GOP congressman lashes out at Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday: 'Are we going to do one for the

[Judi Lynn]

GOP congressman lashes out at Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday: 'Are we going to do one for the Native American Indians?'
[e-mail] (John L. Dorman) 17 hrs ago

On Wednesday, the House voted 415-14 to make Juneteenth, or June 19, the nation's newest federal holiday.

Since the bill was previously passed by unanimous consent in the Senate, it headed to President Joe Biden, who on Thursday swiftly signed the legislation into law.

GOP Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of 14 Republicans who voted against the legislation, took to Fox News Radio on Thursday to explain his opposition, saying that the vote "was an easy no vote" and questioned if a holiday would now have to be established for Native Americans as well.

During the program "Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla," Norman also cited the number of existing holidays in detailing his rejection of a federal holiday for Juneteenth, while alleging that supporters were using "race" as an issue.

"There's one Fourth of July. There's one birthday ... Independence Day is Fourth of July. And I had a lot of negativity on it. But this was an easy 'no' vote," he said. "The fact that they would try to make race a part of it, it had nothing to do with race."

More:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-congressman-lashes-out-at-juneteenth-becoming-a-federal-holiday-are-we-going-to-do-one-for-the-native-american-indians/ar-AALdln3?li=BBnb7Kz

[nattyice]

1. Sure, just change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day at the federal level

[secondwind]

4. Great idea. My daughter has been saying this for years.

[DenaliDemocrat]

11. Italian Americans probably wouldn't like that

Columbus Day was made a federal holiday in their honor. Italian racism is more subtle, but still prevalent. Why is Giovanni Cabotto always referred to as “John Cabbot” in the history books?

Change it to Amerigo Vespucci Day if you want

[intheflow]

16. Italy wasn't even a country when Columbus came.

And Spain hired him. So really, fuck Italian-American feelings. Their feelings of Italian pride in Columbus Day is 100% white-passing based on when they were persecuted for being "foreign" because some Italians have "swarthy" complexions. Also, Columbus didn't discover shit. He was lost, never set foot in what is now the United States, and there were already thriving human communities on this continent that he then proceeded to enslave and exterminate.

I am 1/4 Italian and participated in all of Denver's "Transform Columbus Day" protests leading up to that city changing Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day. Read a learn the real motivation behind Columbus Day!
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1102&context=tapestries

[DenaliDemocrat]

18. Italians weren't considered white in this country

And just because you’re 1/4 doesn’t give you the right to speak for them. Do you even speak the language? I’ll bet you don’t.

This country was introduced to Europe by Italian explorers including Vespucci, Cabotto, Verrazano, Tonti, and Vigo.

Your article is shit by the way. Merda for your 1/4. My grandparents were interred during WW2, so fuck your white washing of history.

[intheflow]

22. Okay.

I'm going out on a limb here and saying most "Italian-Americans" are no longer 100% Italian and don't speak the language, so that point is moot.

Also, this continent was "introduced to Europe" by Leif Erikson, 1000 years before any of your Italian examples were even born. Sorry the Roman Empire didn't get the memo.

And: just because you're white doesn't mean you're not oppressed. Italians ARE white, and Columbus Day has been a vehicle for them to claim it. And it's not an excuse that your family was interred in WW2. It's indefensible that this country did that to Italian-Americans and Japanese-Americans during WW2, but we were actually at war with Italy and Japan so it had a twisted logic to it. It's NOT white washing to say Italians have used Columbus Day to legitimize their whiteness, but it IS white washing to

1) defend Columbus Day as any sort of pride event, and
2) claim that Italians aren't considered white people in America today.

[DenaliDemocrat]

23. Point is NOT moot

You proclaimed your 1/4 as a way to legitimize your argument.

If you don’t even speak the language at an A2 level, spare me. Why don’t you watch Pane Amaro instead of giving me some article by some woman who equates the heritage with “hyper masculinity” (how many times did she keep re-iterating that stupid talking point?). Seriously, they stole our language, our customs, tried to take our food, interred us, made us worship in the basement of Churches we built.

Just because your history was white-washed doesn’t mean all of us had the same experience. The article you posted was written by a woman who admitted she did not grow up in an Italian American community. Like you, she tries to speak for all of us when she never experienced it.

[edhopper]

26. It's not that Italian Americans shouldn't have a holiday

it's that Columbus is the wrong man to honor that day.

[DenaliDemocrat]

27. I completely agree

He is a divisive figure and considering it was Italian explorers who essentially documented North America, other candidates could be chosen

[edhopper]

28. He didn't even sail for Italy

he had Spanish ships. But yes, another explorer or a more recent Italian like Marconi or Garibaldi would be better.

[COL Mustard]

32. Can We Please Stop Saying

Fuck your feelings about people who are on the same side?

