We do not honor achievements of workers on Labor Day if a single child goes hungry on the Labor Day weekend because of public holidays

The U.S. Labor Department described the history of Labor Day, in short, as:

         "a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated
         to the social and economic achievements of American
         workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the 
         contributions workers have made to the strength, 
         prosperity, and well-being of our country."


It will do us well to remember that all legislation that benefited working people was introduced not because of the government, but despite the government, over great resistance from the government, lobbied by opponents of pro-workers' legislation.

It will also do us well to remember that on this public holiday, a long public weekend allegedly commemorating "contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country", there are people across the country, little people, who suffer because the government made this weekend a no-work day.

As an individual who is self-employed or employed by private entities, I never understood the concept of "national holidays" in terms of required leisure and required closure of governmental offices.

It always looked, to me, as a self-conferred benefit by the government that struggling low-paid workers who constitute larger and larger share of the U.S. economy, really do not need.

If you do not work certain days in private business or as a self-employed worker, you do not get paid.

It is an open secret that, of all governmental agencies, public schools have long become places where poor families get free daycare for their children, at least for a large portion of the day, with free transportation to and from home, and, in many cases, where their children are fed.

Often, the meal children of the poor working class people get in public schools are the only meal they will get during the day.

So, for many children in this country, a 3-day Labor Day weekend, commemorating (allegedly) contributions of their working parents to the economy, will go hungry these three days, because the government decided to give themselves a 3-day holiday to commemorate those contributions that the government usually fights tooth and claw because of lobbying efforts of private interests.

It will do us well to remember that - and at least try to change that.