"4 EXAMPLES OF EXTRAORDINARY PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP" - John Venable /
February 15, 2016 /
http://dailysignal.com/2016/02/15/4-examples-of-extraordinary-presidential-leadership [AS I SEE IT: 1) I wish greatly that a Christian film group will produce a documentary about George Washington, especially of how his faith influenced his leadership of our country at a most critical time. For some reason, I don't know of any such production in light ot the greatness of our former president. and 2) Despite how many choose to criticize former president Trump for his style of leadership, I choose to see the many ways he lead our nation in a time of great changes for the better on many issues in such a short time. I believe history will be much kinder to him than the critics who attack him mercilessly. - Stan]
There’s no better way of celebrating our presidents on their
day than by remembering a few of their extraordinary acts of courage. (Photo:
istockphoto)
There’s no better way of celebrating our presidents around
Presidents Day than by remembering a few of their extraordinary acts of
courage. Here are four examples highlighting when past presidents
have displayed clear leadership:
1) George Washington. When King George III asked what General
Washington would do after he led the Colonial Army to victory, the target of
his conversation answered, “They say he will return to his farm.” “If he does that,” King George said, “he will be the
greatest man in the world.” And still, he gave up command. There was no
template for the role of president when Washington
was elected to office. He could have considered himself a clerk to carry out
congressional legislation, acted as a pollster of sorts that followed the whims
of the states—or even a king.
His tenure as president can certainly be judged in the way
he restored our financial footing, or how he led our nation through the pains
of growth. But the real measure of his character is found in the way he
fulfilled King George III’s words, by voluntarily stepping down not just from
command of the Colonial Army, but from what would become the most powerful
office in the world. Washington
set the precedent for those who followed in many ways, and perhaps the biggest
way he did this was in his willingness to go against convention and cede power
after just two terms.
2) Abraham Lincoln. President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation
Proclamation was attacked from all sides. National papers decried it as “a
monstrous usurpation, a criminal wrong, and an act of national suicide.”
Desertions by disgusted Union soldiers climbed into the thousands, and a New
York Herald correspondent wrote, “The army is dissatisfied and the air is thick
with revolution[.]”
Riots broke out in New
York City, the largest of their kind to that moment in
American history. Seeing no slaves freed, even abolitionists were soured by the
proclamation’s impotence. Lincoln
was isolated and alone, and yet he considered, and our nation remembers, the
Emancipation Proclamation as his greatest act as president. He didn’t just put
his comfort and reputation at risk; he would ultimately sacrifice his life in
his move to better our nation.
3) Harry S. Truman. Following North Korea’s invasion of the South
in 1950, General Douglas MacArthur was placed in command of the force to retake
the peninsula. He was already an American icon, and as his forces drove the
North Koreans back toward the Chinese border, his legend grew.
The Allies’ advance drew China
into the conflict, and as President Harry Truman became increasingly worried
about the war’s escalation, he denied MacArthur’s requests to expand his
campaign into China.
Adamant in his stance, MacArthur took his argument directly to Congress and
aired his views openly to the press. Even in the face of MacArthur’s success and universal
popularity, Truman relieved him of his command in April of 1951. Truman’s
actions kept the conflict from expanding, reaffirmed his control over the
military, and reinforced the strength of the commander in chief for following
presidents.
4) Ronald Reagan. On Aug. 3, 1981, more than 13,000 air traffic
controllers went on strike throughout the U.S. The strike came at the peak of
summer travel, forcing some 7,000 flight cancelations of across the country. President Ronald Reagan declared the strike illegal and
threatened to fire controllers who didn’t return to work within 48 hours.
Dismissing the controllers would inevitably impede air travel, and Reagan’s
closest advisers worried that a major air disaster might result if the
president held his red line. Two days later, he fired 11,000 striking air
traffic controllers.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s contingency plan
restored airline operations, but it would be many months before air travel
returned to pre-strike levels. As unpopular a measure as it was, by going
against the advice of his staff and conventional wisdom, Reagan reaffirmed his
intent to enforce the law and strengthened America’s
hand in everything from public discourse to our dealings with the Soviet Union.
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
John Venable, who served 25 years in the Air Force, is a senior research fellow for defense policy at The Heritage Foundation.
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PRAYER MATTERS:
"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against
the disorder of the world. - Karl Barth
"Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer."- Stan
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World-Wide Prayer Requests:
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Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/
Hard-pressed on every side. In Iran, Sam and Maryam were arrested along with five other Iranian believers in 2019. These Christians were convicted of propaganda against the state” for possessing Christian materials. Sam was sentenced to one year in prison followed by two years of exile. Maryam, a nurse, was fined and is banned from working for any national institution, including the hospital she has served for 20 years. If that wasn’t enough, the couple was also found “not fit” to be parents to their 2-year-old adopted daughter, Lydia—simply because they are Christians. Even the judge declared that Lydia, who suffers from health problems, may spend the rest of her life in state care. The couple lost their appeal in the case, which means their daughter will be taken from them.
February 15 - Pray the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard Sam, Maryam and Lydia in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).
*Representative name or photo used to protect identity.
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