[GOLFER54]

Funny how this holiday fell on Fathers Day.

[taruffi57]

It's simple pandering.

[mtdjed]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Effective January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation absolutely, positively did include Texas. It included ten states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and he named each one in his speech.

It took a year and a half for Texan slaves to be informed that they were no longer slaves, and it took officials from New York and New Jersey to travel there and inform them of it because their own states' officials wouldn't tell them.

Yes, the Emancipation Proclamation was meant to include Texas, but it is said that Texas at that time did not believe that it was a part of the US and thus did nothing to free the slaves. Runaway slaves that made it to Union areas were considered free by the Union, but not by Texans. The EP did not legally abolish slavery. It basically was a war powers act that allowed the Union to free slaves in areas they controlled. It also allowed slavery to continue to exist in areas not in conflict i.e. border states that did not secede. Also, that EP was subject to cancellation by subsequent actions (Courts, Presidents, etc). That is where the 13th Amendment came into play. It legally abolished slavery. The US Senate approved it in 1864, the House in 1865, and required ratification of 3/4 of the states Dec 1865 .

[OhioBuckeye]

Come on man, you sure it wasn’t George Washington that did this to us!

[OhioBuckeye]

Come on your comparing Apples to Orange. Ask a 5 yr. old how we celebrate Independence Day. Now answer my question how do we or you celebrate Juneteenth Day? You can’t say can you! I didn’t think so!

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by OhioBuckeye

Isn’t Juneteenth a little stupid to be called a holiday, really, how you celebrate Juneteenth day. I’m still scratching my head!

Originally Posted by Bill14564

How do you celebrate Independence Day, Thanksgiving, or Memorial Day? Juneteenth is certainly similar to one of those.

Originally Posted by OhioBuckeye

Come on your comparing Apples to Orange. Ask a 5 yr. old how we celebrate Independence Day. Now answer my question how do we or you celebrate Juneteenth Day? You can’t say can you! I didn’t think so!

I misunderstood the question and gave you more credit than you seem to want.

How have *I* celebrated Juneteenth? The same way I have celebrated Hannukkah - it has not been part of my culture so I have not celebrated it. I imagine most 5 yr olds would have the same answer.

How *will* I celebrate/observe Juneteenth going forward? I am not sure. I need to learn if it is a day of celebration (Independence Day), a day of giving thanks (Thanksgiving), or a day of contemplation (Memorial Day). I will take my clue from those in the community who have had this day as part of their culture for many years. One thing I know I will not do is call it stupid.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Effective January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation absolutely, positively did include Texas. It included ten states: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and he named each one in his speech.

It took a year and a half for Texan slaves to be informed that they were no longer slaves, and it took officials from New York and New Jersey to travel there and inform them of it because their own states' officials wouldn't tell them.

You neglected to mention the Union States (Delaware & Kentucky) that were not covered by the Proclamation, and where Slavery remained legal until the 13th Amendment was ratified, almost TWO years later...

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by OhioBuckeye

Come on your comparing Apples to Orange. Ask a 5 yr. old how we celebrate Independence Day. Now answer my question how do we or you celebrate Juneteenth Day? You can’t say can you! I didn’t think so!

I could be wrong; it's been a long time since I've had occasion to ask this question of a 5-year-old. But I think he or she would answer something about barbecues and fireworks.

Ask adult Americans why we celebrate both Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day in November, and you may be surprised to learn how many are clueless. Unless, of course, the person asked is one who has no idea....

And speaking of Mount Rushmore mentioned earlier in this thread, check out its history:

"Built on sacred Native American land and sculpted by a man with ties to the Ku Klux Klan, Mount Rushmore National Memorial was fraught with controversy even before it was completed ... on October 31, 1941."

South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore has a strange, scandalous history.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by GOLFER54

Funny how this holiday fell on Fathers Day.

Father's Day in the US is the third Sunday in June--

2021 date June 20
2022 date June 19
2023 date June 18
2024 date June 16

From Wikipedia.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Ele201

I agree. It is a very important day for the African American community. They are a vital part of American history and its culture! It is right to respect and honor their community by making Juneteenth a national holiday. It’s their Independence Day.

