Juneteenth Is Now Official, But …

Posted on by under History, Holidays, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Tomorrow is Juneteeth.  If you don’t know what Juneteenth is, please visit my post from last year to refresh your memory.  In short, Juneteenth is “a holiday celebrated on 19 June to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.”  But in this, the era of extreme racism in government, police, and society, it is much, much more than that.

I was so moved that I was speechless, a rarity for me, when President Biden signed a bill, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, into law yesterday declaring that June 19th is, from this point forward in the United States, a federal holiday.  The bill landed on the President’s desk despite some 14 members of the House of Representatives who objected.  Yes, my friends, 14 people who We the People elected to federal office, to the United States Congress, are still so blinded by bigotry that they refused to honour the day that, at least on paper, Black people won the right to be free and equal in the eyes of this nation.

Those 14 representatives are …

  1. Mo Brooks (Alabama)
  2. Andy Biggs (Arizona)
  3. Andrew Clyde (Georgia)
  4. Scott DesJarlais (Tennessee)
  5. Paul Gosar (Arizona)
  6. Ronnie Jackson (Texas)
  7. Doug LaMalfa (California)
  8. Thomas Massie (Kentucky)
  9. Tom McClintock (California)
  10. Ralph Norman (South Carolina)
  11. Mike Rogers (Alabama)
  12. Matt Rosendale (Montana)
  13. Chip Roy (Texas)
  14. Tom Tiffany (Wisconsin)

Remember their names, for these are some of the most racist, bigoted representatives in the United States Congress today.  Also note that ten of the fourteen are from states SOUTH of the Mason-Dixon line … states that fought on the side of the Confederacy trying to preserve slavery just 150 years ago.

There seem to have been two schools of ‘thought’ (and I use that term loosely) among these fourteen as to why they do not support this bill.  Some said it was because of the bill’s name as ‘Independence Day’, and others objected … believe it or not … to federal workers getting yet another paid holiday!  Remember that members of Congress get numerous, lengthy paid holidays each year, far in excess of what the average worker gets.  A few of the more ignominious comments …

  • “Juneteenth is more debunked Critical Race Theory in action.” – Paul Gosar
  • “… I do not support more days off for federal employees.” – Ronny Jackson
  • “Naming this day ‘National Independence Day’ would create confusion and push Americans to pick one of those two days as their independence day based on their racial identity.” – Thomas Massie
  • “I don’t believe it’s healthy to reach into the dead past, revive its most malevolent conflicts and reintroduce them into our age.” – Tom McClintock
  • “This isn’t an effort to commemorate emancipation, it’s very clearly tied to the larger hard-left agenda to enshrine the racial history of this country as the prime aspect of our national story.” – Matt Rosendale
  • “… needlessly divides our nation on a matter that should instead bring us together by creating a separate Independence Day based on the color of one’s skin.” – Chip Roy

Apparently Mr. McClintock and Mr. Rosendale do not believe in that old adage that if we forget the lessons of history, we are destined to repeat it.  And Mr. Roy must have his head buried in the sand if he doesn’t realize that this nation is already hopelessly divided on matters of race, among other issues.  What a bunch of narrow-minded bigots these 14 white males are, with no sense of history, no sense of humanity, only their own belief in their white supremacy.  Folks, please, vote these jerks out next year … our very lives depend on it.

49 thoughts on “Juneteenth Is Now Official, But …”

  1. Thank you for sharing!!… the 14 representatives that you mentioned are simply voicing the thoughts of those that put them in power… again, the root cause are those closed minded supporters living an illusion, concerned about their image, change is coming and they are like the drowning man grabbing at straws .. as Ray Stevens said “there is no man so blind as he who will not see”… 🙂
    While Juneteenth will indeed be an important day, the work to make the dream come true will be a daily work in progress and believe with today’s technology it will be done but needs to be done slowly with purpose..
    The start of freedom and equality began with the signing of the Declaration of Independence ” We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”… 🙂

