HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GEORGE WASHINGTON!
TODAY is George Washington’s REAL birthday!
His REAL birthday was celebrated widely during his lifetime and then became a FEDERAL HOLIDAY already in 1879. Federal law shifted the LEGAL HOLIDAY in 1971 as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to provide for more 3-day weekends for FEDERAL employees. Is that a GOOD reason?!
COMMENDATION & GRATITUDE to WCLO RADIO for reminding listeners this morning that TODAY is GEORGE WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY! A+ today!!
If you want to review more of the life of George Washington, I encourage you to read Wikipedia’s feature article, “George Washington.”
Politically, George Washington’s Farewell Address has a great deal of WISDOM which is RELEVANT to WE THE PEOPLE of the US today. I urge you to read and study his Farewell Address using Wikipedia’s feature article with full text, “George Washington’s Farewell Address.”
TODAY is NOT a WISCONSIN legal holiday, but it is a LEGALLY REQUIRED “SCHOOL OBSERVANCE DAY.” Wisconsin does have the LEGAL “President’s Day” holiday aligned with the FEDERAL “George Washington’s Birthday” holiday. The DIFFERENT of names of the holiday is accurate as reflected in State and Federal laws!
Following up on the issue of George Washington’s Birthday as a LEGAL holiday, I learned a lot reading Wikipedia’s feature article, “Washington’s Birthday.” This is a valuable historical review of our celebration of George Washington’s birthday whether on his REAL birthday or on a HOLIDAY.
The HOLIDAY was set by the “Uniform Monday Holiday Act” signed into law on June 28, 1968 by President Johnson which went into effect for the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT on January 1, 1971. States gradually adopted the provisions with dates of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968. Federal holidays and State holidays are legally separate, but often coincide. For example, “Washington’s Birthday” is a FEDERAL HOLIDAY, but it is NOT a WI STATE HOLIDAY.
“Washington’s Birthday” on February 22 is one of the “Wisconsin Public School Observance Days” set by our WI State legislature with gubernatorial signature. There are 21 such observance days. If you want to read more about the legal requirements of the observance days and the FULL LIST of the days with explanation of the significance of each, use this link to “Wisconsin Public School Observance Days” on the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s website.
There is NO federal holiday identified as “Presidents’ Day”! This label is a development generated by advertisers in the mid-1980’s. This leaves one to argue whether one is going to use “President’s Day” (singular) or “Presidents’ Day” (plural). I use PLURAL! What do YOU use?
Each state has the authority to set up its own holidays with states using different labels. If you want to see a list of the various legal holidays in the various states, use this link to the “infoplease” website article, “State Holidays.” Very interesting! Note the diversity among our states!!
Focusing on George Washington’s Birthday, I learned about variants on state celebrations reading Ann Marie Imbornoni’s article published by “infoplease,” “Presidents’ Day or Washington’s Birthday?” If you want to learn more, use the link to Ann’s article above.
The gist of the relationship between FEDERAL holidays and STATE holidays is articulated by Ann, “Well, according to the federal government, the holiday observed on the third Monday in February is officially Washington's Birthday. But many Americans believe that this holiday is now called "Presidents' Day," in honor of both Presidents Washington and Lincoln, whose birthdays are Feb. 22 and Feb. 12, respectively. It turns out that whether you honor one or the other or both of these presidents may depend on where you live.”
Ann continues noting, “States Decide on Holidays - The states are not obliged to adopt federal holidays, which only affect federal offices and agencies. While most states have adopted Washington's Birthday, a dozen of them officially celebrate Presidents' Day. A number of the states that celebrate Washington's Birthday also recognize Lincoln's Birthday as a separate legal holiday.”
The list of LEGAL WISCONSIN holidays includes “President’s Day” (singular) aligned with the FEDERAL “Washington’s Birthday” holiday. If you want to check the LEGAL HOLIDAYS in WI, you can use this link to “FindLaw’s,” “Wisconsin Legal Holidays Laws.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GEORGE WASHINGTON on his REAL birthday TODAY!
Here we go…
Mr. E.
John Eyster lives in the Edgerton area. He is an adjunct professor of political science at UW-Waukesha and an advocate for democracy/civics education in Wisconsin high schools. John is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. His opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.
Feb 22, 2013 at 11:31 a.m.
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Northman's quotes from George Washington include this one, “It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.”
The nanny state we have unleashed with the Obama administration consistantly violates this principle. There are increasing restrictions on the food we eat and the drinks we drink under the guise of run away obesity.
The recent objections to allowing drinking in the city parks is another perfect example.
Feb 22, 2013 at 10:58 a.m.
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President's day is just another day when gov. workers stay home, do nothing, and get paid. Kinda just like the other 6 days, except, they don't have to show up...
Feb 22, 2013 at 10:24 a.m.
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More people should celebrate the lives of LEADERS such as George Washington. If people understood the sacrifices and everything people like him put on the line for this country then and now, we might have a more humble society that appreciates the freedoms we've been blessed with.
Feb 22, 2013 at 9:25 a.m.
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No wonder students are confused.
George Washington's Birthday
"George Washington's Birthday is celebrated as a federal holiday on the third Monday in February. It is one of eleven permanent holidays established by Congress."
http://www.archives.gov/legislative/feat...
Monday, February 18** Washington's Birthday
** This holiday is designated as "Washington's Birthday." Though other institutions such as state and local governments and private businesses may use other names, it is Federal policy to always refer to holidays by the names designated in the law.
http://www.archives.gov/news/federal-hol...
"George Washington was born in Virginia on February 11, 1731, according to the then-used Julian calendar. In 1752, however, Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, which placed Washington's birth on February 22, 1732."
http://www.archives.gov/legislative/feat...
Feb 22, 2013 at 8:46 a.m.
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Some quotes from wise ol’ George:
“Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
“The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.”
“The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that's good.”
“It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.”
“Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.”
“We must consult our means rather than our wishes.”
“Warned against ... 'ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear”
“Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.”
“The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.”
Pretty clearly, George would be shocked and disappointed with our current choice of President. The last four points alone put them starkly at odds; I greatly prefer George’s outlook.
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