It's not their Independence Day and it's not their Emancipation Day. It's the "your own state wanted you to stay slaves so they refused to tell you what you should have known over a year ago: that you have been free all this time" day.

Emancipation day happened prior to this event. It just took a year and a half for slaves in Texas to be informed of it.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

I think a limit on the number of paid holidays would make sense. How about ten for a number? To have a different paid day off just decide which of the current holidays you will do without. Federal employees certainly are not overpaid but at the same time, we ought to get at least a certain amount of work for that pay.

I'm all in favor of getting rid of Easter Sunday, Good Friday, and Christmas as federal holidays. Those are religious holidays and shouldn't be mandated as a paid day off for government employees or officials.

HOWEVER - I'm ALSO in favor of adding two PERSONAL RELIGIOUS days off to all federal employees -instead,- so that people of ALL faiths can be guaranteed that right to take their most holy/important day(s) off with pay, whether it's Christmas of Yom Kippur or the first day of Ramadan or the pagan Beltane afternoon, or the athiest "because everyone else gets their day off so this one's mine" day.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Father's Day in the US is the third Sunday in June--



From Wikipedia.

Yeah that means if it falls on a Sunday, those government employees won't get paid anyway since they don't work on Sundays.

But those who -do- work on Sundays, who are Black dads, get that added benefit of being Fathers' Day once or twice every decade. Now there's an awesome Fathers' Day present! The FREEDOM of not having to work on Fathers' Day, and getting paid for it.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I'm all in favor of getting rid of Easter Sunday, Good Friday, and Christmas as federal holidays. Those are religious holidays and shouldn't be mandated as a paid day off for government employees or officials.

HOWEVER - I'm ALSO in favor of adding two PERSONAL RELIGIOUS days off to all federal employees -instead,- so that people of ALL faiths can be guaranteed that right to take their most holy/important day(s) off with pay, whether it's Christmas of Yom Kippur or the first day of Ramadan or the pagan Beltane afternoon, or the athiest "because everyone else gets their day off so this one's mine" day.

Apparently, you are not aware that Easter Sunday and Good Friday are not Federal holidays. Christmas Day is, of course, but it's not going anywhere.

Federal employees already have sufficient leave to be able to take their religious holiday off. But if it's important to take something away then take away President's Day and MLKJ Day to make your two flex days.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Apparently, you are not aware that Easter Sunday and Good Friday are not Federal holidays. Christmas Day is, of course, but it's not going anywhere.

Federal employees already have sufficient leave to be able to take their religious holiday off. But if it's important to take something away then take away President's Day and MLKJ Day to make your two flex days.

Then eliminate just Christmas and swap it out with a "personal religious day." Christians should be able to take Christmas off with pay but have to work on Yom Kippur, Jews should be able to take Yom Kippur off with pay but have to work on Christmas, etc. etc.

The only reason that doesn't actually work, is because most people in this country are Christian, and you'd end up understaffed on Christmas. You would -not- be understaffed on Yom Kippur.

So rather than allow everyone to have their designated religious holiday off with pay in ADDITION to all the other days off their employer gives them, the country designated Christmas as a federal holiday. And Jews still have to use up one of their personal days to get THEIR holy day off with pay.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Yeah that means if it falls on a Sunday, those government employees won't get paid anyway since they don't work on Sundays.

But those who -do- work on Sundays, who are Black dads, get that added benefit of being Fathers' Day once or twice every decade. Now there's an awesome Fathers' Day present! The FREEDOM of not having to work on Fathers' Day, and getting paid for it.

WHAT??? What does the color of one's skin have to do with Father's day? How do you figure that Black dads will get a paid day off for Father's Day once or twice every decade?

Father's Day will ALWAYS fall on a Sunday and is unlikely to ever be a paid holiday.

Juneteenth ALWAYS falls on June 19 but, due to Federal regulations, if it falls on a weekend then it is observed on either Friday or Monday. Federal workers will always have a paid day off for Juneteenth.