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BOC asked to make decision on recognizing MLK Day

Posted by

Zach Mitcham

in News, Top Stories

Monday, January 19. 2009

Comments (18)

The Madison County government does not recognize Martin Luther King Day as a holiday, but county Magistrate Judge Harry Rice appeared before county commissioners Jan. 12, asking the group to consider the possibility.

“This has been recognized as a federal holiday for 20 years,” said Rice. “The state recognizes it. Every other courthouse around here recognizes it and I feel like we just need to address it one way or the other. It’s something Madison County has not addressed ... We need to have a policy one way or the other on that, instead of just kind of skirting the issue.”

Commissioners spoke in favor of giving employees the option of taking MLK Day off, but they said the issue is whether that day will be a paid or non-paid holiday.

New BOC Chairman Anthony Dove said he favors giving employees the option of taking off the day after Thanksgiving or MLK Day as a paid holiday.

Commissioner Bruce Scogin said that he believes honor should be given to whom it is due, adding that Martin Luther King Jr. is certainly worthy of honor. But he said employees shouldn’t be paid not to work in order to honor someone. Instead, he said employees should be given the option to sacrifice a day’s pay to honor MLK.

“To pay someone to honor somebody, I think is a slap in the face to the person they’re trying to honor,” said Scogin. “If you’ll sacrifice a day without pay for someone, that’s an honor.”

The board took no action on the matter Jan. 12, agreeing that they will consider policy changes on the proposed holiday for 2010.

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#1 Charlie on 01/19/09 at 08:11 AM [Reply]

When do we get a national holiday to honor a white man... A black man says something and every body wants to celebrate , march and get paid to not work, what the hell... Harry Rice needs replacing..

#1.1 Sardonic Veracity on 01/19/09 at 11:30 AM [Reply]

How about Christmas... ever see a black Santa Claus?

#1.2 Anonymous on 01/19/09 at 01:26 PM [Reply]

amen charlie, guess they didnt like my blog it aint showed up yet

#2 Anonymous on 01/19/09 at 10:16 AM [Reply]

MLK day is a national holiday. For Madison County not to recognize it shows that our commissioners are still racists holding fast to Madison County's racist history. Our commissioners continue to be THE embarrassment of the region.

#2.1 Anonymous on 01/19/09 at 10:44 AM [Reply]

THEY TEND TO HEAP EMBARRASSMENT ON ALL THE CITIZENS
OF MADISON COUNTY IN ALMOST EVERYTHING THEY DO!

#2.2 anonymous on 01/19/09 at 11:12 AM [Reply]

Well, which holiday does the county want to cut out? Christmas, Thanksgiving holidays? Just because it has not been a holiday does not mean that our commissioners/county is racist! That is an ignorant statement probably coming from someone that is the same!

#2.3 Rhonda on 01/19/09 at 12:37 PM [Reply]

I agree with you Charlie, we have become the minority(Whites). Let them take the day off. But they should not be paid. Lets all get on the same level. We cannot recognize our white history or religions, but we are forced to accept the beliefs of all others. Bring back OUR FLAG. Just like you dont want religion in schools, Fed or State but you want the days off with pay. You all need to work, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter

#2.4 Anonymous on 01/19/09 at 01:24 PM [Reply]

Bring back our flag, our traditions, our beliefs. Give them the day off, just without pay. Just like our government. They want to take GOD and religion out off our lives. But they want Christmas, Easter off with pay. Let em work instead. Hippocrites. We have to respect everyone elses beliefs, but they won't respect ours. We cant even have our history unless it is edited.

#3 Anonymous on 01/19/09 at 12:12 PM [Reply]

MLK day is not a holiday because MLK was a "black man." MLK day is a national holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. because he taught and practiced non-violence and equality for ALL and he died for people to have equality as laid out in the Declaration of Independence but not practiced in the United States.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the greatest Americans to ever live and die for justice and equality for all. We honor him not because of his race, but because of his great accomplishments. Tomorrow we will finally reap the fruit from the seeds sown by MLK in the form of our nation's first African American President. This is a great day for ALL Americans...too bad the county commissioners of Madison County are living in a racist past, out of tune, out of touch, out of place, and irrelevant to today's multicultural society.

#3.1 bodawg on 01/19/09 at 03:38 PM [Reply]

How many times does someone have to say it. Obama is not an african american. His mother was white and his father was not an american at all, who abandoned him and never married his mother because he was already married in Africa with a family. You might say he has Anglo, African and Arab bloodlines in his history, but was clearly raised white. Bill Clinton was the first african american president if you have read his book. So can anyone say anything.....

#3.1.1 BlackISBeautiful on 01/19/09 at 10:13 PM [Reply]

Correction: First U.S. President with black skin (skin with melanin). First Black President....how appropriate that one day after MLK's birthday, a major component of The Dream is becoming reality!

#3.2 C.S.A. Patriot on 01/22/09 at 08:55 AM [Reply]

This is not correct. MLK is a national holiday precisely because he was black. For sake of arguement lets say MLK is a great man. Are we to believe that he is the only great man or the greatest man in the entire history of our nation. No of course not, but he is the only man for whom a national holiday is given. What makes him so special if not for his color.

#4 bodawg on 01/19/09 at 12:18 PM [Reply]

Why not combine a MLK and BHO day to celebrate the King and the great Messiah on the same day?
What other holiday is everyone wanting to give up to have this one; Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Labor Day.....come to think of it how do you appease people who are never satisfied? My job took a day from Presidents day to make way for MLK. We also lost Confederate Memorial Day. Why did we have to loose that day......bunch of racist yankees.

#5 MCMomof1 on 01/20/09 at 08:15 AM [Reply]

Obama is not African American. I wish for once people would look at him as A new president and stop looking at him as the FIRST BLACK President. He is mixed race. C'mon, if we really want to talk about unity and bringing races together, look at obama. He is mixed and will be our president. GET OVER The Black, white issue.

#6 sweetness on 01/20/09 at 11:31 AM [Reply]

PRESIDENT Barack Hussein Obama!!! HOORAY! ALELUJAH! Yes We DID!...and we have just begun!

#6.1 anonymous on 01/21/09 at 06:33 PM [Reply]

What the freak ever!!!!!!
America is headed for HELL !!!!!!!!!

#6.2 C.S.A. Patriot on 01/22/09 at 08:29 AM [Reply]

Have just begun what? The downfall of our nation, the next civil war? I question just what a people hope to accomplish when they have gained more rights than any other race in our country, and have one of there own elected to govern our land (rule our land in the words of BO), and they say we have just begun. I question just exactly how much they want and you should too.

#7 Anonymous on 01/20/09 at 11:42 AM [Reply]

WOW! Check it out...website updated to reflect CHANGE happened fast: www.whitehouse.gov

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