A chance to rework US history to a more equitable understanding.

We can celebrate Juneteenth without sacrificing the Fourth of July. We have multiple holidays commemorating our soldiers; there's no reason we can't take more than one day to reflect on the complicated road to get us from British subjects to where we are now.

Our independence is important even beyond our own borders, because it made possible the Constitution, which was the first time in human history that a nation was founded on the ideals of individual freedom. It was, is, and will always be aspirational (after all, we aim for a "more perfect" union through constant improvement, not a perfect finish line), and even now we often fall short, but we were the first ones to stand up and tell the world that this is what humanity should be. That should not be forgotten.

Juneteenth puts a solid date on when we took our biggest step toward that equality. If you can't see the point in celebrating freedom from chattel slavery, I can't help you.
 

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