The goal of holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Veteran's Day is to draw national and individual attention to the struggles and sacrifices of communities in our nation. But does focusing this attention through a day off work (after all, government offices and schools close in observance) effectively raise our collective awareness? Wouldn't more structured and mandatory teach-ins do more for the cause?

The Utah Legislature, per the state constitution, opened its session on the third Monday in January — Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That the elected body in Utah, the last state in the union to establish this holiday, does not observe the tradition of closing office is causing uproar in certain communities. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch president in Salt Lake City told The Salt Lake Tribune, "They really should be embarrassed." But the state Senate president says that he thinks they are honoring King by working on his holiday. We think that he might be at least partially right: dutifully learning from Dr. King's life within the context of school or jobs might be more efficient.

The ideal, it seems to us, is for students and workers to volunteer during this day off. But how many of you or your friends actually traded your "free" day to do so? The allure of a free day in our busy schedules undermines the goals of the holiday; it is too easy to take the day for ourselves.

If we could truly commit, as a society, to dedicating an entire day to volunteering, the holiday system would be justified. Devoting one day a year, however, overlooks the fact that the problems are more universal, and that we need to confront them every day. The world's ills won't disappear after a day of volunteering; the issues that Dr. King so fervently confronted exist 365 days a year.

If the Utah Legislature is actually dealing with the issues raised by Dr. King's legacy in their workplace, we feel they're doing him justice. Simply volunteering on this day is not enough. Instead, we need to take his message and apply it to the world around us. We cannot promote civil rights with a single day of work. It will take intellectual and moral commitment each and every day.

What did you do on MLK day, and do you think it helped you confront the issues raised by Dr. King? Tell us your experience by writing to opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.