Before I ate my cold hardees hamncheeses (in my minivan)
I recited the pledge with a tear in my eye
Because I appreciate my freedoms and all of the presidents

That's a crock of crap. So let me get this straight--

1) we're going to close down all gov't buildings to honor this former president so most of the employees can sit at home and play PS2 and sleep til noon? Do you think that the workers are going to sit at home and meditate on who he was as a president/person?

2) Make everyone else work instead of maybe mourning the loss and watching the preceedings?

Come on, let's be realistic here. His funeral has as much to do with the American people as what I had for breakfast matters to you. Should we honor the man? An emphatic yes. Should the mail, etc be stopped? No. I get that some of the upper offices, and even branch DC offices be closed for logistical reasons, but why should some NCTC worker be off in WV? It makes no sense to me.

Honestly I could care less if people are off or not, but to make a statement like that, it just screams out to be debated. No offense to Shiv, but of course he gets it

I'm a government employee and got the day off. I think it's a huge sign of respect that the government will shut down it's non-essential offices in honor of a deceased president. I don't think it matters what these people do on their day off (what about all other national holidays?) but that the government is willing to go that far to honor someone.

You'll get you damn mail tomorrow....oh and i didn't get up until 11:15.


Plus friday is my regular day off so i have a 2 day work week.

I just got up half an hour ago. Thanks, Ford!

Well, they are off because they work for the United States government and its a holiday for those people. Whether those people use the day to sleep in, smoke crack, or reflect on the life of President Ford is consequential I think.

f you don't like it I suppose you can move or get a job with the government yourself.

Plus, its one fucking day for chrissakes, get over it.

It isn't even about the mail. My qualm comes with the fact that the point that I perceived to be argued was that somehow closing offices is a sign of respect, which I think is bunk. If you truly wanted to honor the man, why not close all businesses, and satellite in the funeral to movie theaters? Oh, wait then you wouldn't be able to sleep in. Sure, the act of closing the office may be honorable, but its fairly heinous when you think of the "real" reason why it was done.

I just think that you are overreacting to this. But thats your right.

I'm fairly sure the president doesn't have to authority to close down every business in the country and require theaters to show the funeral.

The "real reason" it was done was because a precedent has been set and to not honor a deceased president would be a slap in the face to the legacy and family of that president.

Why would you be so annoyed with this? What do you think is the 'real reason"?

Because the government can't do that?

not really. I'm more bored, and I thought you'd argue more

Honestly though, I agree with honoring our Presidents, but I think that the automatic day off for gov't workers is weak. Why shouldn't all Americans have the right to view the funeral, which is seen only a few times in a lifetime. It's not about the mail, or sleeping in, etc. Its more about the ability to take in the American culture and how we celebrate a respected person's life.

*edit addition*

Yail, in the other thread you said how great it is to watch the preceedings...shouldn't all Americans have that right?

does that mean the bank is closed today too?

I'm not. I'm just arguing another perspective on the issue. What got me started was a)the yay I'm off/Let's honor the President duality and b)the comment that Yail made about people complaining not deserving to live in this country. Both I just felt should've been debated. I'm not upset, and sorry if my writing tone implied that. I just feel like in a rigid left or right argument there should be a ying to the yang.

I respect Ol' Jerry and everything, but if I hear one more person say he "healed our nation after Watergate and Vietnam" I'm-a go all Squeaky.

He was a good dude who was in the right place at the right time when needed, but journalists and politicians REALLY need to work on using a thesaurus a little more often. A few varied sophistries are needed here.

Or at least more than one descriptive summative phrase.

Like maybe he was a "curative panacea" or something.