    Until we meet again..
    May the road rise to meet you
    May the wind be always at your back
    May the sun shine warm upon your face
    The rains fall soft upon your fields
    May green be the grass you walk on
    May blue be the skies above you
    May pure be the joys that surround you
    May true be the hearts that love you.
    (Irish Saying)

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    • The time is long past to put an end to racism, to bigotry in its many forms. There are important issues facing the world today, the biggest one being the environment, and we need to put our differences behind us and work together to find the solutions and fix the problems. Instead, our elected representatives are playing racist, homophobic, misogynist games with our lives. I’m tired of it! Future generations will be denied those unalienable rights because we didn’t do our job. Sigh. And yes, my friend, you are quite right … Juneteenth is only the beginning and we have a long way to go in this nation before we can truly say that all people are equal. Let’s hope that day eventually comes, though I have my doubts.

      Love the Irish Saying … thank you, Dutch!!!

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      • As long as we will not have our voices stilled, we will be doing our job and with technology, knowledge and a new generation, change is in the winds… 🙂

        Rome wasn’t built in a day… 🙂
        “A home that is built with patience, understanding and love will withstand the strongest winds of difficulties and conflict , a home built with a closed mind, insincerity or haste will collapse in a mere breeze of discontent.” (Larry “Dutch” Woller )

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  2. Pingback: Juneteenth Is Now Official, But … | Filosofa’s Word | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal

    • I suspect that for a few years at least, it will be a bone of contention, a matter of controversy. Eventually, I hope that we can cast aside our racism and bigotry and see this day as what it was … the start of freedom and equality. xx

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  5. Pingback: Fake Holidays: “Juneteenth” – WarOnPress

      • Sorry ace! Nobody’s more RACIST than Karl Marx nor any of the DemoKKKrats that carry on his vile traditions. As for your unfortunate proclivities and/or habits, there’s no such diagnosis as “homophobia.” Guess you’re anti-science in addition to being otherwise otherwise ignorant.

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      • Sorry ace! Nobody’s more RACIST than Karl Marx nor any of the DemoKKKrats that carry on his vile traditions. As for your unfortunate proclivities and/or habits, there’s no such diagnosis as “homophobia.” Guess you’re anti-science in addition to being otherwise ignorant.

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        • There is so much I could counter here, such as your claim that there is no such thing as homophobia. What, then, do you call it when people attack LGBTQ people only for their gender identities? However, I shan’t rise to the bait of being called ignorant by you, for I make it a point never to get into a battle of wits or intellect with an unarmed person. No further comment is necessary by you, for you have shown me all I need to know.

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  7. I would not say your lives depend on it, Jill, but certainly your right to live as free people is highly affected by bigots and racists. The point is, though, these people represent American voters, or some 25 million adults in America, by percentage (14÷435×259,393,206 adults in the US). Obviously it is not that simple, because not everyone who lives in their districts voted for them, but then not everyone voted for the members who did vote to pass this bill. I would say the 25 millions adults would be the minimum number of bigots and racists in the US, with actual numbers running as high as 100 million, or 35% of the adult population of your country. These are the numbers you should be looking at. That is how many people are threatening the freedom of all Americans. Getting rid of 14 Representatives would only be a symbolic
    gesture, meaningless in the macrocosm that is America.
    (Where did I get the 35% from. Out of thin air, actually. The number of Republican
    voters was mighty close to 50% last election, but surely not all of them are racist. However, probably there are some Democratic voters who are also racist, but prefer not to let anyone know that. I think using 35% is actually quite generous. And that scares the hell out if me!)

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    • Yes, rg, our very lives DO depend on this. If the bigots and racists rule, don’t you think there will be an uprising, that We the People will not sit down and shut up, but will protest at every possible chance? And the only way the bigots can win is to kill us. Yes, that is what will happen in this nation. Black lives are at stake, as are Hispanic and Asian lives, but also those of white people who show a conscience and a spine. Oh yes … there WILL be death and devastation if these jokers have their way. Sure, there are some Democrats who are bigots and some Republicans who actually aren’t, but at the end of the day, the question becomes will you fight for the right of all to live in a free and equal society? I will.

