Columbus Day Ousted for Juneteenth

Columbus Day Ousted for Juneteenth

Columbus Day Ousted for Juneteenth

The GOP is heading for a holiday showdown between Columbus Day and Juneteenth. Two Republican senators, Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) and James Lankford (R., Okla.), introduced an amendment to Senator Cornyn’s (R., Tex) Juneteenth bill. The two want to replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth as a federal holiday. They cite the cost of another federal holiday, but spell it P-a-n-d-e-r-i-n-g. 

2020 is a century worth of events compressed into 7 months. The two Republican senators are set to add another box on the “didn’t expect that one” 2020 bingo card. They want to replace Columbus Day, with Juneteenth. A holiday reflecting the final release of bondage for slaves in the Confederate state of Texas,

Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865 [two years after the Emancipation Proclamation], when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as “Juneteenth,” by the newly freed people in Texas.”

Make no mistake, I am 100% in favor of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. It’s a date that further enshrines America as an exceptional nation. We eradicated human enslavement in the reunified United States. All Americans should rejoice that we have Juneteenth because it marks a pivotal time in our history. Designating it a federal holiday is a no-brainer.

What should be a simple 100% bipartisan bill is becoming a sticky wicket for senators Johnson and Lankford. They introduced an amendment to replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth. A dip into the pool of political pandering, where they appease the Social Justice crowd by cancelling the vilified Columbus Day. However, they lack the fortitude to state outright that their motivation is appeasement, they cite it as a fiscally responsible move. Their plan may backfire, in spectacular fashion.

 

In his tone deaf attempt to explain via Twitter, Senator Johnson manages to simultaneously offend and pander to a good number of Americans.

Americans of Italian heritage will undoubtedly take offense that their celebrated ancestor is deemed the “lightly celebrated” holiday. They will point out that Columbus Day has been celebrated here since the 1700’s. History.com writes,

The first Columbus Day celebration took place in 1792, when New York’s Columbian Order—better known as Tammany Hall—held an event to commemorate the historic landing’s 300th anniversary.”

The Social Justice set will embrace his words, and indeed already replace the holiday, History.com continues,

Several U.S. cities and states have replaced Columbus Day with alternative days of remembrance. Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and South Dakota have officially replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, as have cities like Denver, Phoenix and Los Angeles.”

BUT, does the dynamically dense duo realize that by shifting Juneteenth to Columbus Day they are also replacing the highly virtuous “Indigenous Peoples Day”? Is that going to go over well with the SJW’s who will resent you taking away their means of protesting Colonialism as a whole? Betcha didn’t think about that one did ya? You two chuckleheads are boxing a tar baby with this amendment.

Incidentally, how much money is saved by swapping out the “lightly celebrated” Columbus Day? According to a Fox News report, about $600 million dollars. In a budget that reaches into the trillions of dollars, a $600 million savings is a rounding error. Or in the words of Hot Air’s ALLAHPUNDIT,

After watching his party run trillion-dollar deficits for the past several years and in the midst of an historic spending spree aimed at limiting the economic damage from the coronavirus lockdowns, Johnson’s willing to roadblock Cornyn’s bill over what amounts to … about 40 minutes’ worth of federal spending.”

I’m personally offended that we have 10 federal holidays a year, while congress gets months away from their jobs in DC. Yet this senator implies that federal workers getting an additional day is overly generous with the coffers. Newsflash sport, those coffers are filled by our tax dollars. Let’s not pretend you guys practice a heck of a lot of restraint spending them.

Since we’re debating days, how about Labor Day? The Marxist roots are contrary to a Constitutional Republic. You know, the one you swore an oath to protect? Nobody really celebrates it beyond an extra day off. Let’s ditch it (and all the pinko commies burning down our country!). Or would you prefer Christmas? Christians really focus on Easter as the “big” holiday for Christ. And it’s not even a federal holiday, so no big loss and you get to minimize the holidays to 10.

