by Alexander Jackson

Created on: February 14, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Many people believe that Valentine's Day is a day in which you spend time with that special person in your life and pamper each other with gifts, romantic favors, and witty banter that reassures your significant other that you really do feel for them.

The truth behind it isn't quite so sweet.

Don't get me wrong as a negative person, I actually enjoy Valentine's Day. I may be single, but that means I have a lot less hassle to go through, and like many people, sometimes my friends and I exchange chocolates and candy, something that I see very little problem with.

But as a man of the truth, there is one thing I truly can't stand. And that's seeing people earn a profit off of what isn't so nice.

Certainly, if you want to spend the day pampering your loved one (or ones) with your own personal touch and gifts that come from the heart, then that is wonderful. But this Valentine's Day, do yourself a favor and don't go out, spending a ton of money to prove to someone how much you love them. That not only equates love to how much you're willing to spend on someone, but also, it continues to propel the sick truth behind the day.

Again, I'd like to state that I don't hate Valentine's Day. But I feel that everyone should know the truth. And that happens to be that Valentine's Day comes from two different sources, both of which lack romance.

Lets take a look at the first even that spawned Valentine's Day. This particular situation was started by St. Valentine himself, so I guess in some sense, he deserves his own day. St. Valentine was arrested for marrying a couple in a time of war. This was illegal at that moment, and so he was locked in prison. During his time there, he sent a letter to his daughter, and it was sent "From your Valentine". This event is what started the sending of love notes on Valentine's Day, but isn't what started the day itself.

Instead, the event that spawned this day is much, much worse. I dread the fact that so many people think this is such a happy occasion, but my friends, I hate to tell you this. You're all celebrating a massacre.

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre occurred on February 14th, 1929. Al Capone and his gang broke into the hideout of a rival gang member, Bugs Moran, and disguised themselves as cops so they could perform a "search" for alcohol, since this took place in the era of Prohibition. The disguises worked, and Al Capone and his fellow cronies killed seven men that day, Bugs included. In a way, you could say that past the note sent by

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