A bevy of Twitter users mocked <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sen. John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) for his Juneteenth post, recalling a 2013 incident in which Fetterman pursued a black jogger with a shotgun.
The Pennsylvania Democrat was criticized by some for his post about the “long shadow of systemic racism” in light of an incident from 10 years ago in which Fetterman chased an unarmed black man and pointed a gun at him.
The incident took place when Fetterman was still mayor of Braddock, and Fetterman <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fetterman-defends-pulling-shotgun-black-jogger-2013-explains-why-he-would-would-not-do-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> on WTAE television station that he had heard “assault rifle gunshots” and only used the gun to detain the individual, who was running from the scene, until police arrived.
“Happy Juneteenth! Today we celebrate emancipation + reflect on the long shadow of systemic racism in America,” Fetterman wrote. “PA always stands by the unshakeable truth that Black families matter + Black lives matter.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fetterman once pulled a shotgun on an unarmed black jogger <a href="https://t.co/xoImij3Xf1">https://t.co/xoImij3Xf1</a>
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckRossDC/status/1670795910106824704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross called Fetterman out, <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckRossDC/status/1670795910106824704" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeting</a>, “Fetterman once pulled a shotgun on an unarmed black jogger,” while Townhall managing editor Spencer Brown <a href="https://twitter.com/itsSpencerBrown/status/1670888741445988374?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted out</a> a quote from The New York Times that Fetterman “chased down an innocent unarmed Black man.”
Former Trump communications director Tim Murtaugh <a href="https://twitter.com/TimMurtaugh/status/1670803350709755910?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, “Senator, why don’t you tell that story about that time you chased a black jogger and held a shotgun on him because you thought he was a criminal?”
Steve Guest, former special advisor for communications for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1670944460601958404?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a> with a screenshot from a Philadelphia Inquirer article entitled “Everything to know about the 2013 John Fetterman jogger incident.”
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Other users flooded Fetterman’s post with similar comments referencing the event, such as: “Did you ever publicly apologize to the black jogger you held at gunpoint?” and “Isn’t that you?” with a link to an article on the event.
Fetterman <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2022-election/fettermans-gun-incident-rattles-black-democrats-pa-senate-race-rcna25649" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was questioned</a> about the incident during his primary campaign and answered, “I attacked the gun violence problem in Braddock, and we succeeded,” adding that his reaction was merely a “split-second decision.”
Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter had criticized Fetterman for his response during his senate campaign, saying, “He’s not shooting straight on this, no pun intended. Just &#8216;fess up. Apologize.”
Fetterman <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/john-fetterman-black-jogger-2013-shotgun-20220425.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> in an earlier TV interview that he “may have broken the law” and is “certainly not above the law,” but maintained in a statement to The Inquirer that he did not know the jogger was black, since the jogger wore a ski mask and was covered in the winter.
A subsequent <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21746151-pa-law-enforcement-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">police report</a> found that the sound Fetterman thought was gunfire was actually fireworks, though two other witnesses said they also thought they had heard shots.

