Juneteenth a Federal holiday? What do you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My law firm had already declared it a firm holiday so I knew I was getting Friday off. I'm personally always down for another day off from work, and if this helps POC feel better, then I'm all for that. They've been through hell.

I’m impressed you became a lawyer with your logic and reasoning skills.

Op is probably not a lawyer. Probably office manager at the firm or something.

[Anonymous]

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?

Okay you are right - I was being flippant. But I’m generally okay with dumping holidays. So fine, cut either the may holiday or the nov holiday. We should honor the vets on more than just one day anyway.

[Anonymous]

I'm happy about the holiday and what it recognizes, but don't want this to distract from the much more important things Republicans are blocking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm happy about the holiday and what it recognizes, but don't want this to distract from the much more important things Republicans are blocking.

Agreed. This is just icing. Where's the real action for justice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My law firm had already declared it a firm holiday so I knew I was getting Friday off. I'm personally always down for another day off from work, and if this helps POC feel better, then I'm all for that. They've been through hell.

"If it helps POC feel better" ?!?!?!?! Seriously...

POC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My law firm had already declared it a firm holiday so I knew I was getting Friday off. I'm personally always down for another day off from work, and if this helps POC feel better, then I'm all for that. They've been through hell.

"If it helps POC feel better" ?!?!?!?! Seriously...

POC?

People of color.

People of color are no longer minorities in many areas, so calling them minorities misrepresents the situation. And relatively soon, they will be the majority. So "people of color" is more apt.

[Anonymous]

I think it's a good holiday. We should all celebrate the end of legalized slavery.

I would like to get rid of Columbus day. I'm all for celebrating our nation but 4th of July does that. Columbus wasn't the first European to "discover" America and he certainly wasn't the nicest. The holiday was promoted to counter anti-Italian and anti-Catholic sentiment in the country. Which I understand. But most of his "accomplishments" were lies based on Washington Irving's fictional book.

[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?

Okay you are right - I was being flippant. But I’m generally okay with dumping holidays. So fine, cut either the may holiday or the nov holiday. We should honor the vets on more than just one day anyway.

Honor vets more? Are you trying to turn us into North Korea? The fetishizing of people who decided to pursue employment in the military is completely out of hand. Made sense when we had conscription/a draft - we took those citizens autonomy/choice away and made them serve the country. I have no problem honoring WW2 and Vietnam vets. Since 1975 - it’s been a choice. I’d argue nurses and school teachers make an equal service contribution to this country - again often for low pay - until people start saying “thank you for your service” to them I’m underwhelmed at the jingoistic pro-military focus of so many - and can’t help but feel it is driven by guilt (at lack of other viable opportunities for some socioeconomic groups and their own lack of “service” to country).

Black people in this country didn’t choose to “serve” or get the shaft economically and socially for centuries after. A huge amount of wealth and privilege was literally built on their backs. That original sin has fueled policies and systems that have set an entire race up for failure (supporting the narrative that maybe the sin wasn’t so bad). We still haven’t properly come to terms with that legacy as a nation - as these cos-play confederate traitor worshipping fools are just one obvious demonstration.

So yeah, i would be fine merging veterans and memorial days to make room for a Juneteenth. That’s nothing. I’d also assign 50% of our planned military budget over next ten years (fear not - we’ll still have best funded military in the world) - to fund generational wealth (property/home ownership) and educational structures (HbCUs endowments allowing them to be tuition-free). That won’t make things right - but it would start to level the playing field some to make the American dream possible for everyone. Let’s start with an extra holiday though to celebrate an important step forward in the development of the USA. American Black history is American history. The cringe-worthy suggestion to lump Juneteenth with MLK (?“black issues day”) highlights how far we still have to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a critical holiday. As a white person, I think to myself, shouldn't we as Americans want to celebrate the day we stopped enslaving people?? This is a big deal! It's not just for Black people!

Thank you! Was coming to write something similar.
As for the poster suggesting we combine it with MLK day - WTH? Are civil rights only for black people?
This is our country, all of our country. When we celebrate people or events that made it better, it is for all of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a critical holiday. As a white person, I think to myself, shouldn't we as Americans want to celebrate the day we stopped enslaving people?? This is a big deal! It's not just for Black people!

Thank you! Was coming to write something similar.
As for the poster suggesting we combine it with MLK day - WTH? Are civil rights only for black people?
This is our country, all of our country. When we celebrate people or events that made it better, it is for all of us.

