Info Regarding Harvey Milk Day in CA

Already called! 

Called

I can't figure out after reading the legislation, why Harvey Milk is considered worthy to have a day named after him.  But, they also have a California poppy day--so go figure--maybe they consider  him to have done about as much as a poppy??  He was gay.  He wasn't shot because he was gay or because he supported gay causes.  Dan White shot him because he and the mayor would not give him his job back that he resigned because he was under a lot of stress.  Is there a Mayor Moscone day?  They are trying too hard to make this guy a hero, and I don't see what he's done to qualify him as a hero.  He got shot by a guy who was himself, kinda looney.  Sad all around--but where's the heroics?

Considering there are only 365 days in a year, eventually California is going to have to start doubling up.  Soon there will be a Caesar Chavez/Barak Obama day. :)

I think it's pretty clear politically why this is being proposed.  It has less to do with Harvey Milk and more to do with promoting the gay agenda in public schools.  Whether that's a good thing or bad thing is up to each individual, but they should call it what it is: gay awareness day...

I had milk in my cereal the other day. 

Good comments Larry and jpreed, whoever you are.

8/23 should be gadianton day

haha, thanks soso! scott, your comments are always thought provoking as usual. Good insight Larry, I really know nothing about Mr. Milk, and have never seen the movie.

is this really what i think it is?  good grief.  i cannot wait for the polygamists to catch on to this rave, and realize they deserve rights too.

I called. That's what Tyler and I said would be next, polygamist rights.

I read somewhere that polygamists HAD caught on to it and were in support of gay marriage because it might function as a step toward legalizing polygamy. Ah, gay marriage: the gateway marriage!

 

Uncle Larry, I saw the movie Milk, so perhaps I can speak a little as to maybe why Harvey Milk is considered a hero. He was a nobody who led other nobodies in a fight for equality. He rallied a heretofore unralliable group and managed to accomplish some pretty amazing things on a larger community level. Then, after years of campaigning, he was the first openly gay man elected into a public office in the US. Being gay was even less popular and acceptable then than it is now, so this was no mean feat. Everything else you mentioned about Dan White and Mayor Moscone is accurate as far as I know. So I don't think Harvey Milk Day is about him being "assasinated", so much as it's about a person who fought for his and others' civil liberties despite the odds, and in spite of a lot of hatred. I find those qualities heroic. I don't think every hero deserves his own official day, however. As a teacher I personally feel that one can teach about great people who attempted and/or achieved great things any weekday without it being named after anyone. And it can be done without making anyone feel as though a political agenda is being furthered.

Busy signal--will try later. 

Nice post, Jamie!  You are my ideal of a great teacher.

I was teased about my big glasses and hand me down clothes when I was a kid.  Sometimes they wouldn't even let me play 4 square. 

 

Does this qualify me as a hero and do I get my own day?

People can be honored by those who want to honor them without dedicating a day or a street to them.  The Caesar Chavez street renaming is pointless.  It wastes time and money and other resources and I don't see how this is beneficial to society.  (On the other hand, if we get H. Milk day off of work I will vote for it!)

heroism is definitely subjective, not objective. most often the actions of someone can be generally agreed upon as being heroic or not, but there are other times where its not so clear. Clearly we would all agree that sean is a true american hero.

I agree.

plenty of other ways to celebrate the lives of people we admire.  I think we can do away with more parades and "days" and months. 

We are really impressed with Jamie's comments.  I'm sure any young people that are lucky enough be in class will get a lot out of it.

I am flattered! Being a public school teacher is complex in that one works with students of every race, religion and socioeconomic status. The last 4 years have really taught me a lot about how information is so frequently presented in biased ways that inevitably leave someone feeling left out, offended, etc. I feel like I am always learning better ways to teach kids to think critically and then to allow them opportunities to actually DO that. My two favorite "teachery" quotes are: "Teach the young people HOW to think, not WHAT to think" (Sidney Sugarman) and "Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time (Hebrew proverb). These are both great reminders for me that my students are passing through my class on a very long journey during which they will likely learn more than I do. It's my job to help them learn how to use their brains on that journey, and to entice them to apply those thinking skills to some choice literature. I will say in response to some comments here that I think part of why people try to propose things like Harvey Milk day or Caeser Chavez street is that they feel underrepresented. Society creates things like commemorative holidays to emphasize what they find important. So when there is a distinct lack of recognition for certain groups, inevitably they will rise up and demand it. There are no nationally recognized days pertaining to Latinos or gays in America that I know of...