Today is President's Day, created by Congressional law in 1968 by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act that moved most US Federal holidays to a Monday. Originally it was to combine both Washington's Birthday and Lincoln's Birthday into one holiday, but as most things Washington (the town not the man), stuff fell through the cracks. When signed, the act only applied to Washington's Birthday.
The first designated Federal holiday to honor a citizen, Washington's Birthday was so ordered by Congress in 1880 for the District of Columbia and expanded to the states in 1885. Its purpose was to honor the man who was our first President and is regularly referred to as "the Father of Our Country."
George Washington was commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary forces who overthrew England, presided over the convention that created the US Constitution, unified our nation and after unanimous choice of the Electoral College became our first President, setting the standard for all subsequent Presidents to attain.
For decades on this day our citizens were reminded of this great man and his accomplishments and took time to honor his important and vital place in our history. However, in recent years it has become little more than a reason to have a retail sale.
Outside of government and banks, few take leave of work, fewer remember the man, and even fewer remember that without him, this great nation may well have never come into existence. Today, it's all about a day off work or school and another reason to compel people to spend.
On the other hand, a recent addition to the Federal holiday calendar, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day came into existence in 1983 to celebrate the life of this man who undoubtedly had a great impact on the United States civil rights movement. Still, one would be hard pressed to say his impact on the US and her citizens was as far-reaching as that of George Washington.
Even so, were one to imply that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day be observed in the same manner as the President's Day observance has become, there would be great cries of "heresy" and disrespect for this man. If one were to suggest celebrating "King Day" by holding a sale he would no doubt be venerated as having ill will towards the Black community.
It took about 20 years from it's inception to when business began to accept President’s Day as a "non-holiday" and no doubt there were many who cried out at this dishonor as it turned into a retail sale day. Yet today we allow it as acceptable and expected practice, many looking forward to the possibility of finding a good "deal".
I have little doubt that sometime in the future, certainly not as quickly as it took President's Day for there was substantial prior history to that day of remembrance, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day will, too, become another little recognized day where most forget the man and his accomplishments and turn their attention to the discounts of the retail sector.
People will cease demanding the day off from work to honor the man, memorials will be forgotten, parades no longer organized and the words so often quoted, "I have a dream…" will take their place in obscurity along side Washington’s "…reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
