On June 19, 1865, the slaves of Texas realized that Abraham Lincoln had set them free. Considering the fact that Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, it had no effect on the Union states that still practiced slavery.
It wasn’t until the following December that the 13th amendment to the constitution was ratified and that is the date that should be remembered. The so-called Emancipation Proclamation was a politically motivated scheme that had no actual effect. It was another opportunity for Abraham (“We don’t need no stinkin’ Habeas Corpus”) Lincoln to extend the war and prevent the popular favorite, McClellan, to end the war and bring peace to a divided nation.
June 19 is now celebrated nationally during Gay Month and its raison d'etre is now to kill as many people as possible in one day. 2024 was a landmark in the celebration in that 120 people were shot in mass killing episodes.
Well, there you go again, Charles. Still being highly provocative. Not a fan of Abraham Lincoln, eh? Of course it took an act of Congress, to amend the Constitution, and “abolish” slavery altogether (such a loaded topic!), but to say “We don’t need no stinkin’ Habeus Corpus” Lincoln’s Proclamation was a political scheme exposes your bias (obviously intentional)—to say nothing of the choice to completely ignore the tremendous symbolic nature and necessity of the Proclamation which was meant to set this country on the true path of freedom for all. Lincoln knew exactly what he was doing. It had an obvious effect—it brought an awareness of what was possible in a land imperfectly devoted to the ideal that “all men are created equal!” The 13th Amendment likely would not have happened, and certainly when it happened, had the Emancipation Proclamation not been established from a single man who has rightly been acknowledged by the overwhelming majority of historians to be our country’s most important, most eloquent, most compassionate, most admired, and best presidents—imperfect as even he admitted. You, as a white man of privilege, who would prefer there still be a confederacy to live in (apparently, you give no evidence to the contrary), don’t get to proclaim Juneteenth isn’t important and expect no one to stand in vigorous opposition. You can say it, of course; we’ve debated that right in the recent past. But provocative statements like yours should always be confronted by a different perspective the likes of which will always be favored by history as the right and morally correct and defensible perspective. I don’t think, I trust, you are arguing against the 13th Amendment—you’d rather have that date of ratification be the one best celebrated for its actual impact upon the freedom of slaves (I don’t disagree—December 6, 1865 should itself be a national holiday). But Juneteenth was necessary and needed and rightfully commemorated. It started the bending of the long arc of the moral universe towards justice. So it had to happen. It’s earned its place as a national holiday. This is why June 19th IS important. I therefore stand in opposition to your thesis and respectfully disagree, vehemently.
Regardless, and you will remember, we still have July 19, 2024 to look forward to—32 days away. You promised, right?
But may we stay friends who have agreed to even vehemently disagree, agreeably. Until we are forced to depart from each other, that is—by your own self-imposed, deadlined promise.
Excuses to remove power; they used women's rights to destroy five countries. Be "nice" if they had a new playbook.