Tucker Carlson has some ideas about the best way to pander,

To say that senators Johnson and Lankford are tone deaf, is a gross understatement. Putting forth this amendment at a time when America is watching the desecration of historical statues and monuments is absurd. It’s pandering to the minority, a vocal but small number of people who find offense in everything. Make no mistake, Juneteenth is going to happen. But the amendment to Senator Cornyn’s original bill puts a pothole in what should be a smooth road. Passing a clean bill, and “generously” granting the taxpayers another federal holiday is a huge “W” on the Republican scorecard. At a time when we are spending almost $1 billion per hour, claiming a 24 hour savings of $600 million dollars is laughable.

Help the nation heal, help the Republicans score a solid win for the American people. Remove your stupid amendment and vote Yes on the clean bill.

 

Featured Image: klonoaxero License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Image Cropped: 400×400

Written by

"CC" to her friends. Recent escapee from Northern VA to the Great State of Texas. I'm a Pro-LIfe, Pro-Gun, Libertarian type... There is very little that fresh lime juice and good tequila can't fix.

6 Comments
  • Tom says:

    So I guess this means that Abraham Lincoln gets his own holiday instead of Columbus.

  • GWB says:

    to prevent giving federal workers another paid holiday
    I don’t have a problem with that motivation, at all.
    Now, doing it to Columbus Day is where the pandering happens.

    Also, you’re trading an October Holiday for a June holiday? Bad move.

    boxing a tar baby
    Ooh! Racist! Raaaaacist!
    (And you’re thinking, “Don’t throw me in the briar patch!”)

    a $600 million savings is a rounding error
    Sorry, but no. Rounding errors need to be deleted in order to finally reach some real numbers. Invalid premise.

    I’m all for a Juneteenth federal holiday. I’d say take away MLK’s birthday, personally – celebrate the entire concept of defeating slavery, instead of a single flawed man. Of course, I also advocate for an August holiday: Nuclear Age Day. You can make it the 6th or the 9th….

  • Politically Ambidextrous says:

    I like the idea of Election Day becoming a Federal holiday. One option would be to move Memorial Day – that way the link between those who gave their lives for freedom and the civic duty of voting are more closely linked. Another option (to preserve the May start-of-Summer timing) is moving Veteran’s Day to the 2nd Tuesday in November. The date link to WW I Armistice Day isn’t as meaningful to most Americans as it was 66 years ago. Reinforcing the link of those who have served to protect our country and the right to vote seems a more important one.

    10 Federal holidays are enough in my view: New Year’s Day, MLK Birthday, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

    • GWB says:

      I like the idea of Election Day becoming a Federal holiday.
      I really don’t like that one. For one thing I prefer people have to make a little time for voting – not being out on the lake and suddenly remember “Oh yeah, gotta go vote!” It’s a civic duty, and if you don’t want to do it, you shouldn’t get a day off to party.

      There’s also the aspect of federalism: I have a LOT more election days than just the first Tuesday in November. By making that day a national holiday, states will end up moving ALL of their elections (as many as possible) to that day and lard it up with huge ballots, discouraging voters and nationalizing everything once again.

      Blecch.

      • Politically Ambidextrous says:

        not being out on the lake – not likely in November, at least in much of the country. At least it gets rid of one of the excuses being used to rationalize voting by mail. If you need to wait to cast your ballot, it’s not like you have to rush back to work.

        I have a LOT more election days … states will end up moving ALL of their elections – Possibly, and I’d rather have fewer election days with a greater percentage of registered voters participating. Having multiple elections each year favors special interests on a small number of issues and reduces the importance of participation in elections.

        lard it up with huge ballots – you mean, like in California? The ballot information is a friggin’ phone book!

  • […] we have people out there today who feel like it’s some kind of competition.  Why does one holiday need to be better than another?  Why do we need to negate one for the other?  Victories in life […]

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