Inside Looking Out: Time to replace two federal holidays

Two meaningless federal holidays should be replaced.

Let’s start by throwing out Columbus Day. To be honest, he never “discovered” America. Native Americans already lived here and the Vikings had stepped onto our soil hundreds of years earlier. Historians now agree that Columbus never, not in 1492, not ever, did he sail here, and his misdirected course actually put him on the shores of the Bahamas where he enslaved and brutalized the natives to help him steal treasures from the island.

Besides that, when was the last time you brought out your models of his ships, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria for your dinner table celebration of this man who deserves to have a national holiday named for him as much as I do.

We might hold this gratitude for him; however, Columbus Day is a great time to buy a new car or a new mattress.

The other pointless holiday is Labor Day. Since 1894, we take a day off to celebrate the achievements of hard working Americans. Ask 10 people why we celebrate this day and you’ll be lucky if three know the answer. The truth is that Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, a day to gulp down that last hamburger and hot dog before the unofficial beginning of autumn.

This holiday is also a sad reminder to millions of children across the country that school begins soon again. The date is a problem, too. Most schools open before Labor Day, and the routine of everyday instruction can’t be set because here it marks an unnecessary long weekend.

I’d like to nominate two outstanding Americans for federal holidays that would replace Columbus and Labor Days.

Bob Hope was a comedian and an actor. He spent nearly 80 years of his life entertaining audiences with his live stage shows and Hollywood movies. Yet, that achievement doesn’t qualify why we should commemorate this man with the perfect last name.

From World War II through Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and Desert Shield, Bob Hope, who was knighted by the Queen of England, traveled at Christmastime with the USO to entertain servicemen and women on remote battleships and in dangerous battle zones. Estimates are that Hope and his cast of characters lifted the spirits of a half a million American soldiers with laughter, song and dance.

During several of his shows, sirens would sound, sending members of the military audience to their battle stations and his entourage into safe cover. When the sirens stopped, the show went on.

In the days before cellphones, soldiers wrote letters to their families. More than once, did a GI write a letter and soon after it reached home, he was killed in action. In some letters, there were words of joy and happiness because the soldiers had just seen Bob Hope’s USO shows.

My other candidate for an American holiday passed away just last week. Billy Graham’s evangelism transcended all religions and even to the nonbelievers of God who were still captivated by his commanding stage presence and his unwavering faith. Graham’s live crusades reached millions worldwide. His Madison Square Garden 16-week sermons attracted 2 million Americans. He once filled Yankee stadium to capacity with his followers.

Graham’s message was indeed about God, but he preached forgiveness for all and he challenged us to live a life of faith and fortitude. His prominence was evident in the White House where he counseled presidents Truman to Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Clinton and George W Bush and Obama.

Called America’s Pope, his message to keep our faith pointed in the direction of our creator was far reaching into repressive countries like China and North Korea. Just by his rugged profile, he could command 60,000 to sit silently while he filled their hearts with hope and belief.

Added together Billy Graham, the son of a North Carolina farmer, preached to live audiences of nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries.

During their 100 years of lifetimes, Bob Hope and Billy Graham received numerous awards. Hope’s list includes a 1997 act of Congress that named him an honorary veteran. In 1983, President Reagan awarded Graham the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was also voted the “Greatest Living American” 49 consecutive times in the Gallup survey poll.

Bob Hope and Billy Graham were great Americans who touched the hearts of millions in contrasting manners, but each held his opinion about what direction the world was heading.

“The good news is that Jesus is coming back,” said Hope. “The bad news is that he is really ‘p’ off!”

“I’ve read the last page of the Bible,” said Graham. “It’s all going to turn out all right.”

Let’s stop honoring a pirate or looking for an unnecessary reason to throw a burger on the grill. Instead, celebrate Hope and Faith Days on behalf of two great Americans who dedicated their lives to lifting the spirit of all humanity.

Rich Strack can be reached at katehep11@gmail.com.