Juneteenth a Federal holiday? What do you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I don't see the logic in making Juneteenth a holiday since it was only about freeing slaves in Texas. I think they should honor the anniversary of the 13th amendment and that should be a federal holiday.

Why not both?

Because the 13th Amendment took effect on December 18, and that's an impractical date to have a federal holiday.

I don't care that Juneteenth's origin is specific to Texas. If they're going to add a holiday to the calendar they could do a lot worse than June.

So now our country will have two separate Independence Days, just 15 days apart. This is incredibly divisive.

Who is being divided? Do you also find it incredibly divisive to have two separate federal holidays to honor people who served in the US military, or is that not divisive because one is in May and the other is in November?

FFS there is only one federal holiday, Veterans Day, for people who served in the military. Memorial Day is for those killed while serving. Good god.

They're both for people who served in the military.

You're right. Memorial day should honor all those who died in service for our country, military and civilian. That doesn't mean we should get rid of it though.

What civilians should Memorial Day honor?

CIA, State, AID, and civilian DOD to name a few. Amb. Stevens (Benghazi) for example.

No thanks. I am not going to honor guys like William Cooper and Wallace "Buzz" Sawyer and they should not be honored with a Federal holiday.

Wtf are you talking about? Assuming you're referring to a conspiracy theorist and an iran-contra guy, neither of those people died in service. Memorial day isnt about honoring people that served and then died later. It honors those that died while serving. We really need to bring civics back to school.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If you think this holiday is for black people - then you are 100% part of the problem.

This is a holiday to recognize an important event in *our* country.

So why honor Juneteenth, which was only about freeing slaves in Texas? Why not the 13th amendment anniversary, that ended slavery in the USA? All slaves, just not the ones in Texas.

Except it didn’t end slavery on that date, because it took that long for the news to travel to all who had been freed. Nobody got a text alert on their phone about it.

You're confusing the Emancipation Proclamation with the 13th Amendment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think this holiday is for black people - then you are 100% part of the problem.

This is a holiday to recognize an important event in *our* country.

So why honor Juneteenth, which was only about freeing slaves in Texas? Why not the 13th amendment anniversary, that ended slavery in the USA? All slaves, just not the ones in Texas.

Is this really the Republican talking point? "We shouldn't have a federal holiday about the end of legal enslavement on THIS date, we should have it on THAT date!"? Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think this holiday is for black people - then you are 100% part of the problem.

This is a holiday to recognize an important event in *our* country.

So why honor Juneteenth, which was only about freeing slaves in Texas? Why not the 13th amendment anniversary, that ended slavery in the USA? All slaves, just not the ones in Texas.

Except it didn’t end slavery on that date, because it took that long for the news to travel to all who had been freed. Nobody got a text alert on their phone about it.

You're confusing the Emancipation Proclamation with the 13th Amendment.

Confusion abounds!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like it better if it wasn’t called Juneteenth. June 19th sounds good. Can we just combine it with MLK day? We are heading toward a lot of holidays. Besides the usual days, our school system takes off Christian, Jewish and Muslim holidays. I think we should cut Presidents’ Day or Columbia Day or Easter Monday.

Did you actually just ask if we could combine MLK Day and Juneteenth? How about first we combine Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

I would be in favor of eliminating MLK day and combining Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Absolutely not.
One honors and recognizes those who sever to protect our citizens.
The other honors and remembers those who died in service to our country.

Very different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think this holiday is for black people - then you are 100% part of the problem.

This is a holiday to recognize an important event in *our* country.

So why honor Juneteenth, which was only about freeing slaves in Texas? Why not the 13th amendment anniversary, that ended slavery in the USA? All slaves, just not the ones in Texas.

Except it didn’t end slavery on that date, because it took that long for the news to travel to all who had been freed. Nobody got a text alert on their phone about it.

Don't understand your point, because Juneteenth is about the news of the emancipation proclamation reaching texas. The Emancipation Proclamation didn't free all slaves, the 13th Amendment did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think this holiday is for black people - then you are 100% part of the problem.

This is a holiday to recognize an important event in *our* country.

So why honor Juneteenth, which was only about freeing slaves in Texas? Why not the 13th amendment anniversary, that ended slavery in the USA? All slaves, just not the ones in Texas.

Is this really the Republican talking point? "We shouldn't have a federal holiday about the end of legal enslavement on THIS date, we should have it on THAT date!"? Seriously?

So you think there should be a holiday honoring freeing slaves in one state, but not all states? And not have a holiday for freeing all slaves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like it better if it wasn’t called Juneteenth. June 19th sounds good. Can we just combine it with MLK day? We are heading toward a lot of holidays. Besides the usual days, our school system takes off Christian, Jewish and Muslim holidays. I think we should cut Presidents’ Day or Columbia Day or Easter Monday.

Did you actually just ask if we could combine MLK Day and Juneteenth? How about first we combine Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

I would be in favor of eliminating MLK day and combining Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Absolutely not.
One honors and recognizes those who sever to protect our citizens.
The other honors and remembers those who died in service to our country.

Very different.

Veterans Day honors all people who served in the military. Memorial Day honors the people who served in the military and died while in military service. In other words, Memorial Day honors a subset of the people who are honored by Veterans Day. It might be different, but it's not VERY different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you think this holiday is for black people - then you are 100% part of the problem.

This is a holiday to recognize an important event in *our* country.

So why honor Juneteenth, which was only about freeing slaves in Texas? Why not the 13th amendment anniversary, that ended slavery in the USA? All slaves, just not the ones in Texas.

