Posted on 02/25/2008 6:03:32 AM PST by Nextrush
The Northeastern School Board's discussion Monday regarding the calendar for the 2008-09 school year prompted a debate over the role of two holidays.
The district designated Jan. 19, 2009, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as a day off.
It designated Feb. 16, 2009, Washington's Birthday, and Presidents Day, as a snow makeup day.
A snow makeup day is considered a day off unless the district has been forced to cancel too many school days because of the weather. If a cancellation does occur, a snow makeup day is considered a normal day of school. This system helps districts ensure that the day designated as the last day of school changes as little as possible.
Northeastern School District board member Joseph Griffith told the board that MLK Day and Presidents Day should be treated equally in the school's calendar.
"I just think they should be treated the same," Griffith said. "Why not make Martin Luther King Day a snow day?"
After board president Timothy Santiago spoke against Griffith's idea, Santiago asked Griffith to submit his concerns in writing to Supt. Robert Tabachini. Griffith, however. continued to speak.
"Are you saying Presidents Day is not as important as Martin Luther King Day," Griffith asked members of the board.
After the meeting Santiago stressed his views are very different from those of Griffith.
"As long as I am president of this board, we will never consider having school on Martin Luther King Day," Santiago said.
Griffith, who served in the Army from 1973 to 1993 said the board was acting unfairly.
"They are giving more weight to Martin Luther King Day than to the Presidents of the United States," Griffith said. "It's not that I want to show any disrespect. I just don't like giving more weight to one federal holiday than another federal holiday. I'm not showing any disrespect."
They cut out the Lincoln and Washington Birthdays as separate holidays to create MLK Day and Presidents Day instead.
Looks like the reporter browbeated the Army veteran-school board member accusing him of disrespecting Martin Luther King.
Now we come to this downgrading on the school calendar to another snow makeup day.
What comes next?
It think it is crystal clear this is a decision based entirely on race. For those in rio linda, that is called racism and this is a racist decision.
It is entirely a decision based on melanin content of the parties involved. Why not Labor Dar or is that at the wrong time of the year.
It seems to me that snow, being only white, is inherently racist - and should be outlawed.
Blacks are for the blacks...no exceptions.
I didn't much think about it. But really, the possibility that we would use 5 snow days before MLK Day is quite a bit lower than that we would use them by later in February.
They can’t cancel president’s day but this can come awfully close.
This has always been my complaint. The state sent out an email that included the history of him and encouraged us to go and march in the parade. Presidents day came and they didn’t even acknowledge it.
I would be much happier if they put all of the minority heros together and called it Diversity hero day.
If you are black you could go to the parade. If you are white you might want to aknowledge someone in world war II
If you are hispanic you might want to acknowledge Ceasar Chavez. If we can put the presidents into one day and forget about them then we can do the same thing for the other two days.
I grew up in Chicago when King was having his (cough) 'peaceful marches' through the Marquette Park neighborhood (I didn't live too far away). I'd have told him a thing or three and I surely wouldn't have been as polite as Mr. Griffith.
Washington’s birthday is not Feb. 16, it is Feb. 22. Lincoln’s is Feb. 12.
My God, the sloppiness of journalism these days is appalling. The author of the article needs to go back to 2nd grade History class.
Some schools in my area let school out for MLK Day and had classes on President’s Day. President’s Day has become a merchant’s holiday; and is not given the respect it should be.
I know how to make everyone happy and make MLK day bigger than ever.
Simply move MLK day to the Monday after the Super Bowl and call it “Martin Luther Super King Bowl Day”!
No one in their right mind would object to getting the day after the Super Bowl off.
It was that way at the University I attend. It actually bothered me that we were closed for one (MLK) and not the other. The fact we clump all prezys together is also irksome as Washington and Lincoln were far greater men than say Carter, Johnson, or Clinton. Of course reverting back to the way it was would not emphasize black history month which is just so damned important! Elevating contemporaries so that we may forget the greatness of our forefathers is a deeply disturbing trend.
Apparently there is no other single individual in American history worthy enough to warrant a national holiday!
Go Figure!
Oops, Should have read:
M.L. King's birthday is the only national holiday for an American individual.
Please see post# 14 — correction for post# 13...
It should have the same credibility as Columbus Day.
It's asinine statements like THAT which make any progress by conservatives on these issues so impossible.
Last I checked, this is America...your asinine response is a blatant attempt to silence somebody you so obviously disagree with...I ain’t interested in any movement but the truth...and the truth has been written.
Call it Civil Rights Day, and watch the sparks fly as the gays and blacks argue over its significance.
When King's supporters marched in Bridgeport, things were more polite. The worst thing that Mayor Daley's neighbors did was turn on their sprinklers at the marchers.
Yes, I know racial tensions were terrible back then, and that blacks were violent towards whites when they moved into neighborhoods on the South and West sides. Nevertheless, acting like thugs and inviting George Lincoln Rockwell into your neighborhood is very unbecoming.
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