I’m back in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations again. Not just for the weekend, but “for good.” We are back to splitting the year between Ithaca and RI.
When I left in 2013, I lamented all that would be missed:
My home State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations has provided much material for Legal Insurrection over the years, including the dispute as to the name itself.Splitting the year between Ithaca and Rhode Island provided me with the distinction of having Patrick Kennedy and Maurice Hinchey as Congressmen for several years.I’m reminded of the Seinfeld episode about the dentist who converted to Judaism for the jokes. Sometimes I felt that I lived in Rhode Island for the same reason.But alas, it is no more….In truth, as much as I loved to lambast Rhode Island, it’s a great place despite the politicians. It’s one big small town, a place unique and special in so many ways….Now we are full-time residents of Ithaca.Please excuse me while I go cry into my organic fair-trade soy latte served in a compostable eco-friendly sustainable cup, a portion of the proceeds of which will go to help indigenous mountain farmers in Central America.
Here’s the view from my new cottage:
Not bad, eh?
When a store told us it was closed on Monday, August 8, at first it didn’t compute. Then I remembered ….
VICTORY DAY!
Rhode Island remains the only state to celebrate the Victory Over Japan Day.
But that gave way to VJ Day and then the J was dropped because of insensitivity or something:
Church bells rang. Whistles at fire stations and mill factories sounded. People poured into the streets, waving flags and honking car horns. It was Aug. 14, 1945 _ the day Americans learned that Japan had surrendered, ending the costliest conflict in human history.”It was pandemonium with happiness,”remembered John Lucas, a World War II veteran and executive secretary of the Pawtucket Veterans Council.On Monday, Rhode Island will once again observe the end of World War II, the only state still celebrating Victory Day, commonly referred to as Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day.Critics say it’s discriminatory, and would like to eliminate the holiday or at least remove its reference to Japan…..There have been several attempts to change the holiday’s name, but each time lawmakers met overwhelming opposition, said state Sen. Rhoda Perry. She introduced bills in 1992, 1994 and 1995 to change the holiday to Rhode Island Veterans Day. A second 1995 bill would have changed it to Peace and Remembrance Day.Perry said she received”vitriolic”mail from veterans.”It was absolutely a no-winner,”Perry said.”I did not have support, period.”However, the General Assembly passed a 1990 resolution stating that Victory Day is not a day to express satisfaction in the destruction and death caused by nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Here’s more history of the struggle over the name, Here’s why RI is the last state to mark Victory Day
So now it’s just Victory Day.
Victory Over Someone, Victory Over Something, a Generic Victory celebrated on a Generic Day.
So let’s make Victory Day great again. It deserves it.
VJ Day, Honolulu Hawaii, August 14, 1945 from Richard Sullivan on Vimeo.
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