Rep. Stephanie Barnard addresses the state House in honor of Presidents’ Day
Rep. Stephanie Barnard, R-Pasco, delivered a tribute to Presidents’ Day. During her address, the 8th District lawmaker celebrated the legacies and achievements of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, urging fellow assembly members to draw inspiration from their leadership.
Remembering Washington and Lincoln on Presidents’ Day
On this Presidents’ Day, I am deeply honored to commemorate the births of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Washington and Lincoln stand among the greatest figures in human history. Whether we assess them by their actions, their character, or the impact of their work on humanity’s course, they undeniably hold a place among the greatest.
As we pay tribute to these remarkable leaders, it’s essential to consider what sets them apart—to reflect on their distinctive qualities. What distinguishes them from others? I believe it’s not just their character, nobility, or intelligence, but the self-evident values that lie at the very foundation upon which our nation stands: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Abraham Lincoln called the Declaration of Independence “a rebuke and a stumbling block to tyranny and oppression.” It continues to inspire people around the world to fight for freedom and equality. However, as familiar as we all are with those words of that great document, it is the last sentence that reveals why we still revere these men today: because before our nation’s founding, no other group of people had determined to “pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor” in pursuit of realizing those liberties.
That’s how Washington and Lincoln lead us even today: a devotion to natural rights. They are great leaders because they knew that although those rights are paramount, their value lies not in words recorded on paper, but in a willingness to sacrifice so liberty can be realized. They are extraordinary, yet humble men—admired not only for their patriotism but also for their willingness to sacrifice self-interest, personal attachments, reputation, and even life itself for the sake of people they never met—those who came before them and those who will come long after they are gone.
One president there for our nation’s birth, Washington, and one for its healing, Lincoln. George Washington’s ability to lead and unify was exemplified by soldiers who, marching without boots, blankets, or clothes, followed him into battle. Washington did not promise them lives filled with comfort or riches, but the hope of a nation established in liberty. Where the virtue of that liberty was so valuable that men were willing to march through snow and ice with bare, bleeding feet to fight for it.
President Lincoln guided our nation through the Civil War, arguably the bloodiest and most profound moral, constitutional, and political crisis in our history. Lincoln’s leadership was characterized by both strength and humility. True to form at Gettysburg, he said: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” Giving credit where credit is due for the work of the great emancipation. Frederick Douglass praised his friend and wrote: “While Abraham Lincoln saved for you a country, he delivered us from bondage.”
So, how can we honor them on this Presidents’ Day? Not merely with our words, but by forging a future that embodies the very principles of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Let us honor them by carrying their torch forward in the spirit of that priceless heritage and uniting principles that forged and then healed our nation. And by ensuring, through our own sacrifice, that future generations continue to live in the best nation the world has ever known.
