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Seasoned Vet
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North Carolina Marine: Memorial Day For Remembering, Not for Going to School
By Jim Brown
May 9, 2003
AgapePress
quote:
One distinguished North Carolina parent is asking his local school board to reconsider its decision to require students to attend school on Memorial Day.
Lt. Col. Andrew O'Hara is a resident of Charlotte who has served on active duty in the Marine Corps for 13 years, and has been in the reserve now for six years. He also has two young daughters in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg public school district.
O'Hara was extremely disappointed to learn that the district voted to schedule classes on Memorial Day, instead of June 11, which had been set aside to make up for a snow day.
"At a time when people are dying in service to their country, failing to recognize Memorial Day is ... extremely inappropriate, insensitive, [and] perhaps ... unpatriotic," O'Hara says. "But to me it just made no sense."
O'Hara, assigned to the 2nd Force Service Support Group in Camp LeJeune, says the day should be an opportunity for families to stop and recognize the freedoms we enjoy and those who are preserving them.
"Perhaps Memorial Day has lost its true meaning and people really don't recognize it," he laments. "They treat it as a kick-off to the summer, as opposed to a time to pause [in] honor and respect, and [to do] something in remembrance of those service men and women who have given their lives [for their country].
O'Hara says he wants the district to recognize that Memorial Day is not just a school holiday, but a national holiday with a purpose behind it. He says on Memorial Day, he plans to take his two daughters to visit the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
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Stare Master
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Since Memorial Day, May 31, is on Saturday this year why is the school board having classes then instead of on June 11, a Wednesday?
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS
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Seasoned Vet
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My guess is that since most states take the following Monday off if a national holiday falls on the preceding weekend.
That's why we get three-day holidays (Saturday through Monday) whenever the 4th of July or Memorial Day falls on a weekend.
So I am assuming the entire state of North Carolina (and most of the nation) will have the Monday following Memorial Day except for the students affected by the ruling. Comprende'?
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Stare Master
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Ken, I understand that, although I have never seen July 4th celebrated on any day but July 4th. This year the observed Memorial Day is May 26th. The observed holiday is the last Monday of May, whether that falls on the Monday following or preceding Memorial Day.
I didn't read this article to mean that. The way I read the article is that they were actually going to have school on Memorial Day and not the observed Memorial Day. Maybe I assumed he was talking about the actual holiday since the observed holiday is an official holiday in every state that I am aware of and have never heard of any government agency opening for an official holiday. I have seen individual employees go to their office on holidays for one reason or another, but never seen an office stay open.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS
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Seasoned Vet
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Now I am confused . . . I am trying to do some more research.[help][help] But, like many other seniors in Sun Lakes, I may have had one too many meals eaten out of those aluminum mess kits![crazy][crazy]
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