US-VOTE-POLITICS-SENATE-FETTERMAN

Fetterman Mocked On Twitter For Juneteenth Post After 2013 Incident With Jogger

John Fetterman

Juneteenth

Pennsylvania

Politics

Social Issues

Whatever <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/juneteenth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Juneteenth</a> once stood for as a state holiday is dead and gone. Today, leftists use the new federal holiday as merely the latest tool to advance &#8220;equity&#8221; — aka race-based discrimination — and further entrench Critical Race Theory into American society.
That Democrats are using something positive and noncontroversial — the celebration of emancipation and an end to slavery — to push its anti-American agenda is unsurprising. The Left always takes that which is proper and twists it for their own end. What is alarming is how many Republicans are oblivious to this tactic.
To start, consider that leftist success depends upon invoking fear, preying upon the goodwill of Americans, and conning gullible rubes in the GOP. To see a textbook example of that strategy, look no further than how &#8220;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/legislation/2021/06/17/bill-signed-s-475/#:~:text=On%20Thursday%2C%20June%2017%2C%202021,as%20a%20legal%20public%20holiday." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Juneteenth National Independence Day</a>&#8221; came to be.
For background, on June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, and announced slavery had ended via the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years earlier. Since then, varying communities have celebrated &#8220;Juneteenth&#8221; most predominantly in Texas. Its regional significance and place in black culture should not be understated — even if not recognized by the majority of Americans.
In 2020, after George Floyd&#8217;s death, activists began pushing for its national holiday status. President Donald Trump, reportedly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-juneteenth-idUSKCN26G326" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advised</a> that supporting such a holiday would curry favor with the black vote in the 2020 election, voiced support for Juneteenth.
&#8220;This Juneteenth, we commit, as one Nation, to live true to our highest ideals and to build always toward a freer, stronger country that values the dignity and boundless potential of all Americans,&#8221; he <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/presidential-message-juneteenth-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> on June 19, 2020.
Democrats accused him of racism despite his calls for unity. They then took the Juneteenth craze and ran with it.
A year later, President Joe Biden signed into law near-unanimous legislation making Juneteenth the 11th federal holiday. Biden used the occasion not to unite all Americans, but to foster division.
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Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/06/17/remarks-by-president-biden-at-signing-of-the-juneteenth-national-independence-day-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the nation that Juneteenth in part represents &#8220;the ongoing work to have to bring true equity and racial justice into American society.&#8221;
&#8220;In short, this day doesn’t just celebrate the past; it calls for action today,&#8221; he added.
Biden isn&#8217;t speaking of performative gestures. It is a whole-of-government approach. Since practically Day One of Biden&#8217;s term, his administration has been intent on unleashing a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-unleashes-total-transformation-of-government-with-equity-action-plans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">total transformation of government</a>&#8221; that turns the administrative state into a vehicle for race-based discrimination and redistribution of wealth.
What that really means is an abandonment of equality.
&#8220;The entire program is set to lower standards, dilute meritocracy, and have the first large-scale government-supported laws that discriminate against people based on their race since before Eisenhower was President,&#8221; 1776 Project PAC founder Ryan Girdusky said of the Biden administration&#8217;s plan.
Democrats are quite honest and open about that. Folks like Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) are unafraid to say what Juneteenth is really all about now.
&#8220;It’s Juneteenth AND reparations. It’s Juneteenth AND end police violence + the War on Drugs. It’s Juneteenth AND end housing + education apartheid. It’s Juneteenth AND teach the truth about white supremacy in our country,&#8221; she tweeted. &#8220;Black liberation must be prioritized.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It’s Juneteenth AND reparations.
It’s Juneteenth AND end police violence + the War on Drugs.
It’s Juneteenth AND end housing + education apartheid.
It’s Juneteenth AND teach the truth about white supremacy in our country.
Black liberation must be prioritized.
&mdash; Cori Bush (@CoriBush) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoriBush/status/1670797693407354882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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On Monday, agency heads in the Biden administration rushed to declare how their department is accomplishing Justice40 — the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/commitment-climate-justice-celebrating-juneteenth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden plan</a> that &#8220;directs 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to flow to underserved and overburdened communities.&#8221; That should be taken to mean mostly non-white areas.
The Energy Department said that &#8220;Juneteenth serves as a celebration and a reminder of why advancing climate justice is an integral part of our work at the Department of Energy today and every day.&#8221;
&#8220;Climate justice&#8221; looks a lot like &#8220;racial justice,&#8221; as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-climate-endgame-a-50-trillion-bridge-to-racial-equity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously observed</a>.
And Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona stated Monday, &#8220;We cannot celebrate #Juneteenth without committing to fight for equity &amp; opportunity for all.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We cannot celebrate <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Juneteenth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Juneteenth</a> without committing to fight for equity &amp; opportunity for all. 
Progress for America must ensure that Black and Brown children receive an excellent education and the resources they need to thrive. <a href="https://t.co/F1o9ckNld8">pic.twitter.com/F1o9ckNld8</a>
&mdash; Secretary Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecCardona/status/1670778491103584265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Equity&#8221; in education is often <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dei-is-dead-glenn-youngkins-diversity-officer-nukes-woke-diktats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">code</a> for lowering standards and diluting the overall quality of education.
Excellence and potential success of federally-funded projects alone no longer determine where your tax dollars go — what really matters is whether it can put more money in the hands of minorities. Everything the Biden administration does domestically is animated by that mission — especially marking Juneteenth.
In 2021, Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) warned that Juneteenth would be used by the Left to push for these sorts of plans. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) derided him as &#8220;kooky.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kooky <a href="https://t.co/O3gPnJCyiR">https://t.co/O3gPnJCyiR</a>
&mdash; Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCornyn/status/1405290573737578496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Cornyn is a potential replacement for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), it should be noted. The only thing that is &#8220;kooky&#8221; is that the Republicans have not learned the way the Left operates yet. Rather than offering any pushback, Republican leaders like Ronna McDaniel still think that this day is really about American Exceptionalism.
&#8220;Juneteenth reminds us all how valuable freedom is and what we can achieve when we appeal to our nation’s highest ideals and come together as Americans,&#8221; she said in a statement.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Juneteenth reminds us all how valuable freedom is and what we can achieve when we appeal to our nation’s highest ideals and come together as Americans.”
&#8211;<a href="https://twitter.com/GOPChairwoman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOPChairwoman</a> <a href="https://t.co/OUZDRZtXao">pic.twitter.com/OUZDRZtXao</a>
&mdash; GOP (@GOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOP/status/1670769922597695488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
So, while Republicans use Juneteenth to offer vague platitudes, Democrats are using it to browbeat their opponents into supporting their agenda and score wins for their voters.
Democrats never do something out of the kindness of their own hearts. The Left has no desire to honor our nation&#8217;s heritage simply to celebrate American greatness. Democrats only advance certain holidays, policies, or rhetoric if it gives them a chance at maintaining and expanding power. They know that the GOP is either unwilling or too scared to call them out for it.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JUNE 17: People march during a Juneteenth reparations rally on Broad Street on June 17, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey. The New Jersey Institute of Social Justice (NJISJ), elected officials, and activists marched and held a rally at City Hall celebrating the second year Juneteenth was recognized as a federal and state holiday in New Jersey. Legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday was introduced by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) in 2020.

Don’t Fall For It, Republicans: Juneteenth Is Now Just Another Tool To Advance Equity (AKA Race-Based Discrimination)

Don't Fall For It, Republicans: Juneteenth Is Now Just Another Tool To Advance Equity (AKA Race-Based Discrimination)

American History

Democratic Party

General

Liberalism

U.S.

