It was all a simple misunderstanding of Lankford's intention...
Responding to an onslaught of criticism, Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said he had proposed to replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth as an act of fiscal responsibility and that he was not trying to “rewrite history or join the mob.”
In a Facebook video posting late last week, Lankford said, “A lot of my staff and I did a lot of phone calls today just to be able to answer questions from a lot of mad people.
“Quite frankly, I’m not sure they’re mad at me, other than they’re just mad at everybody right now and frustrated because they’re watching our history get attacked as a nation. I’m not trying to attack our history. I’m trying to deal with our finances for the future, as well as to be able to honor our continued history.”
It was all a simple misunderstanding of Lankford's intention...
Responding to an onslaught of criticism, Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said he had proposed to replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth as an act of fiscal responsibility and that he was not trying to “rewrite history or join the mob.”
In a Facebook video posting late last week, Lankford said, “A lot of my staff and I did a lot of phone calls today just to be able to answer questions from a lot of mad people.
“Quite frankly, I’m not sure they’re mad at me, other than they’re just mad at everybody right now and frustrated because they’re watching our history get attacked as a nation. I’m not trying to attack our history. I’m trying to deal with our finances for the future, as well as to be able to honor our continued history.”
IOW - “what are you going to believe, me or your lying ears???”
Columbus was the true change agent whose vision and courage brought Europe to the Americas. His achievement was what precipitated economic linkages between the continents. His accomplishments are worth celebrating. It was a watershed event separating history into the Columbian and Pre-Columbian periods.
True - there were bad actors who followed him and harmed native people and overwhelmed cultures on a massive scale but the coming of the Europeans also brought major benefits. There should be no overlooking of the bad actors and European rulers who enabled their deliberate bad actions but it is beyond foolish to claim there were no good things that happened as a result of the coming of the Europeans and that Columbus and all Europeans and their values should be despised.
Let the excoriation of Lankford continue ...but first a poem:
True - there were bad actors who followed him and harmed native people and overwhelmed cultures on a massive scale but the coming of the Europeans also brought major benefits. There should be no overlooking of the bad actors and European rulers who enabled their deliberate bad actions but it is beyond foolish to claim there were no good things that happened as a result of the coming of the Europeans and that Columbus and all Europeans and their values should be despised.
Let the excoriation of Lankford continue ...but first a poem:
this is a reply a guy got from Lankford
July 6, 2020
Dear Mr. Steve Ward,
Thank you for taking the time to contact me about an amendment to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and provide a fiscal offset by changing Columbus Day as a paid federal holiday. I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you and tell you the background of this story. Contrary to the news stories and social media, I am not trying to end Columbus Day.
I am very aware that this issue has struck a nerve for many people because anarchists and those who want to re-write American history are tearing down statues and monuments around the nation while others stand by and watch. Our nation has a rich history full of great, good, bad and ugly moments and people. For over two centuries we have worked to make a more perfect union, with many mistakes, but it is still our story together. No one should tear down the images of our story or try to obliterate our history.
I recently re-read George Orwell’s book, 1984. As you may remember, in that novel the main character works in the government office called, “The Ministry of Truth.” His job was to re-write anything in history that did not line up with the current government’s position and create new propaganda for the future. I am appalled to see our nation running toward that same line of thinking. The past is something to learn from, not to run from. We do not have to be proud of every moment in our history, but we should not try to erase it either.
Slavery, Jim Crow laws, and segregation are part of our history that we should acknowledge and learn from. The entire nation is talking about race relations again, as we should. We have made a great deal of progress in our nation, but the journey to equality is not yet complete.
Earlier this year, Senator Ed Markey (MA) introduced a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. As you may know, Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19 since 1866, marks the anniversary of the day African-Americans in Texas were finally informed of the end of slavery in our nation – they were the last group of slaves to learn that they were finally free. Juneteenth, Emancipation Day, is a day in our history that redefined the meaning of freedom and equality in America.
The week of June 29th, I was informed that Senator Markey’s Juneteenth bill was going to move by unanimous consent, meaning every Senator in the Senate had approved of the additional federal holiday. But, when I asked the cost of the new holiday the day before the final vote, I was told each holiday costs American taxpayers around $600 million a year for paid time off and bonus holiday pay for federal employees. While I support Senator Markey’s bipartisan legislation, I believe we should also remain cognizant of the impact the existing 10 federal holidays have on our nation’s more than $26 trillion debt. Each federal holiday is also another time that Americans cannot get their mail, go to their bank, or get thousands of other federal services.
