Monday, June 19, 2006

Juneteenth and slavery

Today was Juneteenth (June nineteenth) which is the oldest celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.

On 19 June 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived on Galveston Island to take possession of the state of Texas and enforce the new freedom of the slaves. At the balcony of Galveston's Ashton Villa, General Granger read out "General Order No. 3":
The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.

Link - Juneteenth.com

Unfortunately, slavery still exists today. The US State Department even has an Ambassador-at-Large for International Slavery, Ambassador John R Miller. This is what he said recently:
Here we are in the 21st century and we're talking about slavery. Wouldn't this be a shock to our abolitionist ancestors who thought they finished the job back in the 19th century.
Yes, the slavery is different in some ways. Back then it was state-sanctioned slavery based primarily on color. Today it's not based primarily on color and it's not state-sanctioned, although sometimes governments look the other way. But the tricks of the slave masters are still the same: deception, fraud, beating, kidnapping, rape. And the challenge of modern-day slavery extends into every country in the world, including the United States of America.


Link - Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report (US State Department)

As my human complies with my every whim voluntarily, he does not consider himself to be my slave.

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

.........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo..........

After such a great weekend with lots of lap time, I had to concede the return to the weekday of being left alone. Not to worry, Monday night means Desperate Housewives and more lap time.

keisercat@wildmail.com

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