Wednesday, May 2, 2012

May Day


Historically, May 1st is designated May Day, and has been a celebration of spring in the United States.  It is a day of celebration brought to American by our European ancestors. The flowers and trees are blooming, the air is warm and fragrant, the grass is green, now is the time to share May baskets with neighbors and friends.  I remember it fondly, as a child we would make May baskets, go to a friend or neighbor’s house, sit it in front of the door, ring the bell or knock, run and hide to watch them get their surprise basket of goodies and try to guess who had left it for them.  It was lots of fun.

On May Day 2012, the Barack Obama Administration published a proclamation stating that May 1st is now Loyalty Day, a day we reflect on “the American spirit of loyalty and the sacrifices that so many have made for our Nation”.  “On Loyalty Day, we rededicate ourselves to the common good, to the cornerstones of liberty, equality, and justice, and to the unending pursuit of a more perfect Union.”

What are they talking about?  What do we celebrate on Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day?  What do we celebrate EVERY day!  We celebrate the American spirit, we celebrate the people who have made the sacrifices to make this country great. We celebrate the personal sacrifices and successes of our fellow Americans.  We celebrate the free market system and capitalism because it has made us the richest, most charitable, most envied country in the world.

We celebrate the Founding Fathers who provided us the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Don’t ruin my happy, innocent memories of May Day, by turning it into something political, don’t tell me to “rededicate myself to the common good”, I work for the common good every day.  Don’t ruin my May Day memories by telling me we need a more perfect Union.  Our Union may be imperfect, but it is the best in the world, and less government will make it even better.

For me, every day is Loyalty Day, because I am a loyal American citizen, and I will continue to fight to keep the nation I love each day for the rest of my life.