Culture GOP senators propose swapping Columbus Day with Juneteenth as federal holiday

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Republican Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are proposing to replace the federal observance of Columbus Day with Juneteenth.
Unlike other measures, the new proposal would keep the number of federal holidays the same by eliminating October's Columbus Day.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in both the House and Senate have backed legislation to create Juneteenth as a federal holiday, both of which have been co-sponsored by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. House legislation by Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas enjoys a lengthy list of bipartisan co-sponsors.
In a statement released Wednesday, Lankford and Johnson praise the aims of the Juneteenth legislation -- but emphasize the cost of creating another paid federal holiday without eliminating one.


"In response to a bipartisan effort to give federal workers another day of paid leave by designating Juneteenth a federal holiday, we have offered a counterproposal that does not put us further in debt," said Johnson. "We support celebrating emancipation with a federal holiday, but believe we should eliminate a current holiday in exchange."
Democratic lawmakers have long called for the recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. In spite of a push by activists and lawmakers over the years, the plan has never made it through both chambers.
The day commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their emancipation. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia mark June 19 as a state holiday or observance. Communities across the country celebrate it with food and festivities.
Columbus Day -- a holiday ditched by several states and dozens of municipalities in favor of Indigenous Peoples' Day -- was chosen by the pair to eliminate "as a holiday that is lightly celebrated, and least disruptive to Americans' schedules," Johnson said.
The observance of Columbus Day and the approbation of Christopher Columbus have come under fire as racial reckoning occurs across the country following the death of George Floyd.
Columbus has long been a contentious figure in history for his treatment of the Indigenous communities he encountered and for his role in violent colonization at their expense. In recent years, many cities and states -- such as Minnesota, Alaska, Vermont and Oregon -- have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, in recognition of the pain and terror caused by Columbus and other European explorers.
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It was floating around for around a week in conservative circles some senators were gonna do this. At this point recognizing Juneteenth like that is an admission of defeat.

 

[Spasticus Autisticus]

And there's also the "Without him America as we know it wouldn't exist" factor (nobody else was crazy enough to make the trip because the correct size of the Earth was common knowledge at the time). By taking it down you're effectively admitting that none of this should have ever happened.

This hits on a common theme to this entire campaign of erasing history: nobody remembers why we have monuments and holidays to people like Columbus. A voyage across the Atlantic and back in the 15th century, with no idea of what was on the other side, was an extraordinary accomplishment. It was still a big undertaking to make that voyage for centuries afterwards. We're so far removed from that now that we have air travel, near-instantaneous worldwide communication links, and global financial infrastructure, we forget just how much went into an expedition of that kind. And that's not to mention the whole problem with judging 15th century people by early 21st century moral principles.

And if it wasn't Columbus, it would have been someone else. It may have taken a few more decades, but the technology and the capital were there to make that expedition happen. In some parallel universe where it never happened, the indigenous people of the Americas would still be living in mud huts and longhouses, murdering, pillaging and stealing the land of their neighboring tribes, and the likes of Howard Zinn would have had to find something else to kvetch about.

 

[Hollywood Hitler]

Will all hourly workers make time and a half or just the black ones?

 

[Jarolleon]

This hits on a common theme to this entire campaign of erasing history: nobody remembers why we have monuments and holidays to people like Columbus. A voyage across the Atlantic and back in the 15th century, with no idea of what was on the other side, was an extraordinary accomplishment. It was still a big undertaking to make that voyage for centuries afterwards. We're so far removed from that now that we have air travel, near-instantaneous worldwide communication links, and global financial infrastructure, we forget just how much went into an expedition of that kind. And that's not to mention the whole problem with judging 15th century people by early 21st century moral principles.

And if it wasn't Columbus, it would have been someone else. It may have taken a few more decades, but the technology and the capital were there to make that expedition happen. In some parallel universe where it never happened, the indigenous people of the Americas would still be living in mud huts and longhouses, murdering, pillaging and stealing the land of their neighboring tribes, and the likes of Howard Zinn would have had to find something else to kvetch about.

Possibly, but his entire expedition was predicated on vastly underestimating the size of the Earth such he thought India was where the West Indies actually were, so someone else would have to make the same mistake, or shipping would have to advance to such a degree that someone would outfit an expedition capable of going 1/2 of the circumference of Earth through open ocean and then accidentally hit the Americas halfway. Eventually the Spanish worked out that he was an asshole by the standards of his own time and sacked him as governor, but we don't celebrate Columbus the Moral Exemplar but Columbus the Discoverer of America* so it's mostly irrelevant.

*Yes I know the Injuns found it first, but revealing a continent to ~80% of humanity still counts as discovery in my book.

 

[Jaimas]

No, I have seen what happens when you give these people any ground.

View attachment 1424878

....That is actually brilliant, and I'm saddened that most people wouldn't get that reference.