Twenty-three people were shot, and one person is dead after a large crowd gathered in a strip mall parking lot southwest of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicagos-endless-summer-violence-34-shot-8-dead-so-far-this-memorial-day-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a> to celebrate Juneteenth over the weekend. 
Authorities said they were monitoring the gathering, which began around 6:00 p.m. Saturday in Willowbrook, Illinois, before an unknown number of suspects opened fire shortly after midnight, ABC 7 <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/willowbrook-shooting-route-83-honeysuckle-rose-lane-news/13397571/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Sheriff’s deputies left the area to respond to a 911 call nearby, but they heard gunshots and immediately returned to the parking lot. 
“It was supposed to be like a Juneteenth celebration; we just started hearing shooting, so we dropped down until they stopped,” witness Markeshia Avery said. “They just kept going. After that, we literally scattered away.”
Many of the victims were shot as they tried to run from the gunfire. Two of the victims are in critical condition, while others sustained “graze wounds,” according to officials. The person killed in the shooting has not yet been identified.  
Bartosz Majerczyk, another witness, told ABC 7 that it appeared that “two different groups of people” were exchanging gunfire.
&#8220;Out of nowhere, there was a major gunfight for like 30 seconds. I&#8217;d say, 60 plus rounds. You could tell it was two different groups of people shooting at each other,” Majerczyk said. 
Shell casings littered the parking lot as authorities remained at the scene until 9:00 a.m. Sunday. The strip mall closed for the day as law enforcement conducted an investigation. DuPage County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Eric Swanson said the motive behind the shooting is still unclear. 
People who live across the street from the scene of the shooting said the strip mall parking lot has attracted large gatherings before. 
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&#8220;It&#8217;s probably one of these social media things that everyone gets together and balloons into that,&#8221; said Rick Wagner. &#8220;I&#8217;ve talked to the police in [the] past, DuPage County and Burr Ridge, and every time, they said there were going to do something or try to do something about it.&#8221;
Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker — who signed a bill <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-becomes-9th-state-in-union-to-ban-dozens-of-firearms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banning</a> dozens of rapid-fire rifles and pistols earlier this year — released a <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1670535510253608961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1670535510253608961%7Ctwgr%5E9b10bd14fff2c8bb64bdfd92c8d98ae053eafa70%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fabc7chicago.com%2Fwillowbrook-shooting-route-83-honeysuckle-rose-lane-news%2F13397571%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on the deadly shooting, calling gun violence &#8220;a public health emergency.”  
Pritzker added that he remains “committed to banning these dangerous weapons and making our state safer for everyone.” 
Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson, whose city just experienced its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-rocked-by-violence-as-at-least-11-killed-over-memorial-day-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most deadly</a> Memorial Day weekend in eight years, <a href="https://twitter.com/ChicagosMayor/status/1670541677017329664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1670541677017329664%7Ctwgr%5E9b10bd14fff2c8bb64bdfd92c8d98ae053eafa70%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fabc7chicago.com%2Fwillowbrook-shooting-route-83-honeysuckle-rose-lane-news%2F13397571%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offered</a> his condolences to the victims&#8217; families, adding that &#8220;we must remain committed to addressing gun violence in our city and neighboring communities.&#8221;

Chicago Suburb Shooting

23 Shot, One Dead, As Chicago Suburb Juneteenth Celebration Turns Violent

One Dead, 23 Shot, As Chicago Suburb Juneteenth Celebration Turns Violent

Chicago

Crime

Illinois

Shooting

Violence

Bill Nye, the supposed “Science Guy,” offered his sage opinion on American history on Sunday to celebrate June 19.
He got blasted.
“The United States we know today was built with the labor of enslaved Black Americans. The last were not freed (officially) until 19 June 1865. Let us celebrate— and never forget,” Nye tweeted, accompanied by a photo of him holding a pocket copy of the Constitution.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The United States we know today was built with the labor of enslaved Black Americans. The last were not freed (officially) until 19 June 1865. Let us celebrate— and never forget. <a href="https://t.co/AtfgkoZ3FN">pic.twitter.com/AtfgkoZ3FN</a>
&mdash; Bill Nye (@BillNye) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillNye/status/1538634230946844674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Posts on social media pointed out that Nye got it wrong on several counts; the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in America, was passed in 1863 but was not ratified until December 1865, and slavery was still present in several states even after U.S. General Gordon Granger told Texans on June 19, 1865, that the Emancipation Proclamation had been passed in 1863, the date celebrated as “Juneteenth.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is not true. Juneteenth doesn’t commemorate the 13th Amendment. It commemorates news of the Emancipation Proclamation reaching Texas. Two union states had slavery until December 1865.
&mdash; InvestingLegend (@Investinglegend) <a href="https://twitter.com/Investinglegend/status/1538720397599944704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Not exactly. You’re right about the economy being built on slavery, both north and south, but slavery didn’t end on Juneteenth. It ended December 6, 1865 when the 13th Amendment was ratified. Slavery was STILL legal in the “northern” states of Delaware and Kentucky until that day
&mdash; L. Ron James (@CaptainLetdown) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaptainLetdown/status/1538654493671362561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Too bad Bill Nye was wrong. 
The last enslaved people weren&#39;t freed until the 13th Amendment was ratified in December 1865. 
The Emancipation Proclamation didn&#39;t cover Kentucky, along with Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, &amp; Missouri. 
Read a history book Bill.
&mdash; CatsFanInOhio 🇺🇦 (@michaeldf88) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeldf88/status/1538718447261175808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Last November, President Biden joined Nye in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/science-guy-bill-nye-roasted-tiktok-video">much-criticized video</a> supporting Biden&#8217;s trillion-dollar infrastructure bill.
Nye has offered his profound wisdom before; in May 2019, he threw a temper tantrum in a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bill-nye-on-john-oliver-says-the-planets-on-f-fire-and-we-need-to-grow-the-f-up-cimate-change/">video</a> played on HBO’s &#8220;Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” hysterically proclaiming, “The planet&#8217;s on f***ing fire!” and ranting, &#8220;Grow the f*** up! You&#8217;re not children anymore!”
The video of Nye and his expletive-laden rant was prompted by Oliver, who asserted:
<blockquote>However bumpy its rollout was, to its eternal credit the Green New Deal has succeeded in getting people talking. But that won’t mean anything unless that talk now turns to actions, and putting a price on carbon could potentially be one of them, although let me reiterate, it will not be enough on its own by a longshot. We’re going to need a lot of different policies working in tandem and we have to take action right now. 
But you don’t have to just take that from me; instead, I’m happy to say that Bill Nye has actually agreed to help drive the urgency home at this point by actually doing one of his enjoyable lighthearted demonstrations. So Bill, please, please, do you have a fun experiment for us?</blockquote>
The video of Nye showed him in his lab coat accompanied by a globe, a blanket, a fire extinguisher, and a pile of sand. Nye stated, “Here, I’ve got an experiment for you. Safety glasses on.” Donning glasses, he continued, “By the end of this century, if emissions keep rising, the average temperature on Earth could go up another four to eight degrees.” Yanking out a blowtorch, he then announced, &#8220;What I&#8217;m saying is, the planet&#8217;s on f***ing fire!&#8221;
Nye torched the globe, then pointed to the sand, blanket, and fire extinguisher on the table with the globe, saying, &#8220;There are a lot of things we could do to put it out. Are any of them free? No, of course not, nothing&#8217;s free, you idiots!&#8221;
Nye yelled, &#8220;Grow the f*** up! You&#8217;re not children anymore! I didn&#8217;t mind explaining photosynthesis to you when you were 12, but you&#8217;re adults now, and this is an actual crisis! Got it?!” Removing his glasses, he snapped, “Safety glasses off, motherf*****s!” Nye made a vain attempt to blow out the burning globe, then walked offscreen.
As <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2016/08/bill-nye-science-guy-climate-change-its-politics-not-science/">noted</a> by National Review’s Ian Tuttle:
<blockquote>William Sanford Nye’s scientific bona fides consists of an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell, and a stint at Boeing. But you can be anything you want on television, and in the late 1980s, hard at work pursuing a career in comedy, Nye landed a recurring bit as Bill Nye “the Science Guy” on Almost Live!, a Seattle-area sketch-comedy television show, and a role as Christopher Lloyd’s laboratory sidekick on Back to the Future: The Animated Series.</blockquote>
Even the founder of The Weather Channel, John Coleman, <a href="https://nypost.com/2016/04/29/weather-channel-founder-calls-bill-nye-a-pretend-scientist-in-a-bow-tie/">told</a> Climate Depot, &#8220;I have always been amazed that anyone would pay attention to Bill Nye, a pretend scientist in a bow tie. As a man who has studied the science of meteorology for over 60 years and received the AMS (American Meteorological Society’s) &#8216;Meteorologist of the Year&#8217; award, I am totally offended that Nye gets the press and media attention he does.&#8221;
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The Blue Jacket Fashion Show At NYFW

