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As today is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as well as national holiday, I feel it necessary to reflect. However, I've been reflecting on the holiday itself as the man's contribution to society cannot be denied. Dr. King was a civil rights leader whose vision still has not been obtained. Equality is a slow process. He wanted a world where everyone is treated fairly regardless of color. While they are treated more fairly than they were in the 1960s, there are still many blacks struggling to stay above the poverty line. So, more progress needs to be made.
As to the holiday for the man, I have mixed feelings. King is one of only two people, Christopher Columbus being the other, to be honored with his own holiday. And this holiday wasn't even celebrated until twenty years ago. January 1986 was when the first Martin Luther King holiday was despite legislation being passed in November 1983. While I don't dislike the holiday, I do dislike its placement in the calendar. Nobody needs a holiday this soon after New Year's. Plus, schools have started neglecting other holidays in order to be politically correct. I ceased receiving Presidents' Day off in high school because they preferred to add a teacher workday to the MLK holiday. And I haven't received Presidents' Day off in college presumably because it's too near Spring Break, but also because they choose to honor MLK. What, so now the founders and leaders of our country don't deserve to be honored? Mind you, I honestly don't think Bush Jr. does, but that's beside the point.
I've thought of many alternate days in Martin Luther King's life worth honoring, but all are logistical nightmares. The "I have a dream..." speech was given in August, the only month without a holiday, however it was August 28, 1963. This would create conflict with Labor Day as the holidays could conceivably coincide. Another speech, "I've been to the mountaintop...", is holiday worthy, and would make my sister very happy, as it was given on April 3, 1968, but it falls close to Easter/Spring Break for many people in this fine country. His death, as a martyr to the cause of civil rights, on April 4, 1968, creates a similar problem with Easter/Spring Break.
This leads me to believe that maybe a day honoring the Civil Rights movement in general would be more suitable to schools around the country. Perhaps the anniversary of Rosa Parks heroic act in Montgomery and the bus boycott that followed, or the days of the march from Selma (though I believe this to be late March, invoking Spring Break again). I don't know how to settle this, but picking and choosing which national holidays to celebrate isn't right. Especially when the one being overlooked is honoring the Commander-in-Chief, and falls at midterms too boot.
As to the holiday for the man, I have mixed feelings. King is one of only two people, Christopher Columbus being the other, to be honored with his own holiday. And this holiday wasn't even celebrated until twenty years ago. January 1986 was when the first Martin Luther King holiday was despite legislation being passed in November 1983. While I don't dislike the holiday, I do dislike its placement in the calendar. Nobody needs a holiday this soon after New Year's. Plus, schools have started neglecting other holidays in order to be politically correct. I ceased receiving Presidents' Day off in high school because they preferred to add a teacher workday to the MLK holiday. And I haven't received Presidents' Day off in college presumably because it's too near Spring Break, but also because they choose to honor MLK. What, so now the founders and leaders of our country don't deserve to be honored? Mind you, I honestly don't think Bush Jr. does, but that's beside the point.
I've thought of many alternate days in Martin Luther King's life worth honoring, but all are logistical nightmares. The "I have a dream..." speech was given in August, the only month without a holiday, however it was August 28, 1963. This would create conflict with Labor Day as the holidays could conceivably coincide. Another speech, "I've been to the mountaintop...", is holiday worthy, and would make my sister very happy, as it was given on April 3, 1968, but it falls close to Easter/Spring Break for many people in this fine country. His death, as a martyr to the cause of civil rights, on April 4, 1968, creates a similar problem with Easter/Spring Break.
This leads me to believe that maybe a day honoring the Civil Rights movement in general would be more suitable to schools around the country. Perhaps the anniversary of Rosa Parks heroic act in Montgomery and the bus boycott that followed, or the days of the march from Selma (though I believe this to be late March, invoking Spring Break again). I don't know how to settle this, but picking and choosing which national holidays to celebrate isn't right. Especially when the one being overlooked is honoring the Commander-in-Chief, and falls at midterms too boot.