My column for the Washington County Daily News is online and in print. Here’s a part:
There is currently a bipartisan push to make June 19th, or Juneteenth, a federal holiday. June 19th, 1865, is the day that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to occupy the state and announce that all enslaved people were free. It is regarded as the date when the news of emancipation reached the last of the remaining slaves in the United States. While it is not the date of the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863), or the date of ratification of the 13th Amendment (December 6th, 1865), Juneteenth has become the anniversary that we celebrate the end of the evil practice of legal slavery in the United States.
The first question to ask is should we celebrate Juneteenth as a federal holiday? Absolutely. Slavery was the original sin of our nation and we atoned for it with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Americans in a brutal Civil War. Ending slavery was a seminal moment in our nation’s history that brought us closer to the ideals of liberty and equality as beautifully enunciated by Thomas Jefferson in our Declaration of Independence. It is long overdue that we have a formal celebration of the abolition of slavery.
Yes.
RoJo’s substitute amendment should have said that “Federal employees are limited to 10 paid holidays/year and they may choose the ones they wish to take, subject to the approval of their immediate supervisor and based on seniority” or some such.
Better yet, only NINE paid holidays/year…
I think then, we need to have a national holiday for the forcible detention of Japanese during World War 2.
How about a holiday for 9/11.
Where does it end?
If we add a holiday, let’s take one off.
That is a great solution dad29. The more flexible the better.
As far as number, that would be needed to be looked at in context of total compensation and benefits.
If we add a holiday, let’s take one off.
Good idea. Start with taking off Christmas Day as it favors one religion over others.
Easter next on the list for the same reason.
Umm, Le Roi, Easter is not a holiday.
I say get rid of Labor Day. Serves no pupose.
President’s Day, same thing.
Same with Columbus Day.
mar:
Better tell that to the Easter Bunny, Hallmark, and all the candy makers/distributors.
But of course we are talk about Federal holidays
I would agree with your choices as well Mar. In fact, let’s get rid of all of them, and just give public employees 10 days of PTO to take whenever they want (with supervisor approval)
RF:
I’m with you on that.
The “with supervisor approval” would seem to re-introduce an opportunity for personal bias and little oversight. Isn’t the point of a holiday that the boss doesn’t get to override it, unless they’re offering you an incentive to work?
There we go. Woke jjf showing us he thinks the point of holidays is to get an undeniable paid day off.