Bill Nye, ‘Science Guy’ And Biden Ally, Offers His Facts About Juneteenth. Oops.

Bill Nye Gets Blasted For Inaccurate History Of Juneteenth

Bill Nye

Joe Biden

Walmart apologized Tuesday for releasing a &#8220;Juneteenth&#8221; themed ice cream after woke backlash from critics on social media.
The retail giant issued a statement Tuesday apologizing for the &#8220;celebration edition&#8221; ice cream released by its Great Value brand, a red velvet cheesecake flavor created to match the celebratory red, yellow, green, and black colors used for Juneteenth.
&#8220;Share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation and enduring hope,&#8221; the label reads. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in June 2021 after President Joe Biden signed a law establishing it.
One Twitter user called @KevOnStage shared a TikTok video to his <a href="https://twitter.com/KevOnStage/status/1528559087218065409?t=nr_zwRljxMWrFls2UFIJwQ&amp;s=19">Twitter</a> Sunday night account criticizing Juneteenth-themed products being sold by Walmart.
&#8220;Apparently Walmart has Great Value Juneteenth celebration edition ice cream, swirled red velvet and cheesecake flavored ice cream, and this is what happens when you commercialize federal holidays,&#8221; KevOnStage said in the video. &#8220;It just became a federal holiday, now you can celebrate with this ice cream. But wait, there&#8217;s more!&#8221; he said, pointing out a number of other products, like Juneteenth party supplies and decorations, wine, party masks and glasses, tee shirts, and water bottles.
KevOnStage also pointed out a rather inconveniently-placed &#8220;Congratulations Officer&#8221; celebration banner in the list of products. &#8220;And I am so upset about this, what I need Walmart to do is send me all this ice cream just so I can taste it and make sure it is wrong!&#8221; he said.
Other Twitter users were not so humorous in their criticism.
&#8220;We said we want the reparations we are owed. They gave us Representatives kneeling in Kente cloth, ice cream and party decorations,&#8221; said one user.
&#8220;Corporate America will co-opt Juneteenth now that it’s a federal holiday like everything else. We don’t have reparations, laws protecting our voting rights, or stopping Police from killing us, but we have ice cream…&#8221; said another.
&#8220;Capitalism is a retail conglomerate, owned by a white billionaire family, marketing an ice cream to celebrate a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of slaves in a country that was literally built on the backs on slaves,&#8221; another user stated.
Several other users complained that Walmart was selling its own brand of ice cream instead of promoting a similar flavor sold by a black-owned ice cream company.
The backlash caused Walmart to issue a statement saying that it was re-evaluating the decision to sell the ice cream.
&#8220;Juneteenth holiday marks a celebration of freedom and independence,&#8221; the company said in a statement, obtained by <a href="https://www.foxla.com/news/walmart-pulls-juneteenth-ice-cream-after-backlash-we-sincerely-apologize">Fox 11 Los Angeles</a>. &#8220;However, we received feedback that a few items caused concern for some of our customers and we sincerely apologize. We are reviewing our assortment and will remove items as appropriate.&#8221;
A bill to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday was introduced the Senate in June 2021. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate, and by an overwhelming 415-14 margin in the House of Representatives. Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-harris-use-juneteenth-federal-holiday-signing-to-imply-america-is-still-systemically-racist">signed the bill</a> into law on June 17.
While Walmart was backing down from woke outrage, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-state-farm-backs-down-on-donating-transgender-books-for-five-year-olds-to-schools">State Farm</a> was also backed down from a plan to donate pro-LGBTQ books to schools and public libraries because of backlash from the public and from customers, as The Daily Wire reported.

