Robert E Lee's Birthday!
 

Happy Birthday to a Gentleman, Soldier and a Relative.

In my opinion, a great American who dealt with an unbelievable personal conflict with tremendous dignity and honor.

Wow, MLK, Robert E. Lee and I share the same birthday. Who knew?

Boy, that didn't even occur to me.

Robert E. Lee's Birthday is January 19.

I think somebody just wants to be a wise acre on MLK's holiday. (His birthday was actually on yesterday.)

You beat me to it.

'Shid, I hope you don't mind me underlining Robert E. Lee's birthday -- just in case people actually thought it was today.

I don't know what the OP's intent was, but judging from his past comments regarding the African-American community, it's no surprise that he'd post something like this, especially on a day when we celebrate the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I so agree with you.

It's not really a joke. Some people here in the South actually do celebrate Robert E. Lee's birthday the same day as MLK -- whatever Monday is prior to Lee's birthday, I believe. :eek:

Sorry, if I am wrong!:(

Yep, I don't know if it's an "official" holiday, per se, but I know they ran a story on the local news this morning about the MLK/Lee controversy. Welcome to Alabama, haha.

Maybe this will help some with the confusion.

http://www.sos.state.ms.us/pubs/Proclamations/King.asp

It is ironic, though.

Some places do celebrate REL's bday today. I don't see what the problem is in that.

I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong ... I think the real question is, were people celebrating REL's birthday before MLK, or after?

Because if people only started celebrating REL after MLK was enacted some 20-odd years ago, I can see how some would be offended. I'm not offended personally, because I know more about Civil War history than to automatically equate REL with racism or slavery, but others might think so.

However, I have no idea when REL's birthday was first celebrated.

I always remember it being "Lee-Jackson-King" day in Virginia when I was younger. Now I think Friday was Lee-Jackson Day and today is MLK Jr. Day.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it if you have reason to celebrate it. I'm not from the South, so I don't celebrate it.

Too bad they couldn't get REL's birthday designated as a national holiday.