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Whatever happened to Washington's Birthday? (Is 'Presidents Day' wrong designation?)
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/21/05 | Demian Bulwa

Posted on 02/21/2005 5:34:18 PM PST by TFFKAMM

Whether today should be called Washington's Birthday or Presidents Day is a question that will not distract most Americans from patriotic golf rounds and shopping excursions.

But it's less a question than a crusade for Lafayette lawyer Jason Bezis.

He calls Presidents Day -- with its varying interpretations and occasional, floating apostrophe -- a noxious weed strangling the venerable oak of Washington's Birthday, which happens to be the official title of the holiday in California and under federal law.

On paper, he appears to be right. And almost no one cares.

"The poor oak tree's leaves are withering," Bezis, 31, said as he pored over his evidence, gathered over hundreds of hours in the past eight years, showing that the third Monday in February is clouded by mistakes and myth...

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: California
KEYWORDS: attorney; california; government; holiday; lincoln; presidentsday; washington; washingtonsbirthday
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1 posted on 02/21/2005 5:34:18 PM PST by TFFKAMM
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To: TFFKAMM

Does anyone recall the various Party's position when Lincoln's Birthday and Washington's Birthday were melded into the one?


2 posted on 02/21/2005 5:36:46 PM PST by theDentist (The Dems are putting all their eggs in one basket-case: Howard "Belltower" Dean.)
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To: TFFKAMM

Washington's B'day is clearly marked on my calender as the 22nd. That would be tomorrow where I'm at.


3 posted on 02/21/2005 5:36:58 PM PST by exnavy
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To: TFFKAMM

Presidents with birthdays in February. I always think of it as including Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan. Works for me.


4 posted on 02/21/2005 5:37:51 PM PST by mhx
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To: TFFKAMM

I took in the parade in Alexandria, then went over to Mt. Vernon. No doubt about what and who it was all for there! Terrific day!


5 posted on 02/21/2005 5:48:48 PM PST by Riley
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To: TFFKAMM

This is the stupidest article I have seen in a long time. It was a way to celebrate two presidents without having two similiar holidays so close together.

Idiot.


6 posted on 02/21/2005 6:05:08 PM PST by sandbar
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To: TFFKAMM
Bless LBJ for he "unionized" our national holidays but along the way it would appear that Johnson's keen political sensitivities may eventually rob old Honest Abe of his rightful place in our holiday walk of fame.

I still recall the debate at that time as to whether Washington or Lincoln would loose out when their birthdays were combined. For my part I never forgave Johnson for screwing me out of a school holiday.

This was one of my early experiences with the evil Democrat empire.

7 posted on 02/21/2005 6:12:06 PM PST by Amerigomag
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To: Amerigomag

I've got my flame-proof suit on, so I'll say that I resent that MLK gets a whole day but our presidents have to get lumped for conveinience.


8 posted on 02/21/2005 6:17:57 PM PST by MIgramma (FEAR= False Evidence Alleged Real)
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To: TFFKAMM

I thought that they combined Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays into President's Day when they created Martin Luther King Day to balance out the federal holidays. True?


9 posted on 02/21/2005 6:18:17 PM PST by walrus954
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To: MIgramma
All else aside, the fact the Greatest American in Our History does not get a day is a stain on our country.

There was no one, there is no one and there will be no one close to General Washington. Ever.

10 posted on 02/21/2005 6:22:13 PM PST by Pharmboy ("Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God")
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To: sandbar
Here in NH, we were pressured for a long time to recognize MLK Day lest we be proven racist. Now on Presidents Day it seems a bit unbalanced that the man who originally saved blacks from slavery is no longer honored with his own day.
11 posted on 02/21/2005 6:25:04 PM PST by KPfromDerryNH
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To: theDentist

I celebrate Lincoln's birthday...when I was small all the bakeries had log cakes to purchase. and I also celebrate Washington's birthday which was always Cherry pie for dessert.

The religious holidays of the leftists in schools now are the 100th day of school and Dr Seus's birthday. What a load of garbage.


12 posted on 02/21/2005 6:35:51 PM PST by mlmr (The Majority of the Murders Committed Worldwide have been Committed by Leftist Governments..........)
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To: mlmr
I remember the same thing! Then suddenly it was made 1 holiday. What a gyp! Now if they go back, we must make sure we get the 2 Holidays, Washington and Lincoln.

... and Groundhog Day, if that bugger would call for an early Spring a bit more often.

13 posted on 02/21/2005 6:40:09 PM PST by theDentist (The Dems are putting all their eggs in one basket-case: Howard "Belltower" Dean.)
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To: sandbar; theDentist
Criminy, you sure do have a low "idiot" threshold. What is it that you say was "...a way to celebrate two presidents..."? Look at the article more carefully. Congress establishes holidays by statute, and the "Presidents Day" holiday has never been adopted by Congress. (So you see, theDentist, they never were "melded.") Today's holiday, per Title V of the U.S. Code is "George Washington's Birthday." To my mind, Washington is still deserving of recognition and veneration, and I don't think that a person opposing the unofficial bastardization of the holiday is an "idiot." We have quite enough officially-sanctioned watering down and ignoring of our history, thank you very much.
14 posted on 02/21/2005 6:42:51 PM PST by j.havenfarm (Proud to be mentioned by my full name in Rush Limbaugh's San Jose speech of 2/8/05.)
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To: j.havenfarm

>>>On paper, he appears to be right. And almost no one cares.

I quote from the article.

Take what you want from it.


15 posted on 02/21/2005 6:51:41 PM PST by sandbar
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To: j.havenfarm

>Washington's B'day is clearly marked on my calender as the >22nd. That would be tomorrow where I'm at.

To quote from another post. So if there is no legal recognition of "President's Day", does the federal government close on the Monday closest to George Washington's Birthday?


16 posted on 02/21/2005 6:55:09 PM PST by sandbar
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To: sandbar

It's the Monday holiday statute, which frankly I'm not that wild about, either. I think it cheapens whatever is being celebrated. I don't have that relevant section of Title V of the U.S Code handy, but I've looked at it in the past, and what it contains is a list of designations and the dates for them. To paraphrase it, it looks something like:
...December 25, Chirstmas Day; January 1, New Year's Day; Second Monday in January, Martin Luther King's Birthday; Third Monday in February, George Washington's Birthday... etc., etc., etc. Bastardization, yes, but bastardization by statute, not by the general consensus of department store advertisements and lazy media outlets. I want my bastardization done by the professionals in Washington!


17 posted on 02/21/2005 7:05:40 PM PST by j.havenfarm (Proud to be mentioned by my full name in Rush Limbaugh's San Jose speech of 2/8/05.)
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To: j.havenfarm

>I want my bastardization done by the professionals in >Washington!

LMAO!!


18 posted on 02/21/2005 7:15:02 PM PST by sandbar
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To: TFFKAMM

It is, indeed, unfortunate that Washington's Birthday has become President's Day. I guess we're now supposed to honor Millard Fillmore, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton along with Washington and Lincoln.


19 posted on 02/21/2005 7:39:43 PM PST by Taft in '52
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To: TFFKAMM

It is, indeed, unfortunate that Washington's Birthday has become President's Day. I guess we're now supposed to honor Millard Fillmore, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton along with Washington and Lincoln.


20 posted on 02/21/2005 7:40:33 PM PST by Taft in '52
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