Tomhas na Teanga

Jan/Feb 2008

Cé hé an t-uachtarán Meiriceánach is fearr leat? Who’s your favourite American president? Tá Lá na nUachtarán againn le fada anuas, in ionad Breithlá Washington agus Breithlá Lincoln. We have Presidents’ Day instead of Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthdays for a long time now. Táimid ábalta ceiliúradh a dhéanamh de gach uachtarán, nó pé uachtaráin ab áil linn ar an lá seo anois, mar sin. We are able to celebrate every president, or whichever presidents we want to on this day now, therefore. Agus dar ndóigh, bíonn a roghanna féin ag gach duine. And of course, everyone has their own choices.

Bíonn tuairimí éagsúla ann i gcónaí maidir le gach aon uachtarán. There are always various opinions around about every president. Bhíodh nós ag daoine áirithe uachtarán amháin a líniú mar ápa agus a scríobh gur amadán agus cábóg é i gcónaí, agus go mbíonn daoine eile ag insint dó conas gach aon rud a dhéanamh. Certain people used to habitually draw a certain president as an ape and always write that he’s a fool and a bumpkin, and that other people are always telling him how to do everything. Dúirt siad gur thosaigh sé cogadh mídhleathach gan chúis agus go ndearna sé gach aon rud mícheart á stiúradh. They said that he started a needless illegal war and that he did everything wrong directing it. Ba é Lincoln an t-uachtarán sin. That president was Lincoln. Ní bhíonn gach duine sásta riamh! You can never satisfy everybody!

Is minic nach n-aontaíonn daoine fós faoi thionchar uachtarán áirithe. Often people still don’t agree about the influence of certain presidents. Ar shábháil Franklin Roosevelt an tír ón Spealadh Mór, nó an ndearna sé ní ba measa é? Did FDR save the country from the Great Depression, or did he make it worse? An ndearna Kennedy na rudaí cearta maidir le Cúba? Did JFK do the right things regarding Cuba? An bhfuil an tír níos fearr mar gheall ar an gCogadh ar an mBochtanas a thosaigh Lyndon Johnson? Is the country better off because of the War on Poverty that LBJ started? An ndearna Grant na rudaí cearta maidir leis na hIndiaigh Dhearga? Did Grant do the right things concerning the American Indians? Is iomaí conspóid atá ann! There are lots of controversies!

Go minic, bíonn clú nó droch-chlú ar uachtarán mar gheall ar na scéalta a insíodh ina dhiaidh. Often, a president has a reputation or a bad reputation because of the stories which were told in his wake. Agus is minic nach fíor roinnt de na scéalta sin. And often they are not true. An raibh crann silíní ag Washington? Did Washington have a cherry tree? An raibh Herbert Hoover ciontach as an Spealadh Mór? Did Hoover cause the Great Depression? An raibh Grant corbach? Was Grant corrupt? Ní bhíonn an stair chomh simplí sin, go minic. History isn’t that simple, often. Is fiú súil a chaitheamh ar na fíricí arís. It’s worthwhile to look at the facts again. Dar ndóigh, uaireanta cumtar scéal nua as an aer atá bunaithe ar theoiricí nua-aimseartha, gan mórán den fhírinne iontu. Of course, sometimes stories are made up out of thin air that are based on modern theories, without much truth in them. Ní mór bheith cúramach i gcónaí! One needs to be careful always!

Pé tuairim a bheadh againn maidir le huachtarán ar bith, táimid réasúnta cinnte gur fíor go dtugann gach duine daoibh seirbhís dá thír as tírghrá, agus go ndéanann siad a ndícheall chun leas na tíre a chur chun cinn. Whatever opinion we might have regarding any president, we’re reasonably sure that it is true that each of them gives service to his country out of patriotism, and that they do their best to make progress for the good of the country. Maraíodh roinnt díobh mar gheall ar an seirbhís sin. Some of them were killed on account of that service. Kennedy, Lincoln, Garfield agus McKinley. Rinneadh iarrachtaí chun uachtaráin eile a mharú, agus níor éirigh leo, buíochas le Dia. Attempts were made to kill other presidents, which didn’t succeed, thank God. Tharla sin 16 uair eile. That happened 16 other times. Tharla sin do beagnach gach uachtarán san aois seo caite agus san aois seo. That happened to almost every president in the last century and in this one. Agus fiú mura maraíonn an post iad, éiríonn siad in aois níos tapúla ná an gnáthdhuine. And even if the job doesn’t kill them, they age much faster than ordinary people. Féach ar ghrianghraf d’uachtarán ar bith ag tús a réime, agus ar cheann eile ón deireadh, agus feicfidh tú sin. Look at a photograph of any president at the beginning of his term, and at another from the end, and you’ll see that. Is trom an t-ualach a bhíonn ar a ngualainn. They bear a heavy weight on their shoulders. Agus an bhfaigheann duine eile beo níos mó íde béil ná an t-uachtarán? And who of anyone alive gets more verbal abuse than the president? An ngearántar níos mó faoi dhuine ar bith eile? Is anyone at all complained about more? Sea, is post an deacair sin. Yes, that’s a difficult job. Is ceart agus cóir go bhfuil lá curtha in áireamh againn chun smaoineamh orthu. It’s right and proper that we have a day set aside to think about them.

Go hoifigiúil, tugann an rialtas feidearálach Breithlá Washington ar an lá seo fós. Officially, the federal government still calls this day Washington’s birthday. Tá a rialacha féin ag gach stát, freisin. Every state has its own rules, too. Ach is oiriúnach tús áite a thabhairt d’athair na tíre seo, an fear nárbh fhéidir a bheith ina uireasa. But it is suitable first place to give to this father of our country, the indispensable man. Breithlá sona duit, a Sheoirse! Happy birthday, George!