Juneteenth Day.

[Grand58742]

My sarcasm meter isn't working well these days......you say that tongue-in-cheek, right?

Just wanted to see how it felt to be a liberal for a moment.

Yeah, it's sarcasm.

[ABNAK]

Just wanted to see how it felt to be a liberal for a moment.

Yeah, it's sarcasm.

Well, there's only one option left then:

[rocsteady]

I'm not aware of any union that is offered to anyone where I work; not that I'm saying there are none, but I would've put that as another in the "con" column, unable to have anyone speak for you when you are getting financially abused in one way or another. I see stuff like our IT people making fractions of what a good IT person would make outside of government. But I do suppose that your run of the mill secretary, we call them OSTs, among other things, make more for the .gov than they would at a private company but I have nothing to really compare that to.

[ABNAK]

I'm not aware of any union that is offered to anyone where I work; not that I'm saying there are none, but I would've put that as another in the "con" column, unable to have anyone speak for you when you are getting financially abused in one way or another. I see stuff like our IT people making fractions of what a good IT person would make outside of government. But I do suppose that your run of the mill secretary, we call them OSTs, among other things, make more for the .gov than they would at a private company but I have nothing to really compare that to.

You don't have to join the union, BUT they have to represent you anyway if necessary. Of course how hard they'll fight for you if you aren't paying your dues is another question entirely.

[ABNAK]

Has anyone thought about what the reaction of 1860's era Negroes would be to today's blacks? I can't help but think they'd be like "WTF are you all whining about? You have it GOOD compared to what we went through." Yeah, the generational equivalent of "walking uphill to school, both ways, and barefoot" but they'd be right.

When you consider the zeal with which all-black Federal units were formed and their performance in battle, as well as the work ethic that existed back then (for EVERYONE) then I could see a former slave ghost telling Shaniqua that today.

Of course the white folk from back then could say that about us too! Life generally sucked back then, but no one knew it!

[1168]

As someone chronically employed by various levels of government, I foresee three scenarios in which this will affect me.
1) there is work to be done; no one cares about weekends and holidays. I’ll be pretty stoked if I can manage to be in Somalia for the next one, just to quietly smirk all day.
2) there is work to be done, and the supporting characters have the day off, so I get a better parking spot.
3) there is no work to be done by me at the moment, so I get a sudden paid day off to waste at pool tourneys screwing around on M4c because I made no real plans.

I’ve got #3 almost down, and did versions of #1 and #2 plenty in years past, but will be looking forward to collecting those again, now that its official.

I can absolutely see why this is a big deal for a lot of people. I also agree that calling it National Independence day is a strange choice. I hope it doesn’t become a divisive thing, and so far, so good in my AO.

[Mjolnir]

Yes... yes it was July 4th. We don't celebrate the day the idea was first brought to congress, or when it was voted on, then had to be changed... We celebrate the day it was adopted, and signed as is.

THAT was the day we declared our independence. 4 July, 1776.

Regardless, the fact is we already HAVE an "Independence Day". One for the whole of the nation. A separate one will only further divide us.

July 2nd, I believe.


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[jsbhike]

yeah fine make it a holiday then no more BS whining about reparations etc...

and realize 370k came to north america out of 10.5 million and focus on those other 10.13 million and what happened to them !
also make sure to notice the first slave owner was black and many whites were slaves and many blacks were slave owners and again no more whining and get rid of the use of African American !!!!!

make it you are American no matter what your skin tone !

Toss in chattel slavery currently being alive and well in Africa also.

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Wishing to believe Juneteenth was made a federal holiday for celebrating the end of slavery and remembering the sacrifices made by so many Union veterans is a good way to look at it, but the more I read the more I see the purpose is to institutionalize a reminder to black people that they are ex-slaves living in a word of White supremacy and oppression.

Below are excerpts from the Center for the Study of Social Policy which I believe well sums it up. Notice it's written a couple years ago so it's free of any federal holiday policy cheerleading about Juneteenth.

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At the holiday’s core, Juneteenth has always recognized that freedom for Black people has been delayed by the continuing systemic and institutional oppression of Black people in America.

Anti-Black racist ideas, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs along with the modern social and political institutions founded and upheld by White supremacy, keep freedom delayed for Black people in America.

Continued racial disparities in the criminal justice system are a result of targeted systemic and institutional oppression that has continued long after the formal abolition of slavery. The anti-Black ideas that shaped slavery have supported the development of contemporary systems that still view blackness as criminal.

And as people have continued to celebrate emancipation, Juneteenth serves as a reminder of how freedom from chattel slavery was delayed by unjust systems and institutions. On this Fourth of July, it is important to reflect on the nation’s history with freedom and move towards disrupting the systems that have and continue to harm children, youth, and families today.

More here: https://cssp.org/2019/07/freedom-for...ourth-of-july/
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Juneteenth, a federally institutionalized reminder that America still sucks.

[utahjeepr]

So here in Utah I see complaints and comments on the local news sites that only minorities should get time off or be allowed to celebrate. White people "shouldn't be allowed to steal the holiday", "cultural appropriation" and all that crap. So if only blacks can celebrate juneteenth it's gonna be a really tiny thing around here.