Juneteenth a Federal holiday? What do you think?

[Anonymous]

Federal workers will get tomorrow off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Agree, so many of hate “thank you for your service” but don’t want to seem ungrateful. It is in many ways a belittling and patronizing phrase - as if we didn’t have any choice and didn’t go into our careers with our eyes open after weighing pros/cons. Just not the hill to die on.

This sentiment strikes me as weird. I am an LEO, and when people thank me for doing what I do for work, I just view it as gratitude for doing a necessary, difficult, and underpaid job.

As a LEO your experience of this, and the way you think about this - may be different TBH. Not to be harsh but LEOs are viewed slightly differently - they typically sleep in own beds/not deployed etc. etc. although obviously the number of LEOs who have also served is not zero. Not surprising your experience and appreciation for this is different (not weird) - people who say it to you may actually mean it than just spouting some trite reflexive phrase they feel is the right thing to say.

The pay is your choice brother. Beauty of America is nobody is assigned a work station.

[Anonymous]

This sentiment strikes me as weird. I am an LEO, and when people thank me for doing what I do for work, I just view it as gratitude for doing a necessary, difficult, and underpaid job.


As a LEO your experience of this, and the way you think about this - may be different TBH. Not to be harsh but LEOs are viewed slightly differently - they typically sleep in own beds/not deployed etc. etc. although obviously the number of LEOs who have also served is not zero. Not surprising your experience and appreciation for this is different (not weird) - people who say it to you may actually mean it than just spouting some trite reflexive phrase they feel is the right thing to say.

The pay is your choice brother. Beauty of America is nobody is assigned a work station.

Understood about the pay, and to me, the satisfaction I get from the job offsets that issue. Still, it's an underpaid job, just like teaching. Noting that accurate fact doesn't mean I'd prefer another occupation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This sentiment strikes me as weird. I am an LEO, and when people thank me for doing what I do for work, I just view it as gratitude for doing a necessary, difficult, and underpaid job.


As a LEO your experience of this, and the way you think about this - may be different TBH. Not to be harsh but LEOs are viewed slightly differently - they typically sleep in own beds/not deployed etc. etc. although obviously the number of LEOs who have also served is not zero. Not surprising your experience and appreciation for this is different (not weird) - people who say it to you may actually mean it than just spouting some trite reflexive phrase they feel is the right thing to say.

The pay is your choice brother. Beauty of America is nobody is assigned a work station.

Understood about the pay, and to me, the satisfaction I get from the job offsets that issue. Still, it's an underpaid job, just like teaching. Noting that accurate fact doesn't mean I'd prefer another occupation.

roger
I’m not sure teachers are underpaid though. Covid nurses - yes. Guy who cleans the toilets in our office - absolutely.

Anyway - let’s see what the President announces about Juneteenth. We are due a fresh start all around - hopefully this can be something positive

[Anonymous]

Yes but I'd give it a better name like "National Emancipation Day". My office is celebrating it (closed tomorrow).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would prefer Emancipation Day as the holiday. Juneteenth is just a sad reminder that the racism marched on and should be celebrated in Texas.

At first I thought that Emancipation Day ought to be the day to commemorate, but the Emancipation Proclamation took effect January 1, and the 13th amendment took effect December 6 (or December 18 depending, since that's how long it took for the federal government to receive notice from the state legislatures). Neither are good dates for a holiday at this point.

And yeah, Juneteenth was primarily an east Texas tradition that spread over time to other areas of the South, and some northern cities due to the Great Migration. But Juneteenth has the advantage of having developed organically, and that's better for a holiday's broad acceptance than simply declaring a date to be when something gets celebrated simply because it's more accurate.

It'll be annoying when your kid asks if June 19th was the day that the slaves were freed, and you'll have to say, "well, no, it was the date some slaves in Texas were freed, because blah blah Emancipation Proclamation, blah blah one last cotton crop, blah blah 13th amendment..." But at this point we're used to having the "Columbus didn't actually discover America" and the "Jesus wasn't actually born in December" conversations (or for a deep cut the "Labor Day isn't May 1 because Grover Cleveland blah blah national guard blah blah" convo).

.
Just say June 19th was the day that all the slaves were finally free.

[Anonymous]

So what about us with AWS days tomorrow?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes but I'd give it a better name like "National Emancipation Day". My office is celebrating it (closed tomorrow).

That's like someone saying, "My name is Peggy," and you saying, "Margaret would be a better name for you."

