My Kids Get a New Day Off from School!

The California Legislature -- both houses -- recently passed legislation making May 22 Harvey Milk Day. Who is Harvey Milk? He was a San Francisco City Supervisor killed by a whack-job ex-Supervisor named Dan White in broad daylight in the City Hall. White also murdered the Mayor. He should have gotten the death penalty, but he only got 5 years after his lawyer put up the infamous Twinkie Defense. Dan White drank so much Coca-Cola and ate so many Twinkies that he had a biochemical imbalance exacerbated his depression amounting to a diminished capacity. So the jury -- the Lord only knows why -- gave him 5 years in prison. White eventually took the coward's way out after paroling.

So why does Harvey Milk get a day? He was openly gay. So now they want a day to celebrate in schools -- Gay Lesbian, and Transgendered issues. Great. May 22 will now be a permanent vacation in my house. The worst part is that now I'm going to have to listen to my Dad say "I told you so" about a million times.

The bill (AB 2567) is here. Here is the relevant part for my kids -- the part that gets them a day at the beach or Disneyland or whatever:

SEC. 2.  Section 37222 of the Education Code is amended to read:
37222.  (a) The following days in each year are designated and set
apart as days having special significance:
(1) The second Wednesday in May as the Day of the Teacher.
(2) April 21 of each year as John Muir Day.
(3) April 6 of each year as California Poppy Day.
(4) May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day.
(b) On each of the days designated in subdivision (a), all public
schools and educational institutions are encouraged to observe those
days and to conduct suitable commemorative exercises as follows:

(4) On Harvey Milk Day, exercises remembering the life of Harvey
Milk and recognizing his accomplishments as well as the contributions
he made to this state.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the exercises
encouraged in this section be integrated into the regular school
program, and be conducted by the school or institution within the
amount otherwise budgeted for educational programs.
SEC. 3.  Section 6721 is added to the Government Code, to read:
6721.  The Governor shall annually proclaim May 22 as Harvey Milk
Day.

I will not sit for this. Does that make me intolerant? So be it. It does not make me hateful or phobic. It does mean I am in charge of what goes in and out of my kids' heads.

I actually live in a pretty red part of California so it will be interesting to see how the parents at my kids' school react.