 

[Stoneheart]

so changing a spick holiday for a negro one? who cares?

 

[raspberry mocha]

At this rate, there's gonna be a US petition to rename Colombia.

 

[Jan_Hus]

Somewhere there’s a marketing exec wriggling with glee and masturbating over this Juneteenth holiday and the thought of all the shirts and merchandise his company is going to sell

 

[Stardust]

Kids will hate this, because they already have June off.

 

[Hollywood Hulk Hogan]

If we give them Juneteenth (still clueless as to what significance this holds), let’s get rid of their month.

It's the day that slaves were liberated in America. It should be a holiday.

 

[Shield Breaker]

It's the day that slaves were liberated in America. It should be a holiday.

It is the day the last slaves were freed in Texas. If they want to make emancipation a holiday, fine, but Juneteenth is just the day hood rats try and browbeat white people for money on social media. Fuck hoodrats.

 

[Looney Troons]

It is the day the last slaves were freed in Texas. If they want to make emancipation a holiday, fine, but Juneteenth is just the day hood rats try and browbeat white people for money on social media. Fuck hoodrats.

I agree with this. They have an entire month that’s thrusted upon everyone. Juneteenth wasn’t even brought to mainstream attention, even to most blacks, until... it was Juneteenth of 2020. Why is this now of some cultural significance? The answer: it’s not.

 

[Troutsmacked]

One causes a bunch of pointless drama, the other is retarded. Get rid of them both.

 

[No. 7 cat]

Ferdinand and Isabella Day? Patrons of Columbus, kicked out Jews and Moslems and concluded the Reconquista. Leif Ericsson Day?.Well maybe not, but fuck pandering. There won't be any gratitude.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

If Columbus Day is so offensive, why not call it Indigenous People Day?

I really don't have a problem with it. Who celebrates Columbus day anyway?

It's a day off for federal workers and kids in school. A lot of these days pretty much function as a time to relax.

 

[Shield Breaker]

I agree with this. They have an entire month that’s thrusted upon everyone. Juneteenth wasn’t even brought to mainstream attention, even to most blacks, until... it was Juneteenth of 2020. Why is this now of some cultural significance? The answer: it’s not.

Honestly, black history month would be great if it was treated as something other than pandering nonsense. Actually cover some of the people who took part in our history and don't act like everyone who was black was a slave prior to the civil war. For example, the first person killed in the Boston Massacre was half-black and half-American Indian person named Crispus Attucks, and about 5% of the Revolutionaries were black people. Schools have all but erased the likes of Peter Salem, Titus Coburn, Alexander Ames, and other black soldiers who fought against the British.

You could do an entire lesson on Seymur Burr, who escaped from slavery after hearing about how the British decided to grant freedom to any slave who fought for them. He was captured and returned, but it impressed / scared the slave master enough he offered to buy Burr's freedom if he fought against the British. He accepted and was at Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, etc. After the war he married, had two kids, and owned a six-acre farm. Yet we don't hear about him. I think hoteps are retards, but I kinda understand why they make shit up; in public schools you're made to think our contributions to American history was composed of nothing except being slaves, the cotton gin, and the civil rights movement.

It honestly sucks.

 

[Marissa Moira]

Honestly, black history month would be great if it was treated as something other than pandering nonsense. Actually cover some of the people who took part in our history and don't act like everyone who was black was a slave prior to the civil war. For example, the first person killed in the Boston Massacre was half-black and half-American Indian person named Crispus Attucks, and about 5% of the Revolutionaries were black people. Schools have all but erased the likes of Peter Salem, Titus Coburn, Alexander Ames, and other black soldiers who fought against the British.

You could do an entire lesson on Seymur Burr, who escaped from slavery after hearing about how the British decided to grant freedom to any slave who fought for them. He was captured and returned, but it impressed / scared the slave master enough he offered to buy Burr's freedom if he fought against the British. He accepted and was at Bunker Hill, Valley Forge, etc. After the war he married, had two kids, and owned a six-acre farm. Yet we don't hear about him. I think hoteps are retards, but I kinda understand why they make shit up; in public schools you're made to think our contributions to American history was composed of nothing except being slaves, the cotton gin, and the civil rights movement.

It honestly sucks.

Yes but Peanut Butter.

 

[ProgKing of the North]

Don’t replace anything, just add a new federal holiday. Federal holidays are days when I make time and a half and there should be as many as we can think up.

 

[Mariposa Electrique]

All these woke holidays are just for self serving whites to virtue signal, Indigenous people's day became a thing, great. The Reservations are just as shit as they were before, but now there's a holiday, problem solved.

Juneteenth. A day when blacks get together, shoot each other, and blame some white dudes who may or may not be dead.

 

[CatParty]

A day off is a day off no big deal as to what it’s for

 

[neverendingmidi]

IDGAF about either holiday, but I’ll take a paid vacation day in the summer over the fall.