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        • You know I’m no fan of physical violence, but I believe that is what is going to happen in this country ultimately. In many respects it already is. When arrogant white people brutally attack Black people, are we to simply stand by and wring our hands? Sigh.

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          • We are having similar problems in Canada with whites attacking women wearing hijabs and burqas. White men attack the women from behind, sometimes ripping off their head wear, and once the women are down on the ground the big brave men bark racist comments and other hateful slurs. What they get out of it, I really don’t know.

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            • How horrible!!! I thought Canadians were better than that, but … sigh … I guess people are pretty much the same all ’round the globe. Doesn’t give me much hope for the human species.

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              • it just means we have much farther to go than I thought we did even 5 years ago. Those 5 years opened my eyes to the stupidity of some of my fellow humans.
                One of my greatest faults in life is not being able to accept that stupidity.

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                • I think, my friend, that we will never get there because if anything, humans seem to be getting more cruel and intolerant of any that don’t look, think, and act just like themselves.

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                    • You are 100% right … they are louder and more obnoxious, while the good people are too busy going about their business, their lives, and being good people to waste time screaming and yelling just to get attention.

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                    • So why are we sheep, letting the (please pardon this transgression) wolves run the henhouse? Because that seems to be what is happening. We have the numbers, but they have the propensity for aggression and violence. And, somehow, the Republicans still rule America though they are the minority in the House, the Senate, and the Oval Office.
                      This is why, though I still care, I just cannot maintain that fight. I have better things to do with my life than struggle for those who won’t help themselves. No, I don’t want good Americans to get violent, but I do want them to take charge. Allowing the patients to run the psychiatric ward will eventually bring down the whole hospital.

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                    • Today, the answer to that question is: Joe Manchin. But more broadly, the answer to the question is education, or lack thereof, and ignorance, which seem to run rampant in this nation. People aren’t smart enough to think for themselves, but rather believe whatever they are told by the likes of Fox News and by the loudest, brashest politicians.

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                  • Critical Race Theory (CRT) posits that racism in the U.S. is systemic, meaning it is built into our systems — government, law, education, etc. It has been proven time and again that this is the case, and it’s getting worse rather than better. And … I have to ask … why do you feel the need to call people names? You can make your point without being rude, and we could possibly have an actual dialog, but the name calling is … counter-productive, it is not how adults who hope to see one another’s point of view act.

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              • If that’s how you see the world, 0there isn’t anything I can do for you. Love your white skin, and blame all the nation’s woes on everyone else. What a novel idea.

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                  • I don’t know of anyone who is “in love with their skin colour”. Good people do come in all skin colours, all genders, all ethnicities, and all or no religions. And, I am NOT an “inane indoctrinated commie”, but I do see blatant racism growing in this nation and I don’t like it.

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                  • Sounds to me like you have an ax to grind, so by your logic, you must be a commie. As for sticking to facts, listening to Fox News does not provide real facts, but opinions and lies that they present as facts to gullible listeners who want their fantasies to be truths. The world does not work that way. White Americans shoot more people on any given day than American people of colour. That sounds like white crime, not black crime.

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                    • I suspect he’s just looking for attention, looking for someone to whom he can feel superior. Obviously, by his name-calling and lack of any substance in his comment, he doesn’t have any desire for an actual discussion.

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                    • That has been proven false so many times in so many courtrooms I am surprised anyone still believes it. Trump told us he was going to call foul six months before the election. He knew he was going to lose, and he cannot stand losing.
                      There was no fraud, not even a hint of it. The only fraud was in Trump’s fantasy. If you are in his fantasy with him, well, you deserve whatever it is you get.

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                    • They wear blinders and drink Kool-Aid, rg. I give up on this one … he is fully indoctrinated into the Big Lie and other falsehoods and I don’t have any more time to waste on him.

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                    • Well, his comment tonight was so disrespectful toward us both that I spammed it and he won’t be commenting here again. That kind of crap that he’s peddling is not at all useful or productive and I won’t be insulted or have my friends insulted. He’s done.

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                • Sadly, rg, there are far too many like him who deny that this nation is becoming more bigoted by the day. He has no real talking points, just hatred for those who don’t think like him.

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