159: MLK And His Day

I have nothing against Martin Luther King.  I have read significant amounts of history related to him and his work.  I don't know why any rational person would argue or take issue with his philosophy of non-violent demonstration in pursuit of a cause.  I just don't know why the country needs to take a day off for him.  If we followed the logic that gives us MLK Day, we would never work.  How many others are as deserving or more deserving that King?  What about Jonas Salk, Edgar Allen Poe, Clara Barton?  There are probably a hundred arguably deserving individuals.  We used to celebrate George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but now they are lumped in with Hoover, Nixon and Clinton for "President's Day."

Here's my problem with the whole issue of race in America:  As far as I can tell, no one in my family tree going back to before they arrive in North America ever owned a slave or participated in or benefited from the economics of slavery.  Yet radical blacks and MSNBC thinks I somehow owe something to atone for injustices done to blacks in America.  This doesn't seem right to me, and I'm sure it doesn't seem right to millions of other Americans in the same position as me. 

I propose that we change MLK Day to "A Person You Look Up To Day."  There will surely be certain individuals who draw a crowd of admirers, and they will get more attention.  That's fine.  But all Americans will have the opportunity to honor someone they choose.  Make it a federal and state holiday, everybody gets a day off, and no one gets his nose out of joint.