Joys of the season

When Andrew Jackson extended this greeting while he was president, the “season” was short and consisted primarily of Christmas. His greeting is as apropos in the 21st century as it was 188 years ago. In the second decade of the 21st-century, our definition of the “season” stretches from October, some might argue, into January and includes at least six holidays. We argue about an appropriate greeting that can be at once specific and inclusive for our broadly defined season. In 2016, Jackson’s seems almost prescient in its inclusivity and relevance.

This simple statement illustrates an important point, that being Jackson’s relevance today. As in his time, today Americans discuss – and argue – about the appropriate role of government, how to interpret the U.S. Constitution, the balance of power between branches of government and the states, taxation, banking, public works, immigration, inclusiveness, populism, nationalism, and so forth. The issues of Jackson’s time in the 1820s and 1830s are the same as we face today in the 20-teens. There are many lessons – good and bad – to be drawn Jackson and Jacksonian American that are relevant to us today. Please visit Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage to learn more about our nation’s issues of Jackson’s time, and perhaps glean some insights that will guide our decisions today.

Meanwhile, I want to wish each of you the “Joys of the season,” and that 2017 will be a healthy, happy, and rewarding year.