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RSS FeedShould Labor Day in the US honor workers or the end of summer
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| Workers | 85% | 168 votes | Total: 197 votes | |
| Summer | 15% | 29 votes |
Workers
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Add to FavoritesAlthough it is difficult to determine by the number of people searching for jobs these days, this nation would not be able to function successfully without its workforce. That's why the holiday known as Labor Day should be a celebration of America's workers.
First observed in 1882, Labor Day was designed as a national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
That alone should be enough to help the people of this nation understand that the first Monday in September is a time to be thankful to those who punch in and out every day. They make this country strong.
History shows that Labor Day was celebrated with parades and festivals for workers and their families in the early years. It was truly a holiday for workers and they were honored for what they were doing, and several efforts were made to show that their work was appreciated.
These days Labor Day is little more than a day off for a lot of workers. Despite the fact that the festival and celebration are gone, it is still a holiday, and workers are still honored because their employers give them a day away from the office, factory, etc., to enjoy themselves.
Plus, workers everywhere can find out how important their contributions are in the Labor Day addresses from union officials, government officials, etc., that receive nationwide media coverage.
There was a time when the idea of allowing young people without jobs to celebrate the end of summer on Labor Day seemed logical. But the idea quickly faded. If youngsters need a holiday to celebrate that, they can do it on the day known around the nation as the First Day of School.
Instead, they should be honoring workers on the first Monday in September with everyone else. After all, if it wasn't for the work done each day by their parents and guardians, the young people would not have a place to sleep, food to eat, or clothes to wear.
It takes a special drive and dedication to report to work each day and/or night, given that a person's body is not always at peak performance and factors completely unrelated to the job can weigh on a person's mind throughout the day.
On top of that, a worker's role is vital to many people. Businesses cannot succeed without the work and families cannot function successfully without the income produced at a job.
Because of all of these things, it is absolutely necessary to have a holiday that honors America's workers.
Learn more about this author, Ryan Gray.
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Summer
While this holiday was founded at a time when labor needed to be caste in a light of honor, now leisure and the celebration of it seem to be the perfect complement to honor the pattern of work and play. There is such a sense of closure where leisure ends and work begins that the two are almost a yin/yang event. Granted, leisure times surface from time to time in the following nine months but the main focus of it here in America is summertime. Once school starts, there is less attention to it.
We seem to have such a need for frenzied activity and organized days in the bulk of the calendar year that we don't give proper focus to the benefits of 'down' time. Thats more what my vote goes to. Call it summer if you will, but my argument is the elevation of honorable leisure that summer represents.
I don't know how much of our focus is driven by weather patterns. I suspect that most of the population connote 'fun' with 'sun'. Given our delight in water/sun sports, that also lends weight to the promotion of the first Monday in September to celebrate all that is good and wholesome about such leisure - even if a part of the population have other preference for their down time.
There will be many 'nays' to the notion of shifting the meaning of a traditional holiday. Seems that argument has lost its punch with similar shifts in other holidays. Change is the thing naysayers really seem to fight. It really won't make a lot of difference to me personally but I'm glad to air an argument for celebrating leisure over work.
It seems our culture is so averse to 'down' time because of the economic insecurity and the drive to make achievement equal the almighty dollar. Perhaps I'm blindsighted to the cultural phenomenon because I myself am recently retired and bent on finding meaningfulness in leisure. It does mean that I find cheaper methods of entertainment but that seems to be affecting a large part of the population with the increases of cost to leisure events and the financial limitations of extensive travel.
'Recreational ' drugs and the increase of gambling demonstrate a hunger for escape from the humdrum. We also seem to be more sedentary in the cooler months. Let's use this cultural message and attach a healthier, honorable experience of leisure. It could also give a boost to the honor of labor and the complementary time element we attach to each.
I've been an advocate of change all my life. It seems to me to be the ultimate 'reality' test if our culture wants to survive. We must adapt. We must embrace change. And we must give equal emphasis to the patterns of work and leisure that make the ride easier to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Learn more about this author, Anncan.
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