[Anonymous]

The Washington Post is currently reporting that Biden will be signing the bill this afternoon and tomorrow will be the first day that’s it’s a federal holiday. So stay tuned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather have legislation that holds police accountable for killing us.

Agreed. But as Trevor Noah just said - it’s symbolism, but that ain’t nothing.

IMO - Police personal accountability (ie: their pension funds not the taxpayers used to settle lawsuits - blue wall of silence will come down a whole lot quicker then). National registry of police officers (including complaints/use of lethal force/firings and reassignments). Higher pay (need to attract better candidates than some of the power-hungry mouth breathers they currently get). Lots of work to do there, including dismantling the structures they think they are protecting - a new national holiday may help with that.

They are allowed to kill in defense of themselves or another. Just like we are. If my husband is suffering a mental health crisis and is holding my daughter at knife point, at her neck, freaking out and screaming and threatening to kill her and himself and anyone who comes near him, I'm allowed to defend my daughter's life. By seriously injuring or killing my husband if I have to. It's a horrific situation and there is no easy answer. And may require me to make a split-second decision, that may or may not have been the BEST choice, looking back. But at the time, in a high stress situation, you do the best you can. Police face this at a disproportionately higher rate than we do, because we call them to handle it.

Yes, there are times police act contrary to training. And yes there are places where union contracts interfere with holding them accountable for that. And we need to address that. But we as a society have deemed killing someone, in defense of ourselves or another, as a justifiable killing. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what about us with AWS days tomorrow?

What do you do on other Friday holidays?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what about us with AWS days tomorrow?

What do you do on other Friday holidays?

The AWS day gets moved, but not sure it can be moved to another pay period. Not PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what about us with AWS days tomorrow?

What do you do on other Friday holidays?

The AWS day gets moved, but not sure it can be moved to another pay period. Not PP.

Normally it would get moved to today...so? I am off tomorrow too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like it. Good thing to celebrate. But too close to Memorial Day. We need a holiday in April.

That stretch from late Feb-Memorial Day is brutal!

If our political leaders can put their heads together on any bi-partisan the hope would be to provide more Federal holidays during this stretch. If you have kids you’re going to get Spring Break, but if you don’t you’re SOL.

We now have Memorial Day, Juneteenth and July 4th. Not that I’m complaining but can we spread this out a little?

You don’t “get” spring break. You’re forced to take your own paid leave at the same time as every other parent in the region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather have legislation that holds police accountable for killing us.

Agreed. But as Trevor Noah just said - it’s symbolism, but that ain’t nothing.

IMO - Police personal accountability (ie: their pension funds not the taxpayers used to settle lawsuits - blue wall of silence will come down a whole lot quicker then). National registry of police officers (including complaints/use of lethal force/firings and reassignments). Higher pay (need to attract better candidates than some of the power-hungry mouth breathers they currently get). Lots of work to do there, including dismantling the structures they think they are protecting - a new national holiday may help with that.

They are allowed to kill in defense of themselves or another. Just like we are. If my husband is suffering a mental health crisis and is holding my daughter at knife point, at her neck, freaking out and screaming and threatening to kill her and himself and anyone who comes near him, I'm allowed to defend my daughter's life. By seriously injuring or killing my husband if I have to. It's a horrific situation and there is no easy answer. And may require me to make a split-second decision, that may or may not have been the BEST choice, looking back. But at the time, in a high stress situation, you do the best you can. Police face this at a disproportionately higher rate than we do, because we call them to handle it.

Yes, there are times police act contrary to training. And yes there are places where union contracts interfere with holding them accountable for that. And we need to address that. But we as a society have deemed killing someone, in defense of ourselves or another, as a justifiable killing. Period.

Agreed. Nobody talking about Monday morning quarterbacking or doubting these are stressful hard calls. I think the concern is, for some, that decision is a little easier when person is black. Witness all the white boy mass shooters walking away in handcuffs. Also, the escalation and abuse of entrusted powers like those VA rednecks with that active-duty medic a few months back - the silly wolves and sheep nonsense has led to a loss of professionalism in some of the weaker minded. Police do an important job. I personally think they should have a professional license like doctors, pilots, pharmacists and others who hold the life of the public in their hands. The “bad apples” would then be easily removed just as a pilot who drinks before flying would be. Hell, even lawyers have the bar - although Rudy is still a lawyer so that may not be best example (although stakes are lower for lawyers). If LEOs required a national license and real professional accountability it would only be fair for them to get professional salary too.