The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 3 of 7)

/p> p> WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT MAY 30? br> Re: Bill Harrison's Decoration Day : /p>

I take exception to Bill Harrison's gratuitous swipe at the "fit of commercialism" that resulted in the designation of the last Monday in May rather than May 30 as Memorial Day.

p>His point is well-taken in reference to similar holidays that mark an actual event (such as Washington's Birthday), but what is so sacred about May 30? It was a date arbitrarily chosen for no apparent reason by Gen. Logan, as he points out. So why is it any less sacred when arbitrarily changed by Congress? br> -- Howard Hirsch br> Carson City, NV /p>

Bill Harrison replies: There is nothing inherently sacred about May 30 beyond the larger point which I was trying to make: that certain days should be remembered for what they signify by serving as a link amongst the generations and reaffirming the American spirit. By subsuming such a holiday as Memorial Day within the hoopla of three-day weekend shopping sprees and beach getaways, we are cluttering up the meaning of the day within the "noise" of the rest of our popular culture.

p>

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