This past Saturday was Bloomsday, the day people celebrate June 16th, James Joyce's "Ulysses." There had to be gatherings for readings in the city. I was hiking, dang it.

Did anyone attend, and naturally,
How Was It?
Although I'm not a fan of Wikipedia, check out the references. Very many admirable artists have acknowledged the book.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_%28novel%29

Slavery meant that not only were African Amercians enslaved by enslavers, but when we settled the West they couldn't join in the land rush.

Result today: lots of whitey white farmer states in the midwest....no states will all black population.

Except DC and as we know they don't get a vote, well, because they just don't.

The un-enslaved persons also could not participate in those great land grant colleges that Lincoln spurred. You know: Cornell; colleges in Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota and the others.

The freed persons could not equally benefit from opportunities to serve in the armed forces or the GI bill due to enforced discrimination which lasted in law right through the 1970s.

Througout all of this enslaved persons always rebelled -- few of us are taught about the multiple, vigorous slave revolts in the 1800s -- they fought back; they constantly struggled for freedom.

Just like I did when fighting the British.

I get a Holiday because I was Prez, too.

Veterans get a holiday for helping our cause of freedom.

We should celebrate Juneteenth to remember: the end of slavery helped make all of us free. To remember: it doesn't come automatically. To remember: we have to keep struggling for it, even today.

yr. obt. svt.,

This holiday definitly deserves way more attention. We would do well to replace Thanksgiving with Juneteenth since it actually matters.

History is not boring to me, and I appreciate your analysis. You've stated the case much better than I could have. I agree with you on 99% of your claims.

I just think a lot of history is made up or skewed, and especially so in a political way. As I implied, Wikipedia is not my preferred reference. There are many factual errors, and based on their writing, there are definitely political biases. It is unfortunate that it used so often in place of the standard encyclopedias, which albeit can be dated, have far less errors and are persistent in maintaining neutrality.

http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=271

Weird, wasn't it, and pretty much everyone was in on it for a long, long time. Today y'all make Mr. Yuck faces thinking about it, assuming wow, I wouldn't have supprted it were I alive back then. Un hunh.

Guess we can all be very good or very evil, all of us, everyone.

And here's another thing about History -- think of Future History. Yes, just as today, we look back, and scratch our heads wondering "How Could They?" (enslavement, serfdom, oppression of chicks, etc.), why, in the Future, what will they look back to in Our Era and say "How Could They?"

Global Warming, I'd bet.

No national health care.

Campaign corruption donations and giving nonpersons (corporations) the right to make them! IA weird coequivalence on some level: we folks form the 1600s to 1800s took away rights of persons (enslaved persons) to be Legal Persons, yet y'all today is give rights to nonpersons (corporations) to be Legal Persons and make campaign corruption donations.
Oh well, there's always a power elite.
Meanwhile 1/4 of African Amercian males in a city are often without voting rights due to your harsh Drug Laws.

Plus ca change....

yr obt. svt.,