This week on presidents day/week, as promised, we would examine some of the top American presidents. When I looked at the various poles from Harvard to Schlesinger to the Wall Street Journal who polled minority’s, women, lawyers and historians equal numbers of republicans and democrats it was interesting how some presidents wavered at some poles 50 points lower or higher over the years (a famous example is John F. Kennedy who had to slide down by 22 points in more recent surveys). But then again many times it might take centuries to appreciate the effect, beneficial or detrimental, of actions taken by a leader that may have appeared wise or senseless, at the time yet bore unexpected fruits later.
The worst marks were given to James Buchanan for his inept leadership leading to the years before the civil war and the best were given to Abraham Lincoln for his strong leadership and eloquent speeches as the Gettysburg Address. Second, comes to our first president George Washington. Since I’ve dedicated to both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson in the past, I’m left with only one more president whose face adorns Mount Rushmore – Theodore Roosevelt a Republican and our 26th president- 1858-1919, served as president from 1901-1909 (The youngest president to date at 42 years of age). He was also governor of NY from 1899-1900.
A famous life outlook of his could be summarized in one of his quotes he adhered to and I’d recommend we all to followed: “black care rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough”
Although a sickly child with asthma & nearsightedness and thus homeschooled he battled his weaknesses unrelentlessly. He lifted weights & practiced boxing & wrestling and was a voracious reader. He never whined but always looked for a new challenge. He went to Harvard at 17 years of age where he studied history and became a respected authority in that field. He wrote biographies, a study of the wild west and a book about the Naval wars of 1812 (published in 1882). When the Spanish American war broke out he was the assistant secretary to the navy (1897-8). When the president asked for volunteers to fight in the American -Spanish war, He resigned his post, organized and joined the Rough Riders (a volunteer cavalry group who fought in the Spanish – American war of 1898). Eventually, he headed this volunteer force becoming a war hero when he charged at the head of his company in the battle of San Juan. Returning to NY as a war hero he was elected the governor of NY. This seakly child became the embodiment of masculinity! The Republican party concerned with his power and vision thought to tuck him away as a vice president where he would become inconspicuous but fate had a different plan. President McKinley was assassinated in September and “Teddy” became the youngest president of The USA at 42yo.(next youngest was J.F.K at 43yo).
Teddy is considered the father of conservation establishing many new national parks, forests, and monuments. He received the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the peace between Russia and Japan (you may recall that story from my prior dedication). He oversaw the building of the Panama Canal, built up the US Navy. He groomed Tuft for the presidency and Tuft won. He criticized him campaigned for a third party allowing the split to help Woodrow Wilson win the election and he criticized W.Wilson for not entering WWI against Germany offering himself to take volunteers to fight in France. He lead an expedition to the Amazon and almost died of tropical disease there. He wanted to campaign again for the 1920 election but his health failed him and he died in 1919.
His colleagues and even friends complained there was nothing too small that he didn’t want to try and regulate or improve. He was worried about the deaths 18/yr & ~200/yr severe injuries from Football and warned he would stop the game which is when many new rules got implemented and injuries dramatically went down as well as death, thus saving the game of football from annihilation. He broke the oil and railroad monopolies and prosecuted antitrust although he believed in big business he disliked when people were cheated or abused. He insisted on retaining martial arts classes in the navy when they wanted to eliminate them. He wanted to simplify spelling in the English language and supported overhauling it but had to resend his order when the newspapers ridiculed him (I wish they did make it simpler, perhaps I’d have spelled better.)
Well, it appears he cared and did what was best for his people and wasn’t afraid to stand alone in his quest for a better future for his countryman. Today he is branded a hero but then he was ridiculed and he had to push the house to pass his bill by making the people pressure their representatives. Wish more politicians were like him thinking less about how best to protect their seats and more about how best to protect their country and their people.
And to protect your skins… I’d recommend to moisturize it daily on damp skin and examine it for any new or changing moles… and if in doubt- seek a board-certified dermatologist out!
If you have any questions please call Levit Advanced Dermatology at 718-375-7546. Our Dermatology Medical Center is in Brooklyn. You can schedule the appointment with Board Certified Dermatologist Eyal Levit, MD, F.A.A.D., F.A.C.M.S. Doctor Levit has served for 15 years as the director of Cosmetic and dermatologic surgery at St. Luke’s Hospital, Mount Sinai medical center, and received the distinguished award for best teacher of the year award for his contribution in that field. Dr. Levit performs hundreds of skin cancer surgeries a year and brings his vast dermatologic knowledge and experience of cosmetic surgery into his patient medical and cosmetic reconstruction and vis versa, his vast suturing experience techniques to his cosmetic surgeries, helping his patients feel and look better.