Georgia State Holidays include Confederate Day and Robert E. Lee's Birthday

[mfcorey1]

Georgia State Holidays
2011 State Holiday Schedule

The following is the list of state holidays when the Capitol and all state agencies will be closed in 2011:

New Year's Day Saturday, January 1 - will be observed on Monday, January 3
Robert E. Lee's Birthday January 19 - will be observed on Friday, November 25
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday Monday, January 17
Washington's Birthday February 21 - Observed on Monday, December 26
Confederate Memorial Day Monday, April 25
Memorial Day Monday, May 30
Independence Day Monday, July 4
Labor Day Monday, September 5
Columbus Day Monday, October 10
Veterans Day Friday, November 11
Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 24
Christmas Day December 25 Will be observed on Friday, December 23

http://www.spa.ga.gov/employees/holidays.asp

[hlthe2b]

1. At least they honor MLK Day...

So, I guess there is that...

Sheesh...

[cordelia]

2. Why are you posting the schedule for 2011?

It's gone already.

Getting an early start on your Georgia bashing?

[mfcorey1]

3. No need to bash. Just happened to be the one I was perusing. Holidays are still valid in 2012.

Truth out.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Other States are Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and FLa for Lee

Even though he was a Virginian and they don't make it a state holiday these states do.

More at link: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/robert-e-lee-birthday

Some states use the Federal holiday for MLK and acknowledge Lee

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

4. "Robert E. Lee's Birthday January 19 - will be observed on Friday, November 25"

"Washington's Birthday February 21 - Observed on Monday, December 26"

Huh...?

[quinnox]

6. Confederate day?

Ok... mind boggling they would celebrate this kind of heritage, not something to be proud of really...

[Mudoria]

13. You overlook the "Memorial" part?

The day is a memorial to those who lost their lives fighting in the war.

[Scuba]

7. Seems like a lot of "heritage" for a Confederacy that only lasted four years. n/t

[southernyankeebelle]

8. Yes it would seem it has been but the south has never gotten over losing the war then never. If

they want to keep remembering that is fine. I think the north should celebrate also. We should a General Grants Day also. I see nothing wrong being proud of your heritage. The thing is the north should realize the south motto is they will rise again. Just so you understand where they are coming from. Really sad because the black man in the office brings the hate right up.

[coalition_unwilling]

12. General Grant's Day = April 9, 1865 (the day Lee

surrendered at Appomattox .

I know, I know, there were isolated battles for a couple months after Lee's surrender.

[southernyankeebelle]

14. Your right, your right. There is a home where the signing took place that is open to the

public at Appoxattox. Really interesting to see and it was free.

[coalition_unwilling]

15. I live in Los Angeles but I hope to talk my wife into

touring the east coast battle sites at some point. I'd especially like to see Antietam Creek, Gettysburg and Shiloh.

[southernyankeebelle]

16. All great history sites. I tell you if you have a chance go to Washington DC. OMG there is so

many free museums to visit free. Find a Motel outside the city. You can get some cheap. If you happen to know anyone in the military in VA or MD ask them if they can reserve you rooms on the base. They would have to sign you in because they have the ID card. Also so many places to visit in Maryland. Another thing you could do. Take a train that goes to NY City. It goes through MD, DE, PA, NJ and finally NYC. It is a wonderful day trip by train. Not that expensive. But you could check into before you go. If you never been to the east coast you'll enjoy it. Don't come July or Aug because it is hot and if you aren't used to the humidity well you will be hot.

[coalition_unwilling]

17. Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated. - n/t

[Hoyt]

10. Ah, but the hatred lasted for over another 100 years. For some, it will never end.

[ensho]

9. they prefer to live in the dark ages

their kids can protest and many move away

[n2doc]

11. Maybe the state 'observes' these

But I can tell you that no school does. Or University. Or store.


And the Lee day is just silly. Lame attempt to take an existing holiday (day after T-day) and make it into something else.
Same with Washington's B-day. This latter one has always pissed me off- why can't we celebrate this one like in the past? No one had a parade last week for president's day!

[Arkansas Granny]

18. I realize that bashing the southern states is a popular past-time for some on this board, but

I wish that people would realize that the Civil War is not celebrated down here as much as it is remembered. The south was affected much more by the war and its aftermath than the north. Most of the battles were fought in the south and the south suffered a much higher percentage of casualties when compared to the population in general. The scorched earth policy of Gen. Sherman and others were responsible for a lot of hard feelings for years to come. There's much more to it than that, but I'm not a Civil War historian so I won't go any further. I would imagine that many people would feel the same way about the Revolutionary War had we lost to the British.

A few personal observations after living in the south for 40+ years:

There is still racism in the south, but it's certainly not unique to the south. Check out this hate map from the Southern Poverty Law Center and you can see that it's alive and well across the nation.

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/hate-map

No one advocates a return to slavery or lynch mobs.

Very few people use the n-word in public and if they do, they receive shocked looks and reprimands from those around them.

Most parents I know teach racial equality to their children.

I have never known anyone who advocates a return to segregated schools (I'm sure there are some, but I don't know them). Private schools are attended mainly for religious, not racial, reasons.

Being white, I won't argue that my observations are likely to be different than those of minorities living here. These comments reflect my own personal experiences.