Everywhere Else, May Day Honors Workers; Here, It Salutes 'Loyalty'
by May 1st 2013 3:15PM
"International Workers' Day is a big deal around the world, marked by demonstrations and officially recognized in more than 80 countries.
In the U.S., however, the holiday has been subverted by official decree. In 1921, during the Red Scare, an alternative designation for May 1 was created: "Americanization Day." According to the Veterans of Foreign Wars' database of Patriotic Days, "On May 1, 1930, 10,000 VFW members staged a rally at New York's Union Square to promote patriotism." In 1949, Americanization Day morphed into Loyalty Day, and in 1958 –- during the waning days of McCarthyism -- Congress made Loyalty Day official.
As if that weren't enough, the government also made May 1 "Law Day, U.S.A." -- a special moment for the reaffirmation of Americans' loyalty to the United States, and the cultivation of respect for the law. To be fair, the language of the relevant act does mention in particular "the ideals of equality and justice under the law" that should guide relations between citizens and countries, and President Eisenhower in his proclamation spoke of law's importance "in the settlement of international disputes.""
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