Americans engage in different acts of service in their community, a reflection of an important American value - that of volunteerism

The Inauguration of a President

The inauguration of a President represents an important symbol of democracy in the United States, as the President will publicly swear that:

“ I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

When written, this oath was revolutionary because the President swears their allegiance not to a country or an individual, but instead to the ideas of the United States Constitution—democracy, federalism, and the separation of powers.  The President is stating he is bound to the rules outlined in the Constitution and it is his job to protect and enforce this document.

5 Fanatics of American Football

In the US, the holidays have come and gone, the Superbowl is approaching, and Americans en masse  turn their collective attention to that most unique of sports—American football.  For citizens of many countries, the American fixation with football can seem strange.  Why do so many Americans share a love of watching hulking men form lines and bash into each other while slightly less hulking men toss, run, or kick a ball downfield?  What motivates grown men to stand in sub-Arctic temperatures shirtless, fully painted and wearing funny hats?  And who are these fanatics that turn every Sunday afternoon in America into a feast of chicken wings, beer, and pork rinds?  To answer this and many more questions, we will consider 5 American football fans in all their glory.