Ice cream

Walmart Releases ‘Juneteenth’ Ice Cream, Then Cancels It Because Of Woke Backlash

Walmart Releases 'Juneteenth' Ice Cream, Then Cancels It Because Of Backlash

Slavery

Twitter

Walmart

Wokeness

Last week, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law making June 19, also known as “Juneteenth,” a federal holiday commemorating the day on which the last enslaved Americans were notified of the emancipation proclamation in 1865.
Beyond the debate regarding the decision itself, what makes this particularly fascinating is the Left&#8217;s reaction, which exemplifies the fundamental difference in how so-called progressives view the notion of celebratory events.
“Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments,” Biden said during a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House, as <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-to-sign-bill-making-juneteenth-a-federal-holiday-11623944038">reported</a> by The Wall Street Journal. “Great nations don’t walk away. We come to terms with the mistakes we made. And remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger.”
For many, this seems likely a strangely negative way to describe the celebration of something we should celebrate: slavery&#8217;s true ending. However, when we understand how the Left actually view the act of commemoration, Biden’s rhetoric becomes perfectly clear.
For the Left, the end of something bad is not something to be celebrated unless it is primarily an acknowledgement of the existence of that “bad thing.” Then, the next step of such acknowledgement is to act as a starting point for further “work.”
In this context, Juneteenth is not a celebration of the end of slavery, but rather an acknowledgement alone of the evils of slavery. By making this ideological switch, Juneteenth becomes a starting point in a deliberately never-ending pursuit of “racial justice,” instead of a self-contained celebration of the eradication of an immoral evil.
Now, this isn’t to say that celebratory events can’t be at least partly rooted in the acknowledgement of history’s darker periods. However, the subtle but core difference between acknowledgement as a primary and secondary feature is the important part here. If we are celebrating the end of something bad, the acknowledgement of the “something bad” should be secondary. Primarily, we are celebrating the fact that the &#8220;something bad&#8221; has been eradicated.
Unfortunately, there is no political profit to be gained by those who masquerade as “progressives,” because progress is never the goal. Instead, the perception of progress is what matters. That is why the Left will never celebrate Juneteenth as the practical end of slavery because that would acknowledge the existence of significant and society-defining change outside of Democratic Party control. Instead, it must be repackaged as a prerequisite for future change, as a culture-wide admittance of historical wrongdoing, as an opportunity for sombre self-reflection. And, most importantly, as a justification to vote Democrat in upcoming elections.
That is why the Left will never cheer the end of something &#8220;bad&#8221; without first setting their sights on what must follow the celebrations. If they were to join us and celebrate the end of slavery as a historical good, they might just find themselves with no “progress” with which to ideologically bribe their supposedly “oppressed” voters.
Ian Haworth is an Editor and Writer for The Daily Wire. Follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth">@ighaworth</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

OPINION: Juneteenth Proved That ‘Progressives’ Don’t Want To Celebrate Progress

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) slammed lawmakers who voted against making Juneteenth a federal holiday while thanking the “white men” who said, “okay, fine, we’ll vote for this.”
In an interview with The Hill outside of the Capitol building, Ocasio-Cortez said that the fourteen House members’ negative vote was “pretty consistent with, I think, the Republican base.”
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AOC: “This is pretty consistent with the Republican base. Whether it is trying to fight teaching basic history around racism, the role of racism in U.S. history. You know there is a direct through line from that to denying Juneteenth.” <a href="https://t.co/oMZoMIbwHJ">pic.twitter.com/oMZoMIbwHJ</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1405363887596359682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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She also linked the vote to Republicans “trying to fight against teaching basic history around racism and the role of racism in U.S. history” — presumably a reference to conservatives’ opposition to critical race theory.
“There’s a direct throughline from that to denying Juneteenth,” continued the thirty-one-year-old lawmaker. “The day that is widely recognized and celebrated as the symbolic kind of day to represent the end of slavery in the United States.”
Ocasio-Cortez thanked the “plenty of wonderful allies” — namely “the white men in the Republican caucus that said, okay, fine, we’ll vote for this” — who helped to approve the federal holiday.
Last week, the Senate voted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-unanimously-passes-bill-to-make-juneteenth-a-federal-holiday">unanimously</a> to pass the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act,” which commemorates June 19 — the day on which news of slavery’s conclusion reached African-Americans in Galveston, Texas — as a “legal public holiday.”
Fourteen Republicans — Andy Biggs (AZ), Mo Brooks (AL), Andrew Clyde (GA), Scott DesJarlais (TN), Paul Gosar (AZ), Ronny Jackson (TX), Doug LaMalfa (CA), Thomas Massie (KY), Tom McClintock (CA), Ralph Norman (SC), Mike Rogers (AL), Matt Rosendale (MT), Chip Roy (TX), and Tom Tiffany (WI) — voted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-house-members-vote-against-making-juneteenth-a-federal-holiday-citing-further-racial-division-in-the-country">against</a> the legislation in the House of Representatives.
Though Massie fully supported “creating a day to celebrate the abolition of slavery,” he noted that “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.”
Gosar likewise argued that the holiday would worsen racial divisions: “We have one Independence Day, and it applies equally to all people of all races.”
Rosendale concurred: “This is an effort by the Left to create a day out of whole cloth to celebrate identity politics as part of its larger efforts to make ‘critical race theory’ the reigning ideology of our country.”
Indeed, some progressive-leaning localities are celebrating Juneteenth instead of Independence Day. For instance, the city of Evanston, Illinois, recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/juneteenth-gay-pride-celebrations-allowed-in-city-that-canceled-independence-day-parade">canceled</a> Fourth of July festivities based on “concern for public health” while permitting celebrations for Juneteenth and “Pride Month.”