Is this really the Republican talking point? "We shouldn't have a federal holiday about the end of legal enslavement on THIS date, we should have it on THAT date!"? Seriously?

So you think there should be a holiday honoring freeing slaves in one state, but not all states? And not have a holiday for freeing all slaves?

This is even more pitiful than "Martin Luther King Jr was a Communist and an adulterer!"

I think we should get rid of July 4, which didn't establish anything, and replace it with October 19.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like it better if it wasn’t called Juneteenth. June 19th sounds good. Can we just combine it with MLK day? We are heading toward a lot of holidays. Besides the usual days, our school system takes off Christian, Jewish and Muslim holidays. I think we should cut Presidents’ Day or Columbia Day or Easter Monday.

Did you actually just ask if we could combine MLK Day and Juneteenth? How about first we combine Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

I would be in favor of eliminating MLK day and combining Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Absolutely not.
One honors and recognizes those who sever to protect our citizens.
The other honors and remembers those who died in service to our country.

Very different.

Veterans Day honors all people who served in the military. Memorial Day honors the people who served in the military and died while in military service. In other words, Memorial Day honors a subset of the people who are honored by Veterans Day. It might be different, but it's not VERY different.

I go to Arlington Cemetery every year on both days. Maybe you should come some time and see how different they are. Shame on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like it better if it wasn’t called Juneteenth. June 19th sounds good. Can we just combine it with MLK day? We are heading toward a lot of holidays. Besides the usual days, our school system takes off Christian, Jewish and Muslim holidays. I think we should cut Presidents’ Day or Columbia Day or Easter Monday.

Did you actually just ask if we could combine MLK Day and Juneteenth? How about first we combine Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

I would be in favor of eliminating MLK day and combining Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Absolutely not.
One honors and recognizes those who sever to protect our citizens.
The other honors and remembers those who died in service to our country.

Very different.

Veterans Day honors all people who served in the military. Memorial Day honors the people who served in the military and died while in military service. In other words, Memorial Day honors a subset of the people who are honored by Veterans Day. It might be different, but it's not VERY different.

Let's just combine mother's day and father's day since they both honor parents.
Or, maybe combine MLK day and Juneteenth since they both celebrate human rights and freedom.
Or, let's go for the big guns and combine Easter and Christmas since it is about the birth and the earthly death of the same person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would like it better if it wasn’t called Juneteenth. June 19th sounds good. Can we just combine it with MLK day? We are heading toward a lot of holidays. Besides the usual days, our school system takes off Christian, Jewish and Muslim holidays. I think we should cut Presidents’ Day or Columbia Day or Easter Monday.

Did you actually just ask if we could combine MLK Day and Juneteenth? How about first we combine Memorial Day and Veterans Day?

I would be in favor of eliminating MLK day and combining Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Absolutely not.
One honors and recognizes those who sever to protect our citizens.
The other honors and remembers those who died in service to our country.

Very different.

Veterans Day honors all people who served in the military. Memorial Day honors the people who served in the military and died while in military service. In other words, Memorial Day honors a subset of the people who are honored by Veterans Day. It might be different, but it's not VERY different.

Let's just combine mother's day and father's day since they both honor parents.
Or, maybe combine MLK day and Juneteenth since they both celebrate human rights and freedom.
Or, let's go for the big guns and combine Easter and Christmas since it is about the birth and the earthly death of the same person.

That would be fine with me, although neither is a federal holiday.

But I think you're doing a good job explaining why the people whining about the redundancy of Juneteenth are silly.

[Anonymous]

Juneteenth should be celebrated. We ended legal slavery decades (nearly a century in some cases) before some other countries and we are entitled to be proud of it, the founding documents that made it nigh inevitable and of the day when the news was finally heard by everyone.

It deserves all the fireworks, parades, parties and poetry we can muster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would like it better if it wasn’t called Juneteenth. June 19th sounds good. Can we just combine it with MLK day? We are heading toward a lot of holidays. Besides the usual days, our school system takes off Christian, Jewish and Muslim holidays. I think we should cut Presidents’ Day or Columbia Day or Easter Monday.

Um, no, we cannot just combine it with MLK Day. And no one cares that you don’t like what it’s called; that’s what it’s been called. Our country still has very few national holidays compared to most recent countries. Life is short. Enjoy a new holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Juneteenth should be celebrated. We ended legal slavery decades (nearly a century in some cases) before some other countries and we are entitled to be proud of it, the founding documents that made it nigh inevitable and of the day when the news was finally heard by everyone.

It deserves all the fireworks, parades, parties and poetry we can muster.

I agree with all this, but I also think it should have been made a holiday before the 11th hour. There have been so many second order effects from shutting down the government with hours’ notice. My contractor husband now isn’t authorized to work on his federal project today, which means he can’t wrap up something he wanted to get done before starting on new stuff next week. He’s now stressed about squeezing extra work into next week. Our daycare that follows the federal calendar decided to close in an 8 pm email last night that left us scrambling for backup care today. DC schools closed and kids’ end of year party celebrations have been canceled (which is pretty crappy after the year these young kids in particular have been through). I’m sure there are other things that have been messed up because for whatever reason our government couldn’t get its act together to declare this a holiday like a month (or even 2 weeks!) who so people had a heads up to plan. I am a dem, but this feels like a last minute decision made by out of touch people who don’t think through how shutting things down affects the little people at their whim. But hey, I’m sure the politicians will get their photo op just in time for Juneteenth to show how much they care.

As another poster mentioned, A+ for the actual act of making this a holiday, but zero points for this eleventh hour execution.