MLK day isn't a holiday because of anything the civil rights movement did. Its a holiday because the ski resort lobby needed an extra three day weekend between New Years and Valentines to get people up at the resorts.
As for his dream itself, I think its a noble dream. I see no reason to treat people differently because of race. With that said, it is rather disappointing that he never fully lived his dream himself.
We are all children of the same God, I see no reason to judge each other on anything, but the merits of our actions.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke
This thread is saddening.
Maybe I can explain it a bit. Martin Luther King, Jr. did more to advance the cause of human rights and civil liberties than any individual... well, ever, as far as I can see. He did it peacefully and prayerfully and was murdered for it by people who hated his cause. His having a national holiday is a promise of equality and a recognition of greatness and also of the fact that black people have achieved equal (or somewhat equal) status. We have a holiday to honor Christopher Columbus who did terrible, vile things, yet no one questions that. There are holidays honoring all other kinds of things and no one questions them. Yet, when it comes to Martin Luther King, Jr., suddenly there's all this talk about whether a holiday is justified. That can only be for one reason, and that's the color of his skin and the cause he stood for. I don't think it's intentional on the part of the people questioning, since I think, for most, it is well-intentioned, or they believe it is. It is sad, though.
I hope that says it in a nutshell.
Columbus Day is not a Federal holiday.
How does having a Federal holiday named after MLK show anyone they have achieved equality when there is no corresponding holiday named after a white man because he was white?
MLK was the voice of a cause. So have been plenty of people who don't have holidays named for them. As was pointed out, no other holiday is named for an individual except Christmas. The rest are named after historical events, or are all-encompassing such as President's Day; which used to be Washington's birthday in Jan and Lincoln's in Feb that were subsequently lumped into one day.
So I just don't see it, and it has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with what he actually accomplished.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke
Hold the presses!
http://www.usps.com/communications/n...pscalendar.htmUSPS Calander
2007 Holiday Closing Schedule:
Monday, January 1 - New Year's Day
Monday, January 15 - Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday
Monday, February 19 - Washington's Birthday (President's Day)
Monday, May 28 - Memorial Day
Wednesday, July 4 - Independence Day
Monday, September 3 - Labor Day
Monday, October 8 - Columbus Day
Monday, November 12 - Veterans Day Observed
Thursday, November 22 - Thanksgiving Day
Tuesday, December 25 - Christmas Day
Tuesday, January 1, 2008 - New Year's Day
and
http://www.opm.gov/fedhol/2007.asp
I agree Christmas has been dilluted to a bunch of different people celebrating different things, but it's STILL named after Him .... Christ's Mass. However it was originally a pagan holiday celebrating the winter solstice (Dec 21st), IIRC.
I just think in the big scheme of things, there are plenty of people who have done as much or more than MLK who don't have a holiday named after them.
Then there's the fact that next month is Black History Month. We need to take all these (Insert Ethnic Minority Here) History Months and make them all "American History Month."
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke