The United States should have a celebration on January 1, 2013!
That is the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. We need to have a big celebration of that anniversary with all kinds of historical context for those who have forgotten the evils of slavery, the horrific war that divided this country, and the cost of the victory that reunited it.
If we can't get it together to do it justice in this short of time, then let's have that celebration on December 6, 2015 - the 150th anniversary of adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude.
BOTH those dates are made even sweeter by the fact that President Barack Obama will be in office to lead those celebrations! So we should have TWO celebrations of those historic events by our historic President!
I sent this in to the WhiteHouse.gov site:
Congratulations on your re-election. While thinking about all the great things you can do over the next four years, I realized that you will be in office on the 150 anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
This is an important point in history for our country. As the descendant of slave owners, I am ecstatic that our country has tried to move past that evil past. I also think that you, as our first African American President should celebrate the freedom granted to the slaves.
Apparently some in our country forget that these battles have been fought and that the United States of America survived as one country without slavery and with unity. We need reminders that we should not repeat the past errors and that we should move forward.
Please make January 1, 2013 a day to celebrate freedom for us all - from slavery, from past sins, from hatred, from divisiveness. If it is too late to make that date that major celebration it should be, then celebrate the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment on December 6, 2015.
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