3 replies to this topic

[Mr. Blofeld]

For everyone from Rhode Island, Happy Victory Day -- it's a state holiday!

For everyone else, too bad.

[Righty007]

I just looked this holiday up:

Victory Day is usually observed in Hawaii and Rhode Island on the second Monday of August. It celebrates the conclusion of World War II, see also Victory over Japan Day. It was a nationally recognized holiday, but it has since been removed because of the nature of the war's ending (i.e. dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945). Rhode Island retains the holiday in tribute to the disproportionate number of sailors it sent and lost in the Pacific front.

I applaud Rhode Island for having the fortitude to retain this holiday. Dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945 was the right decision at the time.

It's easy to demonize the decision and/or label President Truman as a "war criminal" (I'm talking to you, Jon Stewart) in 2009 but we cannot judge the dropping of the two nuclear bombs in 1945 by today's standards.

[Mr. Blofeld]

It's also a fun idiosyncracy of Rhode Island.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Congratulations to all Rhode Islanders