Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. He was born on January 15 but we observe the day on the Monday closest to it. President Regan, sort of against his will, signed it into law in 1983. So, on this day we have no school, no banks, no mail. But other than that, most whites don’t do much to observe this day. I’m probably going to anger some people by what I say next, but here goes. I was opposed to this day when it was first signed into law, and I still am. I feel it was a sort of left-handed way to placate the blacks in this country. Why should Dr. King deserve a day set aside for him any more than any number of other famous and deserving people in this century? Because he was a martyr to a cause? So were the two Kennedys. Because he was a great religious inspiration to his people? So was Billy Graham. Because he helped to bring about needed social change? There must be at least a hundred equally deserving people who did that same thing. There are only 365 days in a year. Perhaps we could compromise and designate February 29 every four years as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But now I’m being just silly. Silliness aside, we ought to continue to reserve our calendar days for only very special occasions and people.
I've always collected errors in diction, things people mis-hear, like "windshield factor" and "the next store neighbors." Years ago, one of my students wrote an essay in which she described the world as being harsh and cruel, "a doggy-dog world." I've since come to think she may have been more astute and accurate than those who describe it in the usual way. My Stories - Mobridge Memories -
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