Washington’s Birthday
The third Monday in February has come to be known—wrongly—as Presidents’ Day, an annual excuse for a three-day weekend and big-ticket sales. During a discussion hosted by the AEI Program on American Citizenship, the editors–with Richard Brookhiser (National Review), Harvey Mansfield (Harvard University), and Steven F. Hayward (AEI)–reflect on the significance of celebrating George Washington’s birthday. Continue reading
Discussion Guide: “Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen” by O. Henry
Guest host Christopher DeMuth of the American Enterprise Institute discusses O. Henry’s “Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen” with editors Amy A. Kass, Leon R. Kass, and Diana Schaub. Continue reading
Discussion Guide: Thanksgiving Proclamation by George Washington
Guest host Christopher DeMuth of the American Enterprise Institute discusses George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation with editors Amy A. Kass, Leon R. Kass, and Diana Schaub. Continue reading
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving is a venerable and much beloved American holiday. The editors discuss George Washington’s Thanksgiving Day Proclamation and O. Henry’s short story, “Two Thanksgiving Gentlemen.” Continue reading
Session 8, part 2: Courage and Self-Sacrifice: Toward Country and Its Ideals
Guest host Eliot A. Cohen of Johns Hopkins SAIS discusses George S. Patton’s “Speech to the Third Army” with Amy A. Kass and Leon R. Kass. Continue reading
Memorial Day
How best can we remember and honor those who gave the last full measure of devotion? The editors—with Senator John McCain, editor William Kristol, and Command Sergeant Major Michael T. Hall (ret.)—reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day. Continue reading
What Silent Cal Said About the Fourth of July
It is a tribute to a polity dedicated to securing our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that we can enjoy our freedoms while taking them for granted, giving little thought to what makes them possible. But this inattention comes at heavy price, paid in increased civic ignorance and decreased national attachment—both dangerous for a self-governing people. Continue reading
Citizenship and Memory
Developing robust and committed American citizens is a matter of both the heart and the head. Like all building of character, it requires educating our moral imaginations, sentiments, and habits of heart — matters displayed in but also nurtured by great works of imaginative literature. Continue reading
Take Time to Remember
American holidays not only provide time for remembrance of things past. At their best, they also invigorate us in the present by attaching us to thoughts, deeds, and sentiments that can enrich our lives today and tomorrow. One among our holidays alone bears the name and the specific call to remembrance: Memorial Day. Continue reading
What Is the Point of Flag Day?
Flag Day is unusual. Commemorating the birthday of the American flag, adopted in the midst of the American Revolution by the Second Continental Congress, Flag Day is not an official federal holiday. Continue reading