NY House Candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Joins Progressive Fundraiser In LA

WATCH: AOC Blasts GOP Reps Who Voted Against Juneteenth, Thanks ‘White Men’ Who Said ‘Okay, Fine, We’ll Vote For This’

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

I&#8217;m pleased to report that I recently broke a personal record. I trended for the longest period that I have ever trended on Twitter in the entirety of my career. For 72 hours, “Candace Owens” was a top trend. The reason was because I sent out a tweet stating simply, &#8220;Juneteenth is so lame.&#8221;
The result: internet fireworks, people outraged. They couldn&#8217;t believe that I would say that. Candace, don&#8217;t you understand? How could you? How dare you? Candace, you are a pawn!
I tweeted this for a lot of reasons, first and foremost, because I don&#8217;t like things that are stupid. Things that don&#8217;t make sense annoy me. If you&#8217;re going to talk about celebrating the emancipation of slavery, weren&#8217;t there some other more relevant dates that would make more sense?
For example, it was on January 1st, 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln declared “all persons held as slaves”in rebel states free through the Emancipation Proclamation. Yet on New Year’s Day, we don’t hear any chatter about the Emancipation Proclamation despite its massive historical significance.
Then there was December 18th, 1865. That was the date that Congress officially proclaimed the outlawing of slavery throughout the entire country after the ratification of the 13th Amendment. If you&#8217;re going to pick a date to celebrate the abolition of slavery, that seems like a more logical choice.
Instead, we’re focusing on June 19th, 1865. Called “Juneteenth,” this is when a totally less significant event occurred. On this day, General Gordon Granger entered Texas and announced that Lincoln had freed the slaves … two and half years earlier.
Of course, it&#8217;s only been rather recent that many people have been talking about the anniversary of Granger’s announcement in Texas. Over just the last few years, attempts to portray the day as highly significant have ratcheted up. Some of its proponents even say that it’s black people’s true Independence Day, that we shouldn&#8217;t even celebrate Independence Day on July 4th because we didn&#8217;t have our independence.
There is no legitimate historical argument to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. But, of course, there is a political argument.
It was the political argument that President Joe Biden offered when he made our newest federal holiday official. &#8220;Juneteenth is a day in which we remember the moral stain and the terrible toll that slavery took on the country and continues to take,&#8221; he declared.
Doesn’t that make you want to celebrate? We&#8217;re just going to look back and ponder the “moral stain and terrible toll” of slavery. On Juneteenth, we can all get together and think about how awful America has been to black people.
And that, my friends, is the point. It is always the point.
There’s a lot of stuff going on in black America today that we could be talking about. We could be talking about the inner cities. We could be talking about the crime. We could be talking about the fact that black children are not passing in school, that they&#8217;re not learning math. In California, about <a href="https://calmatters.org/education/2017/05/data-exclusive-75-of-black-california-boys-dont-meet-reading-standards/">75%</a> of black boys cannot pass a basic reading exam.
But no. Instead, our good congressmen got together and said this is the most important thing we must do, we must give ourselves another day off and we must make sure it perpetuates a left-wing political argument.
The reality is that Juneteenth is just another effort to remind black Americans that we are somehow different. The point in all of this is to make black Americans feel that we are permanently disconnected from the American dream, that we should see ourselves as fundamentally separate from everybody else. The idea is to keep us eternally angry. The idea, of course, is perpetual revolution.
At its core, Juneteenth, just like critical race theory and The New York Times’ cynical and flawed “1619 Project,” is a part of a concerted effort from the Democrats to use black Americans as pawns. There&#8217;s never going to be a fix. Whether it&#8217;s reparations, whether it&#8217;s a holiday. They&#8217;re always going to say this is just the beginning, there&#8217;s more work that needs to be done.
This is what we are constantly seeing every day in this country. It’s all about race, or more precisely, it’s all about the race game. And that game only empowers politicians.
That explains why to kick off this first federal holiday of Juneteenth we witnessed the unveiling of a statue of George Floyd in Brooklyn, New York. George Floyd, a career criminal who traumatized and terrorized black Americans while he was alive, is now the hero that has been immortalized on the first official national celebration of Juneteenth.
We’ve gone from celebrating the unifying vision of Martin Luther King Jr. to enshrining the criminal behavior of George Floyd. On that statue, by the way, there are several quotes, including, &#8220;George Floyd was hunted. Knees were used to prey.&#8221;
The message to black Americans: Look around, be scared. This isn&#8217;t your country, this isn&#8217;t your land. Be angry. Go out, revolt — and be pawns to a sinister game being spun by Democrats in this country.
So I want you all to know that after posting my comments on Twitter and trending for a personal best three days, I took the time to reflect on my choice of words. Having done that hard work amid all that outrage, I have something I’d like to say:
Juneteenth is so lame.
The views expressed in this piece are the author&#8217;s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

“Candace” Hosted By Candace Owens

My Juneteenth Tweet Trended For Three Days. Here’s Why I’m Right.

