Happy Mental Health Day

Did you know today is White Cane Safety Day? It is a day to celebrate the white cane used by Americans who are visually impaired.
Don’t worry, I didn’t know it was a holiday either.
There are holidays like this scattered throughout the year. Congress has passed hundreds of them since 2001, or–another way to look at it–since President Bush has been in office. Surprise. 

To risk sounding like an uncompassionate human being, I think holidays like this are completely worthless. Keep reading.
Oct. 8 is Leif Erickson Day, a day that celebrates “the influential role Nordic Americans have played in our society,” according to whitehouse.gov.
July 14 is FBI Day, which is a day to “recognize the Bureau’s many accomplishments and pay tribute to all who have served in its ranks.”
How about April 6, or National Tartan Day? Nope, not a day to celebrate delicious pastries, but a day to celebrate Americans of Scottish descent.
Don’t miss Wright Brothers Day on Dec. 17–make sure to celebrate this one by jumping off a tall building in a homemade aircraft.
Be loyal on April 28, or Loyalty Day. C’mon, you can cheat on your boyfriend or girlfriend any other day of the year. And don’t break the law on May 1, or Law Day.
Is this really what Congress wastes its time on?
Every single one of these “holidays” is in the White House proclamations archive, which dates back to 2001. This means that although they are unofficial holidays, Congress has passed each one by joint resolution, and President Bush has signed each one, proclaiming it a “holiday.” What’s worse is that a lot of these dates change every year, meaning that these joint resolutions appear before Congress yearly. Wasting time. Yearly.
I bet Bush clapped his hands with glee and giggled like a child every time one of these joint resolutions hit his desk. National Child’s Day–May 30–sounds right up his alley. I’m sure he celebrates it every year by, well, just being himself.
If Congress keeps it up, pretty soon there will be a holiday celebrating every ethnicity in the United States. Can’t we just make one holiday and call it People’s Day?
Instead of wasting time and taxpayer money telling Americans to celebrate things like Family Day (Sept. 19), Italian Independence Day (June 2), and National D.A.R.E. Day (April 9), why doesn’t Congress pass a joint resolution creating one day per year for Americans to celebrate themselves, their families, and their friends?
They can call it Mental Health Day and give everyone the day off. That sounds much more effective to me.
Then, instead of scattering unofficial holidays throughout the year, Americans can celebrate the FBI, their children, and Italian-Americans all on the same day. (Imagine the costume party you could throw with that combination.)
Because most people don’t need a “holiday” reminding them to celebrate their heritage or their children–things like that are celebrated every day, all year long.