Originally, there were eight holidays that everyone knew about. There were the major holidays of Christmas and Easter, along with Independence Day (July 4) and Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November). The minor ones were: Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12), Washington’s Birthday (February 22), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), and Labor Day (First Monday in September).
All of these holidays date back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
But through the 20th century, the minor holidays continually lost interest. They simply became an excuse to schedule off work, especially for federal employees. This created the slow but sure process of having every month with a ‘holiday.’ I honestly wonder if there would have been a Martin Luther King Day if he had been born in July or December. Fortunately, he was born in January, which had no holidays outside of New Year’s Day.
I would wager that very few know that it was the Republican President Ronald Reagan who signed a bill on November 2, 1983, making the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of King’s legacy. The purpose originally was to honor MLK Day by designating it as a national day of service in which all Americans would be encouraged to volunteer to improve their communities, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.
His focus was to honor the Constitution of the United States, and this could only be done if all citizens of our country were treated equally by law. He literally gave his life for that cause, and this certainly should be remembered.
These holidays are important because they honor our heritage and pass it on to the next generation. It takes symbols to do this, and they need to be passed on or will be forgotten. This brings up our local Pennsylvania State House Representative for the 84th District, Joe Hamm, who recently accepted to be a member of the board of directors for the 9/11 Memorial Coalition. This is the organization that sponsors the county-wide motorcycle ride each year on the anniversary of the devastating attack on American soil on September 11, 2001.
Truth be told, Joe Hamm has already been doing a great deal in supporting this iconic event in Lycoming County. Very few know how much effort goes into keeping this ride alive, especially through the COVID years when our dear, wonderful bureaucrats in Harrisburg did everything they could to shut it down. Yes, as everyone knows, riding a motorcycle can result in catching COVID. And you also have to watch out for unicorns crossing the roads as well…
There was nothing funny about September 11, 2001. Four days after that event, a small group of motorcyclists, including Catholic priest Father Manno, decided to ride up and down 3rd and 4th Streets in Williamsport. In a uniquely American kind of way, it was saying, “We’re still here…and we are not going to forget.”
Out of this came a desire to continue this ride each year on the day of the attack, and thus the coalition board was formed. Over the next couple of decades, it expanded into a 37-mile ride in 13 different boroughs, townships, and the city of Williamsport, with thousands of onlookers of all ages waving flags and encouraging the riders.
Yes, the aftermath of that terrorist attack resulted in an upscale of military involvement in the Middle East, which resulted in many Americans suffering injuries and even losing their lives. But, as dreadful as this has been, it has not been in vain. The United States responded to an attack on our own soil, the first time that had happened since the War of 1812 with the British. The Japanese attack on our naval fleet in Pearl Harbor was tragic, but Hawaii was not yet a state. 9/11 was historic. It was meant to shatter our security of protection by two oceans on the east and west and two peaceful neighbors on the north and south. Our enemies wanted us to know we were vulnerable.
Well, we got the message. The motto of the 9/11 Memorial Coalition is “We will never forget.”
With committed government leaders like Joe Hamm and the other coalition board members, thousands of riders, and tens of thousands of onlookers participating in this iconic event.
In my research, I have not found another ride in the USA that has existed since 2001 and is held on September 11, not just on weekends. This ride through Lycoming County is unique and might become legendary. My hope and dream is that one day, we will see the 9/11 Memorial Ride become as important as the Little League World Series. We can survive without baseball, but we will not survive if we lose our commitment and celebration of freedom.
