Today was the 319th vacation day in Crawford, Texas for President Bush. This is equal to about 20% of the roughly five years since Bush was elected, and while it is of course a "working vacation", it also represents one of the perks of the office of President.
There have been some memorable presidentail vacations over the years. Warren Harding liked to spend time at a Palm Beach Golf Club. But unfortunately failed to spend more time concentrating on the economy. FDR loved fishing in the Gulf Of Mexico. Harry Truman loved Key West. Dwight Eisenhower spent time on a yacht that was docked in Newport, R.I. Vice President Nixon liked Miami surf, but San Clemente became a favotite destination as President. President Ford got to enjoy, Martinique with the French President, as did the reporters who covered this vacation. Jimmy Carter would return to Plains, Georgia to enjoy his horse. President Reagan found Honolulu and other vacation spots enjoyable. Bill Clinton not only vacationed in Yellowstone, but got a little relaxation with Monica Lewinsky, which nearly ended his presidency.
It's one of the perks of the office for a president to vacation arouund the world while in office. But for Americans at home living in poverty or with other tough conditions, it bothers them that life is so unfair. Many people never get a day off from the tough lives they live. A poor father in Appalacia hunting for "nutri-rats" to feed his family is not the same as a presidential hunting vacation. And a poor Native American Indian family living on a reservation is not the same as a president visiting a luxury resort. Despite a declaration that "all men are created equal", the fact is they are only equal in the eyes of God as his creation, but life itself is not fair or equal.
No comments:
Post a Comment