A day each for Abe and George

Re “Is it Washington’s holiday, or do we celebrate all 45 of the presidents?” Opinion, Feb. 19

Why don’t we go back to observing the original two days that were celebrated when I was a kid?

My family immigrated from Germany in 1951. Schools, banks, post offices and most businesses were closed on Feb. 12 for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and Feb. 22 for George Washington’s. However, businesses didn’t want to pay for two holidays, so the two days were lumped into one holiday.

Washington deserves a holiday because he was the first president. It doesn’t matter that his personal life was full of contradictions — he was the first.

Lincoln deserves a holiday because he thought that “all men [and women] are created equal.”

Both presidents made it possible for all of us to have what we have today. Whatever happened during their time on Earth, it was that time — personal lives should not be taken into consideration. We change and become better, but we should never destroy reminders of the past. Holidays should not be for spending money on whatever. They should be celebrated for what they originally honored.

Natalie Kolosow Cypress

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Re “Let’s trade Presidents Day for an election-related holiday,” Opinion, Feb. 19

Let’s make Election Day a national holiday. Close up all commercial activity, retaining only the most necessary government facilities.

One of the major problems with our electoral system is that it is so fragmented, so easily tampered with and so at the whims of ruling parties, that citizens view the process warily, exhibiting little trust in the outcomes.

That we still do our best to get to the polls (or mail in ballots) indicates that many of us do heartily believe in democracy.

Let’s reduce the reasons for not voting by making it easier to cast a ballot with a full day dedicated to the electoral process. Carleton Cronin

West Hollywood