Juneteenth - A Day For Everybody

One hundred forty-three years ago today, the residents of Galveston, Texas, watched in stony silence as Gen. Gordon Granger and 2,000 Federal troops took possession of the island and read General Order No. 3, which implemented the provisions of the Emancipation Proclamation in the last holdout of the Confederacy.
The celebration of “Juneteenth Day” has grown organically ever since, with some thirteen states recognizing it as an official (if not always a “legal”) holiday. It marks the official end of human slavery in the United States.
General Granger made it clear that he expected the former slaves to remain in place and work for the same masters as before, only now as paid laborers. They would not “be allowed to collect at military posts and . . . will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
In the view of many Caucasians, “support in idleness” has remained a goal of the descendents of the Africans imported as slaves to this country. Every welfare applicant is viewed with suspicion, unless, of course, the “welfare” takes the form of no-bid contracts for well-connected former associates of the Vice-President. Oh, and who happen to be white.
In my experience, gaming the system is the favorite indoor sport of a lot of folks. Some parents try to ensure that their children (yes, plural) obtain an Individualized Education Program at school so that they can collect Supplemental Security Income even though the child is not truly “disabled.” And some candidates tout silly, stunt-y programs such as a federal gas tax “holiday” in a brazen attempt to garner votes.
The upcoming presidential election bids fair to become a referendum on a great many issues which have divided the country for generations, questions such as: “Will we continue the scorched-earth politics of division and degradation or will we learn to work together?” “Will we face the real problems confronting us, or will we continue to set up phony issues as distractions from the dangers to our nation?”
And the big one: “Will we recognize that in the fight against terrorism, the mind-set and tactics of police work will be more efficacious than the mind-set and tactics of the military?”
The rhetoric so far is not encouraging. To listen to it, one would think that being “Commander-in-Chief” was the only part of the job of being President worth considering and that being “tough” was the only qualification. We’ve had “tough;” we need “smart.” The Preamble to our Constitution recognizes that providing for “the common defense” is important, but it’s only one of six purposes and not the first-mentioned.
For what it’s worth, the Number One purpose of our government is “to form a more perfect Union.” Then comes “to establish Justice” and “to ensure domestic Tranquility.” My hunch is that, if we concentrate on those goals, the common defense, the general Welfare and the Blessings of Liberty will take care of themselves.
We did not become the envy of the world by swaggering around it as if, like any bully, we could do whatever we wanted without fear of reprisal. We became the envy of the world by setting people free to reach their potential as fully human beings. That, I believe, was what “Juneteenth Day” was and is all about. It ought to be a day of rejoicing for all Americans, and it ought to be a day when we reflect on what still enslaves us.

This entry originally appeared on June 19, 2008, in the Berea, Ohio News-Sun