Race

Racism

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem led a slew of critics blasting singer Macy Gray for urging the U.S. to get rid of the current flag, claiming the design is &#8220;tattered, dated, divisive and incorrect.&#8221;
&#8220;A new flag?! No thanks. Old Glory still waves as a symbol of liberty and justice for all,&#8221; Noem <a href="https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/1406269716189134850">wrote</a> on Twitter.
She later wrote to Gray: &#8220;[N]o, thank you. I like this flag.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/MacyGraysLife?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@macygrayslife</a>, no thank you. I like this flag. <a href="https://t.co/9U4WjOOwGv">pic.twitter.com/9U4WjOOwGv</a>
&mdash; Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) <a href="https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/1406269716189134850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Others joined in. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tweeted: &#8220;If you don’t like the American flag, feel free to leave.&#8221;
And Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenboebert/status/1406278076116443137">tweeted</a>: &#8220;There are 195 countries in the world. 194 of them don’t have the American flag. If @macygray or anyone else hates the American flag so badly, they should pick a flag they like &amp; go live in the country that flies it!&#8221;
In honor of Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery, Gray penned an op-ed piece for Market Watch. The piece reads:
<blockquote>The Confederate battle flag, which was crafted as a symbol of opposition to the abolishment of slavery, is just recently tired. We don’t see it much anymore. However, on the 6th, when the stormers rained on the nation’s most precious hut, waving Old Glory — the memo was received: the American flag is its replacement.
President Biden, Madame Harris and members of Congress: the American flag has been hijacked as code for a specific belief. God bless those believers, they can have it. Like the Confederate, it is tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect. It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag.
Incorrect? Let’s look to the stars. There are 50, where there should be 52. D.C. and Puerto Rico have been lobbying for statehood for decades. Both have been denied, since statehood would allow each territory’s elected officials seats in the house.
Assuming D.C. reps would be African-American and Puerto Rican reps would be Hispanic, the ultimate assumption is that these elected officials would be Democratic. That alone is racist.
On to the stripes. The Smithsonian documents that the “white” stripes represent purity and innocence. America is great. It is beautiful. Pure, it ain’t. It is broken and in pieces.
What if the stripes were OFF-white? What if there were 52 stars to include D.C. and Puerto Rico? What if the stars were the colors of ALL of us — your skin tone and mine — like the melanin scale? The blue square represents vigilance and perseverance; and the red stripes stand for valor. America is all of those things. So, what if those elements on the flag remained? What if the flag looked like this?</blockquote>
Gray said a 17-year-old student designed such a flag in 1959 as part of a school project. &#8220;Sixty-two years later, in 2021, we have changed and it’s time for a reset, a transformation. One that represents all states and all of us.&#8221;

Republicans Hold Virtual 2020 National Convention

Gov. Kristi Noem Blasts Singer’s Call To Abandon U.S. Flag

American Flag

Kristi Noem

A city in Illinois has canceled its annual Fourth of July festivities but allowed celebrations for Juneteenth and LGBT pride.
On Saturday, Evanston, an affluent Chicago suburb, commemorated the abolition of slavery for Juneteenth, which just last week President Joe Biden made a national holiday. The celebration included a parade, along with music performances and food at a local park. Evanston also plans a Gay Pride parade next Saturday.
But the city has canceled its July 4th live celebration over COVID-19.
In March, the city <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTq988eAa4IGj2egxVLGcQfLKrvllovncf8I0THgTYYn35_l43aYWnSbr-qwKY4uA/pub">explained</a> why it was canceling Fourth of July festivities:
<blockquote>Based on concern for public health due to the unpredictability of the pandemic&#8217;s impact, vaccination rates, and in cooperation with our local authorities, the Trustees of the Evanston Fourth of July Association voted to cancel the Fun Run, Parade, Palatine Concert Band performance and Lakefront Fireworks show on July 4, 2021. However, we are committed and already working toward an Independence Day celebration that will be safe, creative and build community.
Monthly podcasts began in late 2019 titled &#8220;Celebrating a Century –The 4th of July in Evanston which will continue and can be heard on your personal devices. If guidelines allow, the Association plans to conduct the traditional morning games and activities in the parks and schools. The 2020 Virtual 4th of July celebration with a parade, concert and fireworks is ready to be replayed. The Celebration Team is considering mini concerts, roving entertainment, neighborhood art and decoration projects to provide the community with a day to remember.</blockquote>
Despite holding celebrations for other holidays and events, the city has not announced changes to its July 4 statement.
Former city resident Tom Bevan, who is the co-founder of RealClearPolitics, noted the situation on Thursday, writing on Twitter: &#8220;My home town of Evanston, Illinois is having a Juneteenth Parade and a Gay Pride Parade, but is cancelling the 4th of July Parade &amp; Fireworks.&#8221;
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My home town of Evanston, Illinois is having a Juneteenth Parade and a Gay Pride Parade, but is cancelling the 4th of July Parade &amp; Fireworks. <a href="https://t.co/KFhJ335LEl">pic.twitter.com/KFhJ335LEl</a>
&mdash; Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomBevanRCP/status/1406069086015168515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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In an <a class="class" href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-town-cancels-july-4-parade-covid-19-concerns-allows-juneteenth-pride-celebrations" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">interview</a> on Fox News, organizer Jamie Black said the city&#8217;s Fourth of July Association &#8220;made the decision in March based on the information that we had at that time.&#8221;
&#8220;There are deadlines for permits and to secure the fireworks, as well as taking applications for the parade that happen early in the year,&#8221; Black said. &#8220;We erred on the side of caution. If things weren’t better, we would have been criticized for being a super spreader event.&#8221;
&#8220;But in partnership with Evanston Present and Future &#8212; a nonprofit that supports community development and education surrounding Black history &#8212; the city of Evanston helped promote a Juneteenth parade followed by community-wide celebrations,&#8221; Fox reported.
Fox also noted that for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the city last week <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ILEVANSTON/bulletins/2e471e4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> no new cases, adding that nearly 87% of residents ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Fireworks and audience

Juneteenth, Gay Pride Celebrations Allowed In City That Canceled Independence Day Parade

4th of July

A man in a car allegedly drove up to a police officer in Michigan who was working a Juneteenth parade and opened fire on the officer.
&#8220;Upon investigation, the Flint Police Officer was working a traffic point at the Juneteenth Champions Parade when an individual in a vehicle drove up and shot at the officer,&#8221; NBC 25 reported. &#8220;The officer returned fire and shot the individual.&#8221;
The condition of the suspect was unknown and reports said that the police officer had not been hit. Alleged video of the incident showed a police officer on the ground in the middle of the road immediately following the incident.
[WARNING: Disturbing Content]
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&#8220;Preliminary investigation indicates the officer, who was working a traffic point for the Juneteenth Celebration Parade, was fired upon by the lone occupant of a vehicle who drove up to him at the traffic point. Upon taking fire, the officer returned fire, striking the suspect,&#8221; Michigan State Police said. &#8220;The officer was not injured, nor were any bystanders who were in the area. This incident remains under investigation.&#8221;
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The officer was not injured, nor were any bystanders who were in the area. This incident remains under investigation.
&mdash; MSP Bay Region (@mspbayregion) <a href="https://twitter.com/mspbayregion/status/1406369451705094144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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This is a developing news story; refresh the page for updates.

