Today is a good day to reflect on the kind of leadership that strengthens institutions, protects the rule of law, and reminds us that the presidency is a trust, not a throne. We have been united before. We can be united again.

It is about remembering the standards set at the beginning of this experiment in self-government. Our country has always wrestled with disagreement, but we have also proven, time and again, that we can come back together around shared purpose.

Neither inherited easy circumstances. Both faced deep division. Both understood that their leadership needed to be about preserving a republic larger than any one person.

Presidents’ Day is not just about celebrating titles or offices.

If you care about this country, you protect the right to vote for everyone, even the people who don’t vote the way you do.

Voter intimidation is illegal under federal law. And the truth is, U.S. elections are already highly secure. We should be lowering barriers to participation, not adding fear at the front door of democracy.

As we celebrate the game this weekend, it’s worth remembering the man who helped make it more honest and more inclusive.

Black players competed until the mid-1930s, when the league closed its doors. No rule. No announcement. Teams simply stopped signing Black athletes.

In 1946, Kenny Washington signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Changing what opportunity looked like in professional football.

Black History Month isn’t a narrowing of the lens. It’s completing the picture.
A fuller understanding of our past makes us better stewards of the future we’re responsible for building together.

When a people’s contributions, resilience, and leadership are under-taught, they become easier to misunderstand and easier to marginalize. At a minimum, we can create space for that history to be seen, studied, and respected, rather than allowing it to slip back into obscurity.

The truth is, the history of Black Americans has too often been misrepresented, minimized, or left out entirely because it challenged the comfort of the dominant narrative.

That absence didn’t happen by accident. And it doesn’t correct itself on its own.

Even if leaders intend to avoid a shutdown, the lack of clarity can destabilize.

This round appears especially fragile because unresolved policy disputes are now tied directly to must-pass funding bills. That makes compromise harder and raises the stakes as the clock runs down.

Voting, especially in local elections, determines who sets the rules and how resources are allocated. It’s how long-term outcomes get locked in or changed.

Civic engagement is about agency.
You’re not powerless.
You’re only left behind if you choose not to participate.

Local government decisions affect your schools, roads, public safety, housing, and healthcare. Engaging locally is how those systems reflect community needs.
Volunteering strengthens communities. It improves well-being and turns shared problems into shared responsibility.

Tangible progress is built through persistence. Through relationships. Through choosing to keep showing up for people when outcomes aren’t guaranteed.

The dream is worth remembering, but the discipline it takes to keep working toward it needs to be honored.

The impact shows up later in public safety gaps and civic understanding. Public investments are a connective tissue. When they’re removed, communities feel it first and hardest.
Policy decisions echo long after the headlines move on. That’s why looking beyond the moment matters.