Proposal of Obama National Holiday Has Conservatives Seeing Red

Kansas Men Want an Obama National Holiday

Carly Hart, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Nov 10, 2008 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

Though Barack Obama has been President-Elect for less than a week, plans are afoot in Kansas to begin the campaign to have an Obama national holiday enacted, according to the The Topeka (Kansas) Capital-Journal. According to the report, weekly meetings will be held at a fast food restaurant to further the cause of an Obama national holiday and to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. As one would imagine, the proposal of an Obama national holiday is meeting with stiff resistance from the right.

Obama national holiday, a bit premature?

Right-leaning Worldnetdaily.com is scoffing at the idea of an Obama national holiday. According to Worldnetdaily, Lamont Lassiter, the manager of the McDonald's hosting the weekly meetings stated that though an Obama national holiday is not likely until after he has completed his term as president that Americans should celebrate Barack Obama because of the goals that he holds for this country, including, "socialized insurance like Canada and France, he's trying to have all Americans have insurance, he's going to focus on the economy and he's trying to pull our troops out of the war." Just uttering any word derived from Socialism is enough to raise the hackles of any individual on the right.

Pundits are quick to point out that Martin Luther King, Jr. was deceased nearly 20 years before the law enacting his holiday was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Even the postal service has rules with regard to who can appear on postage stamps. Though the 10 year death rule has been lifted, the rules still state that no living person shall be honored with a postage stamp. If the United States Postal Service cannot honor Barack Obama with a postage stamp under postal regulations, then it stands to reason that an Obama national holiday should not be considered by the federal government either.

Would it be better to honor Barack Obama's presidential win on another holiday instead of enacting a separate Obama national holiday?

President's Day is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday in February. Though more traditionally honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, many schools celebrate President's Day by teaching school children about all of our nation's presidents. Americans can celebrate and honor all of our presidents just as easily as they can a single one, as all have contributed to making America what it is today. Honoring Barack Obama with an Obama national holiday would lessen the contributions that past presidents have made to our country.

For those Americans wishing to focus on Barack Obama's color and the office of the President of the United States, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day may be an appropriate holiday to celebrate his achievement. Others would likely discount this idea claiming that sharing the holiday would diminish the celebration for all of what Dr. King did for the Civil Rights Movement.

Sources:

Topeka, Kansas Capital-Journal: http://special.cjonline.com/stories/110908/loc_353922770.shtml

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=80584

http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/weigle/2006/11/10year_rule_for_stamp_honorees_1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington%27s_Birthday

Postal service rules for postage stamps: http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm

Published by Carly Hart

One of AC's Top 1000 Content Producers, Carly Hart's interests include news, politics, parenting, frugal living and consumer related issues. A Featured Contributor in the Shopping and Fashion category, she... View profile

Proposal of Obama National Holiday Has Conservatives Seeing Red

Kansas Men Want an Obama National Holiday

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