Political Pandering and Polish Sausage

Yesterday was Pulaski Day in Illinois. It's a dumb holiday. Funny thing about Casimir Pulaski: He never lived in Illinois. Funny thing about Illinois: The first Monday of every March is a state holiday in honor of Casimir Pulaski. Pulaski never lived in Illinois. He was a Polish national and general in the American Revolution, and a genuine hero. I have no problem with honoring him. Put up a statue. Name a building after him. We’ve already got a street in Chicago named after him. Heck, there’s lots of stuff named for General Casmir Pulaski already. Did you go to the Pulaski Day parade yesterday? Did you have friends over for dinner and sit around sipping Polish vodka, discussing the great achievements of General Pulaski and of Polish-Americans in general? I'm betting you did none of these things. Someone a few years back wanted to pander to a large ethnic group. That group, of course, is Polish-Americans. Hold on, I have nothing against Poles or any other group of people. But let’s be honest. If there were as many French-Americans or German-Americans in Chicago and Illinois, we’d probably have a holiday for one of their Revolutionary War heroes, too. Ethnicity aside, why doesn’t the State of Illinois have a Nathan Hale Day? How about a Ben Franklin Day, a Betsy Ross Day, or days for Paul Revere, Sam Adams, and so on? Singling out Pulaski, at the exclusion of others, seems to be contradictory to the very spirit of the Revolution that General Pulaski helped us to win. Other people have written about this, including Eric Zorn. In March 2005, he wrote this about Pulaski: “But his holiday must go. Every paid holiday cost the city, county and state together in the neighborhood of $20 million, and costs average working parents who don't get the day off untold hours of aggravation as they try to figure out special child-care arrangements for idled students.” Zorn also wrote: “At the time there was a perennial bit of non-starter legislation in Springfield known as the "Famous Americans Day" bill. It would have done away with Pulaski and Columbus Days and replaced them with Famous Americans Day, a day on which state government would be open and children would go to school to study and celebrate a broad range of notables, including but not limited to Pulaski and Columbus.” For more information, see these links: Social and Ethnic Groups in the American Revolution General Casimir Pulaski The Marquis de Lafayette Valley Forge (who served there)... For a few more heroes (and heroines) see this. PUBLIC ACT 80-621. ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT. BIRTHDAY OF CASIMIR PULASKI--FIRST MONDAY IN MARCH--HOLIDAY. AN ACT to make Casimir Pulaski's birthday a holiday. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly : Section 1. The first Monday in March of each year is a holiday to be observed throughout the State and to be known as the birthday of Casimir Pulaski. Within 10 days prior to the first Monday in March of each year the Governor shall issue a proclamation announcing the holiday and designating the official events which shall be held in honor of the memory of Casimir Pulaski and his contribution to American independence. Passed in the General Assembly June 20, 1977. Approved September 13, 1977.