Why I don't observe President's Day
The calendar here in the United States of America says that today is President's Day. I don't observe this as a holiday. Some reasons...
1. We don't have a Representatives' Day, a Senators' Day, or a Justices' Day, nor (at least in my state) is there a Governor's Day. Why, in a federal system of co-equal institutions of government, should the federal executive alone be accorded a Day?
2. Parliamentary systems don't, to my knowledge, have a Prime Minister's Day. What is so special about a presidential head of government? (Many monarchies have a royal day of some sort, but our head of state is manifestly not (supposed to be) a monarch, the evident wishes of Hamilton and Bush notwithstanding.)
3. The existence of this holiday, and its name, are sops to business interests and Southern separatists. Business interests wanted a single day, always a weekend extender, instead of one or two (we'll get to the two) that "move," relative to the weekend, thereby occasionally creating an interrupted business week or an excuse for a four-day holiday. Of course, the original holiday here was Washington's Birthday, 22 February. Southern separatists wanted to avoid any mention of a Lincoln's Birthday holiday, which is, of course, still recognized separately by some states. (Those states that recognize both thus implicitly have two days for Lincoln, which is not necessarily a bad thing for the last great Republican President: one for the man himself, plus his share of the generic President's Day; Washington loses out here, relatively speaking.)
4. President's Day has become little more than an excuse for sales and other commercialization, though come to think of it, that makes it a typical American holiday--nothing "holy" (as in distinct, different from the other days) in there. Some school districts in California now "observe" an entire week, rather than have two separate holidays for Lincoln and Washington/others. In some districts, it has come to be known as Ski Week. So much for honoring our Presidents (or dishonoring them, as the case may be).
So, today I will not be observing President's Day. In fact, I will be non-observing it by working on a paper. And not the paper I have been working on about presidential elections, but rather one on legislators (even if they are legislators in a presidential democracy). I do, however, want to wish people a belated holy observance of Lincoln's Birthday (Tuesday of last week)--a day to reflect on the judicious application of leadership and respect for national integrity and citizenship at a time of genuine national crisis (and also a time to note that mere-plurality-winning presidents aren't necessarily a bad thing). And to wish everyone a wonderful three-day weekend coming up, on which to remember a president worthy of his reputation for wartime heroism. Recommended reading for observing the holiday: Washington's Farewell Address, and also the Farewell Address* of another president who ascended to the office by virtue of his war record: Dwight Eisenhower. Learn, think, reflect, and rest during your observance of great presidents past.**
* Clearly, a key mark presidential greatness is saying goodbye.
** Somehow, these days, almost all of the presidents past seem great.
Inspired by the "Why I don't observe..." series at Mah Rabu.
1. We don't have a Representatives' Day, a Senators' Day, or a Justices' Day, nor (at least in my state) is there a Governor's Day. Why, in a federal system of co-equal institutions of government, should the federal executive alone be accorded a Day?
2. Parliamentary systems don't, to my knowledge, have a Prime Minister's Day. What is so special about a presidential head of government? (Many monarchies have a royal day of some sort, but our head of state is manifestly not (supposed to be) a monarch, the evident wishes of Hamilton and Bush notwithstanding.)
3. The existence of this holiday, and its name, are sops to business interests and Southern separatists. Business interests wanted a single day, always a weekend extender, instead of one or two (we'll get to the two) that "move," relative to the weekend, thereby occasionally creating an interrupted business week or an excuse for a four-day holiday. Of course, the original holiday here was Washington's Birthday, 22 February. Southern separatists wanted to avoid any mention of a Lincoln's Birthday holiday, which is, of course, still recognized separately by some states. (Those states that recognize both thus implicitly have two days for Lincoln, which is not necessarily a bad thing for the last great Republican President: one for the man himself, plus his share of the generic President's Day; Washington loses out here, relatively speaking.)
4. President's Day has become little more than an excuse for sales and other commercialization, though come to think of it, that makes it a typical American holiday--nothing "holy" (as in distinct, different from the other days) in there. Some school districts in California now "observe" an entire week, rather than have two separate holidays for Lincoln and Washington/others. In some districts, it has come to be known as Ski Week. So much for honoring our Presidents (or dishonoring them, as the case may be).
So, today I will not be observing President's Day. In fact, I will be non-observing it by working on a paper. And not the paper I have been working on about presidential elections, but rather one on legislators (even if they are legislators in a presidential democracy). I do, however, want to wish people a belated holy observance of Lincoln's Birthday (Tuesday of last week)--a day to reflect on the judicious application of leadership and respect for national integrity and citizenship at a time of genuine national crisis (and also a time to note that mere-plurality-winning presidents aren't necessarily a bad thing). And to wish everyone a wonderful three-day weekend coming up, on which to remember a president worthy of his reputation for wartime heroism. Recommended reading for observing the holiday: Washington's Farewell Address, and also the Farewell Address* of another president who ascended to the office by virtue of his war record: Dwight Eisenhower. Learn, think, reflect, and rest during your observance of great presidents past.**
* Clearly, a key mark presidential greatness is saying goodbye.
** Somehow, these days, almost all of the presidents past seem great.
Inspired by the "Why I don't observe..." series at Mah Rabu.
Labels: holidays, Presidents Day
posted by MSS at 10:15 AM
6 Comments:
MSS, here in Australia there is a Queen's Birthday holiday which falls on different days in different States (some refused to change when George V died!). One hardy perennial joke, which always appears in letters to the editor every year, is "I do hope all the republicans will be putting in a full day at work on the Queen's Birthday Holiday". The best reply I saw to this went, "Yes, and I hope the monarchists will be at work on Election Day." [*]
[*] always a Saturday for all State, Federal and local elections and referendums, for at least the past century as far as I can tell... but Alan might correct me on that.
The Queen's Birthday thing is pretty much universal in the Commonwealth realms, although they call it Victoria Day in Canada. The custom is also followed in Netherland and Luzemburg.
The Dutch and Luxembourgeois events are also not an actual birthday and the Luxembourgeois date does not correspond to any grand duke's actual birthday ever. So there.
Interesting.
Yes, I imagine most monarchies have equivalents to the Queen's Day. One might have thought that it would be the same day throughout Her Majesty's realms, however.
The monarchy is too decentralised for there to be a uniform date. As early as 1936, when Edward VIII abdicated, the South African government persuaded themselves that an abdication doesn't need parliamentary consent, so George VI's reign starts on a different date in South Africa's legal system.
> "that an abdication doesn't need parliamentary consent"
I believe that the preferred interpretation of the British experts is that a Monarch does need Parliament's consent to abdicate. The Act of Sucession creates a duty, not just a right, for the first in line to reign over us. Of course, such a duty could never be enforced by mandamus, as this lies from the Crown and therefore doesn't lie (at common law) against Viceroys, or, a fortiori, against HM HMself. However, a reluctant monarch might be barred from some of the rights of a commoner subject (entering the House of Commons precinct, voting, etc).
I suppose a really reluctant Monarch could remove HMself from the throne by converting to Catholicism...
OTOH, the 1977 Aust Const amendment that required Aust federal judges to retire at 70 also contained, for the first time, explicit provision for such judges to resign from office. Yet federal judges had often resigned before 1977 - eg, Dr HV Evatt, who served on the High Court 1930-40 then quit to be a Labor MHR, eventually Labor leader (long story) and a NSW State judge at the end.
Being from Illinois, I remember celebrating "Lincoln's Birthday" and "Washington's Birthday." It was rarely if ever called "President's Day."
Of course, Illinois has the whole Lincoln thing going for it (you can use pennies in the tollbooths), so it makes more sense there.
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