March 16 - Happy Birthday, James Madison

Posted on March 16, 2017

I mentioned in an earlier post that today is James Madison's birthday. That's the reason that today is Freedom of Information Day - Madison is the Founding Father that wrote the first draft of both the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Born on this date in 1751, Madison is and was many things:

The fourth president.

The ninth most successful president, according to historians.

The smallest president, just 5 feet 4 inches tall (163 cm) and consistently less than 100 pounds.

A graduate of Princeton University (Latin, Greek, Hebrew, science, mathematics, philosophy, geography, and more!).

A slave-owner.

The protégé of Thomas Jefferson.

A person who studied a lot, thought a lot, and changed his mind on important issues whenever he felt that facts and reason necessitated a change.

A big believer in freedom of religion and the separation of church and state.

The husband of the popular Dolley Payne Todd Madison, who created the role of First Lady and helped to decorate the newly built White House.

(Dolley Madison famously saved a portrait of George Washington when the British set fire to the White House during the War of 1812!)

Also on this date:

Poet Cesar Vallejo's birthday 

Artist Rosa Bonhuer's birthday

Goddard Day

St. Urho Day

Anniversary of the greatest rainfall in 24 hours

Freedom of Information Day

Black Press Day

Absolutely Incredible Kid Day

Plan ahead:

• March holidays
• March birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in March

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• April holidays
• April birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in April

July 4, 2012 - Indivisible Day in Minnesota

While he was governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura declared July 4 to be Indivisible Day—a day celebrating the separation of church and state.

Ventura pointed out the importance of this separation by quoting “founding father” James Madison, who wrote, “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the endless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.” Madison was right—there have been countless wars in Europe over which religion is the “right” one, and millions of people have died over religious differences.

Thanks to Madison, Jefferson, and other founders, the U.S. Constitution specifically states that the government shall not establish a state religion, nor make laws that favor a particular religion. Instead, the Constitution insists that the American people are free to worship any religion (or no religion) they choose.

Ventura called the day “Indivisible Day” to urge people to provide mutual respect and equal protection for all, including people of different religions. He said such equality was crucial if America were to remain “one nation, indivisible.”

(Of course, Independence Day, also known as the Fourth of July, is also celebrated in Minnesota today!)

March 16, 2011

Freedom of Information Day

Today is the birthday of the fourth U.S. President, James Madison. This was the guy who is called the “Father of the Constitution,” the guy who was the chief writer of the Bill of Rights. Obviously, individual rights and openness of government were important to Madison, which is why Americans celebrate Freedom of Information Day on his birthday.

Do American's celebrate Freedom of Information Day?

Well, the American Library Association has set aside this day to honor people who work to ensure public access to government information, giving out Madison Awards to worthy people.

The Right to Know?

Did you know that, since the Freedom of Information Act passed in 1966, federal agencies must disclose records requested in writing by ANY U.S. citizen? Well, there are a few exclusions. The people's right to know ends where a citizen's right to privacy begins—in other words, certain kinds of information about individuals is kept private except to law enforcement agencies who are investigating crimes. Also, of course, there is the matter of national security. Some classified information just has to stay secret—for a while, at least—to safeguard soldiers, for example.

What do you think? Do you suppose that some government officials misuse these exclusions and keep stuff secret that shouldn't be kept secret? Do you suppose that some citizens demand to know stuff that should be kept private? There have been times in the past when “whistle blowers” leak important information that the public should know—and we can see that this was the right thing to do because we know how “it turned out.” It's a little harder to judge whether or not someone leaking information right now is the right thing to do...

What do you think?