Western Reader
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has sparked a heated debate by suggesting that Juneteenth be replaced with Election Day as a national holiday. Ramaswamy made this proposition during a speech to Iowa voters, arguing that the spirit of Juneteenth is already celebrated in other holidays such as Martin Luther King Day and Presidents Day.
Ramaswamy, who is polling at 6% nationally in Republican primary surveys, believes that having redundant holidays with overlapping purposes is unnecessary and that each holiday should have a distinct purpose.
The proposal has drawn both criticism and support. Critics argue that replacing Juneteenth diminishes the significance of commemorating the end of slavery. They believe that Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday in 2021, is an important and meaningful day in American history.
On the other hand, supporters of Ramaswamy’s proposal believe that making Election Day a national holiday would address concerns about voting accessibility. They argue that having a dedicated holiday for voting would ensure that people have ample time and opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
Ramaswamy has acknowledged that to make Election Day a national holiday, one of the existing 11 federal holidays would need to be removed from the calendar. His choice for removal is Juneteenth.
Juneteenth, officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021 by President Biden, commemorates the day in 1865 when federal troops began enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 in Galveston, Texas. It was the first federal holiday added to the calendar since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Ramaswamy’s stance on Juneteenth and his proposal to replace it with Election Day as a national holiday will likely continue to generate controversy and attention. The impact on his campaign remains to be seen.
This article appeared in Watch Dog News and has been published here with permission.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings