Though it may be called different things around the country, Presidents Day is a celebration of our nation's founder George Washington and the Presidents that have followed in his footsteps. It is a day to brush up on our history, a day to celebrate our unique American experience... and yeah, it's another excuse for car dealerships and mattress stores to push some product the American capitalist way. In the spirit of showing what it means to be "presidential", here's some stylish and patriotic wallpapers for your devices.
There are Presidential wallpapers and then there are SharpWriter Presidential Wallpapers. He's done impressive wallpapers for some of history's most memorable presidents, from JFK Alien Hunter to Bill Clinton the Lady Killer, to, of course, George Washington: Modern Warfare edition! Is that a laser-eyed bald eagle? I don't know and I don't care, it's awesome! Oh, and he has a Trump one, too. He also has Stephen Colbert riding a bald eagle after throwing the One Ring into the fires of Mt. Doom.
George WARshington by SharpWriter
JFK's posthumous pose stands out in stark contrast to the rest of the presidential portraits, among the stiff straight-on "postage stamp shots", as Jackie Kennedy called them. She didn't want that for her late husband, so when she was given this shot among many prospective poses, she immediately picked it. It shows a pensive JFK debating the many issues before him. The Cuban missile crisis, the growing unrest as the civil rights movement comes to a head, the race to put a man on the moon...
John F Kennedy's Presidential Portrait by Aaron Shikler
Lyndon B Johnson is the president that inherited that world of problems from JFK, and one he tackled with a relentless ferocity was civil rights. Civil rights was (and remains) a complex issue, one that seeks to make this a land of opportunities for all, not just those who happened to be born with a fair face or a family fortune. Today, civil rights is not only about the continuing racial divides in this country, but in gender equality, and in protecting loving, consenting adults who just want the same peace and dignity afforded to the couples around them. And Johnson knew this was not a fight that would end with him or the Civil Rights Act, it was a fight he knew would be waged for decades to come, because "Freedom is not enough". We need not equality just as a legality and "theory", as he put it, but as a fact and reality. Equality is something to fight for, and I am grateful that the first President to come out of Texas fought for it hard.
LBJ meeting with Civil Rights Leaders
If you need a refresher on your presidents, I recommend heading to a Disney park this summer to the Hall of Presidents. The last eight years, the Hall of Presidents has touched on the struggles of our country's founding, our Civil War, the Depression, and the Civil Rights Movement as it showcased the first African American president, and truly, it was the best Hall of Presidents ever for this young Disney fan. I dare you not to tear up when Morgan Freeman reminds us that "It has always been the role of presidents to remind us of our roots, to call us to the future. In their greatest moments, they speak words that are already there in our hearts... especially in times of tragedy."
I'm not sure how the Hall of Presidents will look when it re-opens with President Trump, but I'm certain Disney will continue to uphold the class, honor, and national pride the attraction embodies.
Hall of Presidents by Disney Parks Blog
The White House is a global icon, a symbol, and while it looks huge behind the iron fences or in the distant photos... it's not actually all that big considering it houses the first family and some of the president's many advisors. But it's huge in our hearts, and now it's huge on our home screens. It's been called many things, from the Presidential Palace to the Executive Mansion, but Teddy Roosevelt had it right: The White House. And no matter who occupies that White House, it will remain a beacon to the nation and to the world.
