Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

npr.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 308 posts

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#131

Post by jolux »

skissane wrote: post #112
dtnewman wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Make early voting widely available and mail ballots available to anyone who requests one. Stop thinking of elections as a single day. That’ll be much healthier for democracy.

In Australia we always have elections on Saturday. Works well for most people. Of course, there is a minority of people it doesn't work well for, such as people who have to work on Saturdays, and observant Jews. And for those people we have early voting and postal voting too. I never quite understand why voting is such a controversial topic in the US. In many countries (I'm sure Australia is not alone in this) it is…

Voting is also compulsory in Australia.

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#132

Post by jasonhansel »

verall wrote: post #46
MuffinFlavored wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Penal labor in the United States is explicitly allowed by the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." What are most prisoners forced to do?

They are "forced" to work at below minimum wage rates both for the government and individual firms in public-private partnerships. I use "forced" in quotation marks, because although prisoners are no longer forced chain-gang style, these jobs can be a prisoner's only source of money, which is required to purchase communication with the outside world.

In some states (e.g. Texas) prisoners aren't even paid any wages--they're just punished if they refuse to work.

An article about this: https://truthout.org/articles/unpaid-labor-in-texas-prisons-...

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#133

Post by redisman »

dtnewman wrote: post #105
eganist wrote: post #16

This is a good symbolic gesture, but making election day a federal holiday equivalent in standing with Christmas would have real and positive impact. But the latter never draws the votes in congress, so that should tell us how meaningless this vote truly was.

No. Make early voting widely available and mail ballots available to anyone who requests one. Stop thinking of elections as a single day. That’ll be much healthier for democracy.

The states run their own elections

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#134

Post by madeofpalk »

caslon wrote: post #122
skissane wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Australia we always have elections on Saturday. Works well for most people. Of course, there is a minority of people it doesn't work well for, such as people who have to work on Saturdays, and observant Jews. And for those people we have early voting and postal voting too. I never quite understand why voting is such a controversial topic in the US. In many countries (I'm sure Australia is not alone in this) it is…

It's largely because increased voting overwhelmingly (and almost exclusively) benefits one side in the US. While it's obviously good to have increased participation in democracy, the side that's going to more or less cease to exist if we ever get even 80% citizen participation obviously has an incentive to make voting harder.

I'm not sure how you rationalise that with the fact that Australia consistently votes in a right-wing government. UK (which doesn't have compulsory voting) also reelected a right-wing government.

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#135

Post by temp8964 »

skissane wrote: post #112
dtnewman wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. Make early voting widely available and mail ballots available to anyone who requests one. Stop thinking of elections as a single day. That’ll be much healthier for democracy.

In Australia we always have elections on Saturday. Works well for most people. Of course, there is a minority of people it doesn't work well for, such as people who have to work on Saturdays, and observant Jews. And for those people we have early voting and postal voting too. I never quite understand why voting is such a controversial topic in the US. In many countries (I'm sure Australia is not alone in this) it is…

I heard requiring photo id in voting is also common, but what do I know? I must be a bigot who hates people without a photo id.

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#136

Post by chmod600 »

Seattle3503 wrote: post #67

If anything the last few years showed me, it is that gestures do matter. Giving public recognition seems shallower cheap until you have a leader that refuses to observe even basic decencies. Of course the work doesn't stop with public gestures, but what we publicly celebrate shows us what we collectively value.

I'm not convinced. Memorial Day and Labor Day are just three-day weekends to most people. There's not a lot of somber and thoughtful observance.

I hope that popular culture uses the opportunity to discuss Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. What a great moment (right in the middle of a lot of terrible moments).

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#137

Post by BuyMyBitcoins »

eganist wrote: post #113
kej wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's just it, though. The working class doesn't get Memorial Day off. Businesses don't close for Flag Day. The people who have the hardest time voting on election day are the same people whose employers would still be open for business that day. Things like early or mail in voting are far more effective ways to enable those people to vote.

The working class does get Christmas off, though. With limited exceptions. Which is my point. And the idea of making election day a national holiday is a baby step, one capable of getting the ball rolling on real change, like extended voting windows and unrestricted mailed ballots. Gotta start somewhere.

> And the idea of making election day a national holiday is a baby step, one capable of getting the ball rolling on real change, like extended voting windows and unrestricted mailed ballots.

What will be enough? If you make Election Day a federal holiday as important as Christmas do you still need to have such a large voting window and unrestricted mail in ballots? Even now, as is, most people have a two week window to cast a ballot before Election Day. And plenty of options for mail in if they can’t vote in person.

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#138

Post by dlp211 »

throwkeep wrote: post #128
eganist wrote: post #16

This is a good symbolic gesture, but making election day a federal holiday equivalent in standing with Christmas would have real and positive impact. But the latter never draws the votes in congress, so that should tell us how meaningless this vote truly was.

Make it a holiday and move the election to the day after tax day: "Elections should be held on April 16th- the day after we pay our income taxes. That is one of the few things that might discourage politicians from being big spenders." - Thomas Sowell

What a trite and overly simplistic idea. First is the idea that Government spending is bad. Second is the idea that Government spending is controlled directly by taxes. Third is the idea that a majority of people actually pay any income tax at the end of the year. Fourth is the idea that people understand their taxes. Fifth is the idea that it is income taxes are the only taxes.

I could go on, but I digress.

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#139

Post by chickenpotpie »

knodi123 wrote: post #110
nopzor wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

do you mean election day should be changed to MLK's birthday?

Western cultures moved the date of Jesus's birth to late December for political reasons. So there's precedent. Besides, I don't think MLK's birthday is that significant anyway. Nobody celebrates his birth, do they? Sure, celebrate the date of one of the Selma marches, or of the I Have A Dream speech, or the date of his death.... But in my opinion, it's sufficient to set aside a day to remember him - it doesn't have t…

Given how much of US history already excludes and edits the experience of black Americans, this would be in bad taste.

Re: Senate Unanimously Approves a Bill to Make Juneteenth a Public Holiday

#140

Post by kansface »

Alex3917 wrote: post #24
eganist wrote: post #16

This is a good symbolic gesture, but making election day a federal holiday equivalent in standing with Christmas would have real and positive impact. But the latter never draws the votes in congress, so that should tell us how meaningless this vote truly was.

MLK’s birthday should be changed to Election Day. No extra day off, and everyone goes into the polls reminded of his legacy.

That would require an amendment, no?
Post reply on HN