Thank you

[Retrograde]

29. So call it "Contact Day"

For better or worse, Columbus's encounter with the Americas and his bringing awareness of a "new world" to Europe touched off a global awareness that wasn't there before. And although you can argue that it didn't start the great age of European exploration, IMHO it accelerated it. We can celebrate some of the better things that followed - can you imagine Szechuan, Indian, or Italian food without New World crops? - and reflect on the worst ones so we hopefully will not repeat them.

[tanyev]

12. Love it. Make it so!

[Ferrets are Cool]

17. I've been touting this idea for years. It shames America that we have a Holiday named after

a pedophile, genocidal European.

[msfiddlestix]

20. Yeah, I support that idea, but my initial response on Norman's inadvertent suggestion...

Is to say, You Betcha, Glad you suggested it. How about a holiday to honor Sitting Bull?

Love to see his reaction.

[Scrivener7]

2. Actually, yes! Let's! It's a great idea!

[Maxheader]

3. ...(Laugh!)

My thoughts exactly...

[MuseRider]

5. Dear Jackass,

it is because of people like you that we need to do this. Had we been a nation that lived up to our own set standards we would not be in the position to finally freaking acknowledge all those living here as important, they always would have been and always should have been. Go crawl back into that dark place you live and think in and let the rest of us make up for the horrible injustices you want to sweep under the rug. Ass.

[Delmette2.0]

7. Thank you.

[Solly Mack]

6. Is the racist moron trying to imply that July 4th brought "Independence" to slaves?

He seems to be equating the 4th of July ("There's one Fourth of July. There's one birthday ... Independence Day is Fourth of July" ) with Juneteenth.

It wouldn't be the first racist moron in Congress to do so.

The below racist morons apparently think until this point in time that Black Americans were unaware that July 4th did not give them independence from slavery and that their independence day came much later. And they seem to be unaware that Black Americans have been celebrating Juneteenth since the 1860s.

July 4, 1776 did not free everyone. It did not bring "independence" to everyone in America. Pretending otherwise is a lie.

The life of a slave didn't change simply because Great Britain was no longer in charge. They were still slaves.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., argued that referring to Juneteenth as a national independence day would confuse people.

"I fully support creating a day to celebrate the abolition of slavery, a dark portion of our nation's history," Massie said on the House floor. "However, naming this day 'national independence day' will create confusion and push Americans to pick one of those two days as their independence day based on their racial identity. Why can't we name this 'emancipation day' and come together as Americans and celebrate that day together as Americans?"

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, also objected to the name of the bill.

"Juneteenth should be commemorated as the expression of the realization of the end of slavery in the United States – and I commend those who worked for its passage," Roy said in a statement.

"I could not vote for this bill, however, because the holiday should not be called 'Juneteenth National Independence Day' but rather, 'Juneteenth National Emancipation (or Freedom or otherwise) Day.' This name needlessly divides our nation on a matter that should instead bring us together by creating a separate Independence Day based on the color of one’s skin."

And, yes, America does need to truthfully address what was done to Native peoples.

[Norbert]

8. In answer to shit head, yes we probably should

[Shermann]

9. Native Americans had their land taken from them instead of their freedom

They got very little of it back. What reason do they have to celebrate?

There wasn't an equivalent Emancipation Proclamation or national civil war or civil rights movements. What historical events should we be commemorating there?

I reject the false equivalence.

[sl8]

10. Sounds like he's on the verge of realizing that American slavery was a lil bit racist.

[Turbineguy]

13. "Native American Indians"

I'm sure he did not really mean to express it that way.

[Paladin]

14. Another drooling racist moron gains national attention.

I wonder when he's up for re-election? His opponents' speeches are practically composing themselves...

[GoodRaisin]

15. Uh, "Native American Indians" what? Celebrate running them off their land?

What a moronic statement. What is wrong with these fucking people? Every time they open their mouths, stupid comes out.

[NCDem47]

19. Doesn't that one look like he is missing his hood?

Seriously, white male privilege nie plus.

[msfiddlestix]

21. A Holiday for Sitting Bull sounds good to me...

Yeah we should have one for Native Americans, you ignorant racist moron. Don't even know our history, you effing pig.

[StarlightGold]

24. "Are we going to do one

for Native American Indians?”
Sounds good to me.

[Johonny]

25. He does know that all holidays are for everyone, right?

[BumRushDaShow]

30. I'll leave this here

Entire speech text (given over a decade before the Emancipation Proclamation) - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html

[niyad]

31. Is it lack of caffeine, or does this racist asshole bear a strong resemblance to lindsey?

of course a holiday for the Indigenous. And International Women's Day or Aug 26 (or both). We have no federal holiday honouring the majority in this country.