X1000 it’s a celebration of our country moving forward, recognizing all people as humans.

[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?

Okay you are right - I was being flippant. But I’m generally okay with dumping holidays. So fine, cut either the may holiday or the nov holiday. We should honor the vets on more than just one day anyway.

Honor vets more? Are you trying to turn us into North Korea? The fetishizing of people who decided to pursue employment in the military is completely out of hand. Made sense when we had conscription/a draft - we took those citizens autonomy/choice away and made them serve the country. I have no problem honoring WW2 and Vietnam vets. Since 1975 - it’s been a choice. I’d argue nurses and school teachers make an equal service contribution to this country - again often for low pay - until people start saying “thank you for your service” to them I’m underwhelmed at the jingoistic pro-military focus of so many - and can’t help but feel it is driven by guilt (at lack of other viable opportunities for some socioeconomic groups and their own lack of “service” to country).

Black people in this country didn’t choose to “serve” or get the shaft economically and socially for centuries after. A huge amount of wealth and privilege was literally built on their backs. That original sin has fueled policies and systems that have set an entire race up for failure (supporting the narrative that maybe the sin wasn’t so bad). We still haven’t properly come to terms with that legacy as a nation - as these cos-play confederate traitor worshipping fools are just one obvious demonstration.

So yeah, i would be fine merging veterans and memorial days to make room for a Juneteenth. That’s nothing. I’d also assign 50% of our planned military budget over next ten years (fear not - we’ll still have best funded military in the world) - to fund generational wealth (property/home ownership) and educational structures (HbCUs endowments allowing them to be tuition-free). That won’t make things right - but it would start to level the playing field some to make the American dream possible for everyone. Let’s start with an extra holiday though to celebrate an important step forward in the development of the USA. American Black history is American history. The cringe-worthy suggestion to lump Juneteenth with MLK (?“black issues day”) highlights how far we still have to go.

I love every single thing you wrote!

But I think the PP probably meant they didn’t want to celebrate the vets on two days but had a typo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts?

This is great and well deserved. We need more holidays even though I am not sure what this day is for... But I will take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts?

This is great and well deserved. We need more holidays even though I am not sure what this day is for... But I will take it.

Bunch of GOP state legislatures hard at work making sure kids can't learn what it's for either.

[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?

Okay you are right - I was being flippant. But I’m generally okay with dumping holidays. So fine, cut either the may holiday or the nov holiday. We should honor the vets on more than just one day anyway.

Honor vets more? Are you trying to turn us into North Korea? The fetishizing of people who decided to pursue employment in the military is completely out of hand. Made sense when we had conscription/a draft - we took those citizens autonomy/choice away and made them serve the country. I have no problem honoring WW2 and Vietnam vets. Since 1975 - it’s been a choice. I’d argue nurses and school teachers make an equal service contribution to this country - again often for low pay - until people start saying “thank you for your service” to them I’m underwhelmed at the jingoistic pro-military focus of so many - and can’t help but feel it is driven by guilt (at lack of other viable opportunities for some socioeconomic groups and their own lack of “service” to country).

Black people in this country didn’t choose to “serve” or get the shaft economically and socially for centuries after. A huge amount of wealth and privilege was literally built on their backs. That original sin has fueled policies and systems that have set an entire race up for failure (supporting the narrative that maybe the sin wasn’t so bad). We still haven’t properly come to terms with that legacy as a nation - as these cos-play confederate traitor worshipping fools are just one obvious demonstration.

So yeah, i would be fine merging veterans and memorial days to make room for a Juneteenth. That’s nothing. I’d also assign 50% of our planned military budget over next ten years (fear not - we’ll still have best funded military in the world) - to fund generational wealth (property/home ownership) and educational structures (HbCUs endowments allowing them to be tuition-free). That won’t make things right - but it would start to level the playing field some to make the American dream possible for everyone. Let’s start with an extra holiday though to celebrate an important step forward in the development of the USA. American Black history is American history. The cringe-worthy suggestion to lump Juneteenth with MLK (?“black issues day”) highlights how far we still have to go.

Agree 100%

[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.

No, because General Gordon Granger inconsiderately failed to transmit the news of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston on the future birthday of Martin Luther King Jr (January 15) and instead did so on June 19.