US-POLITICS-RACISM-HISTORY

Driver Opens Fire On Police Officer Working Juneteenth Parade: Report

Michigan

Police

President Joe Biden officially made June 19, known as “Juneteenth,” a federal holiday on Thursday, signing a bill into law that unanimously passed the Senate earlier this week and later passed the House of Representatives by a large margin.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-unanimously-passes-bill-to-make-juneteenth-a-federal-holiday">reported</a>, the Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would make “Juneteenth” a federal holiday. The <a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/juneteenth.pdf">act</a> is called the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act” and would designate the day as a “legal public holiday.”
The holiday will be observed by most federal employees for the first time tomorrow, since June 19th falls on a Saturday this year, per the <a href="https://twitter.com/USOPM/status/1405537166684352518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1405537166684352518%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/most-federal-workers-to-observe-juneteenth-on-friday-opm/2704298/">U.S. Office of Personnel Management</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> will sign the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing June 19th as a federal holiday. As the 19th falls on a Saturday, most federal employees will observe the holiday tomorrow, June 18th.
&mdash; U.S. Office of Personnel Management (@USOPM) <a href="https://twitter.com/USOPM/status/1405537166684352518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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At an event on Thursday, Biden spoke about the significance of the moment, and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke as well.
“Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments,” Biden said during a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House, as <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-to-sign-bill-making-juneteenth-a-federal-holiday-11623944038">reported</a> by The Wall Street Journal. “Great nations don’t walk away. We come to terms with the mistakes we made. And remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger.”
Republican Senator John Cornyn (TX), the lead Republican sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said, “There’s nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come,” adding, “And I just think the reaction of members of Congress — at least speaking for myself — is we need this. We need this gesture of racial reconciliation.”
Harris provided the usual nod that the administration gives toward the concept of systemic racism in the United States in what was otherwise an extremely unifying moment for the country as members of both parties came together to pass the bill and add another federal holiday to the nation’s special days in remembrance of the end of slavery.
&#8220;We are gathered here in a house built by enslaved people. We are footsteps away from where President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation,&#8221; Harris <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1007602290/biden-and-harris-will-speak-at-the-bill-signing-making-juneteenth-a-federal-holi">said</a> at the signing ceremony. &#8220;We have come far, and we have far to go. But today is a day of celebration. It is not only a day of pride. It&#8217;s also a day for us to reaffirm and rededicate ourselves to action.”
Biden also used the moment to call for more change, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1007602290/biden-and-harris-will-speak-at-the-bill-signing-making-juneteenth-a-federal-holi">saying</a>, &#8220;Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and the promise of a greater morning to come.” He commented on the “moral stain” and “terrible toll” that slavery took on the country “and continues to take,” adding that it is America’s “original sin.”
He also took the opportunity to criticize voter laws, saying, that the “sacred right to vote” is &#8220;under attack.”
A few members of Congress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-house-members-vote-against-making-juneteenth-a-federal-holiday-citing-further-racial-division-in-the-country">did not vote in favor</a> of the bill, citing the further racial division that creating a separate “Independence Day” might create for the country.
“I fully support creating a day to celebrate the abolition of slavery,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/558867-14-republicans-vote-against-making-juneteenth-a-federal-holiday">said</a> during the debate 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.”
Some people used the time that should be considered a powerfully unifying moment in the country to discuss criticism of Critical Race Theory (CRT).
As <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/new-york-times-astead-wesley-juneteenth-critical-race-theory">reported</a> by Fox News, New York Times reporter and CNN political analyst Astead Herndon <a href="https://twitter.com/AsteadWesley/status/1405282026190635009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1405282026190635009%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/new-york-times-astead-wesley-juneteenth-critical-race-theory">tweeted</a> that teachers wouldn’t be able to explain “Juneteenth” to their students because of efforts to eliminate CRT from schools.
Herndon wrote, “its [sic] kinda amazing: juneteenth is gonna be a federal holiday for reasons teachers won&#8217;t be allowed to explain to their students out of fear critical race theory backlash,” adding, “why do we have this day off????? uhhhhhhhhhh[.]”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
its kinda amazing: juneteenth is gonna be a federal holiday for reasons teachers won&#39;t be allowed to explain to their students out of fear critical race theory backlash
&mdash; Astead (@AsteadWesley) <a href="https://twitter.com/AsteadWesley/status/1405282026190635009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Herndon used the tired trope that conservatives are against CRT because they disagree with teaching children about the evils of slavery and Jim Crow, which is largely inaccurate. CRT goes far beyond teaching about the difficult parts of America’s past and contends that racism is embedded in American systems and an unavoidable part of American life today.
As Representative Tim Scott (R-SC) memorably <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-scott-shreds-joe-biden-in-rebuttal-speech-biden-is-tearing-us-apart-after-promising-to-unite-nation">mentioned</a> in his rebuttal to Biden’s address to Congress in April, “today, kids are being taught that the color of their skin defines them again — and if they look a certain way, they’re an oppressor.”

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Biden, Harris Use ‘Juneteenth’ Federal Holiday Signing To Imply America Is Still Systemically Racist

Systemic Racism

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