Category: constitutional calendar

On August 21, 1790, George Washington wrote a letter to the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island.  The quality of Washington’s prose reminds us how much we have lost in American public discourse.  More importantly, his obviously heartfelt expressions of religious tolerance make clear that America, unlike the principal nations of Europe, really meant to be…

On July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig stood at home plate in Yankee Stadium for a ceremony between the two games of a double-header. Only 36 years old, he was withered, bent, and dying. But it was Lou Gehrig Day. Some speeches were made, some gifts presented; Gehrig shifted uncomfortably and said nothing. Then his manager,…