As such, I joined Senator Ron Johnson’s (WI) amendment to remove Columbus Day from the list of paid federal holidays and instead add Juneteenth. This amendment would have saved taxpayers $600 million every year. This amendment did not abolish Columbus Day as a separate celebrated holiday or attempt to erase history. We would still recognize Christopher Columbus and his significant impact on our nation without losing an additional $600 million for an additional paid federal holiday. There are many other recognized holidays we celebrate as a nation that are not paid federal holidays, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, Halloween and Flag Day, but they are still holidays.
I believe saving federal tax dollars should be considered every time we have a vote. Currently, only 21 states in the nation recognize Columbus Day as a paid holiday. Very few people in the country celebrate Columbus Day with special events or gatherings, even though Columbus is a very important part of our American history. But, even if the amendment passed, Columbus Day would still remain a recognized holiday.
Senator Johnson has since withdrawn his original amendment to remove Columbus Day from the list of paid federal holidays. Instead, Senator Johnson intends on introducing a new amendment to limit the number of paid leave days federal employees receive.
As I have stated publicly, the original amendment was intended to start a conversation about the cost of adding an additional federal holiday. Columbus Day was never at risk. These conversations have led to a number of suggestions on how to save the taxpayer dollar, and I look forward to working with Members to find other ways to manage our enormous federal debt. The amendment was never about "appeasing the mob", it was always about protecting the hardworking taxpayers of Oklahoma who want their government to be more efficient.
As chairman of the Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management Subcommittee, which has oversight jurisdiction over the federal workforce, as well as a member of the Financial Services General Government Subcommittee, which appropriates funding for the federal workforce, I will continue to remain engaged on issues related to efficient spending in government operations. Even during this season of massive spending as we fight COVID-19, we should still look for every possible way to save taxpayer dollars and do the right thing for everyone. People work hard across Oklahoma and they do not want their hard earned tax dollars squandered.
Please feel free to contact me again via email at www.lankford.senate.govfor more information about my work in the United States Senate for all of us.
In God We Trust,
James Lankford
United States Senator
July 6, 2020
Dear Mr. Steve Ward,
Thank you for taking the time to contact me about an amendment to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and provide a fiscal offset by changing Columbus Day as a paid federal holiday. I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you and tell you the background of this story. Contrary to the news stories and social media, I am not trying to end Columbus Day.
I am very aware that this issue has struck a nerve for many people because anarchists and those who want to re-write American history are tearing down statues and monuments around the nation while others stand by and watch. Our nation has a rich history full of great, good, bad and ugly moments and people. For over two centuries we have worked to make a more perfect union, with many mistakes, but it is still our story together. No one should tear down the images of our story or try to obliterate our history.
I recently re-read George Orwell’s book, 1984. As you may remember, in that novel the main character works in the government office called, “The Ministry of Truth.” His job was to re-write anything in history that did not line up with the current government’s position and create new propaganda for the future. I am appalled to see our nation running toward that same line of thinking. The past is something to learn from, not to run from. We do not have to be proud of every moment in our history, but we should not try to erase it either.
Slavery, Jim Crow laws, and segregation are part of our history that we should acknowledge and learn from. The entire nation is talking about race relations again, as we should. We have made a great deal of progress in our nation, but the journey to equality is not yet complete.
Earlier this year, Senator Ed Markey (MA) introduced a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. As you may know, Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19 since 1866, marks the anniversary of the day African-Americans in Texas were finally informed of the end of slavery in our nation – they were the last group of slaves to learn that they were finally free. Juneteenth, Emancipation Day, is a day in our history that redefined the meaning of freedom and equality in America.
The week of June 29th, I was informed that Senator Markey’s Juneteenth bill was going to move by unanimous consent, meaning every Senator in the Senate had approved of the additional federal holiday. But, when I asked the cost of the new holiday the day before the final vote, I was told each holiday costs American taxpayers around $600 million a year for paid time off and bonus holiday pay for federal employees. While I support Senator Markey’s bipartisan legislation, I believe we should also remain cognizant of the impact the existing 10 federal holidays have on our nation’s more than $26 trillion debt. Each federal holiday is also another time that Americans cannot get their mail, go to their bank, or get thousands of other federal services.
As such, I joined Senator Ron Johnson’s (WI) amendment to remove Columbus Day from the list of paid federal holidays and instead add Juneteenth. This amendment would have saved taxpayers $600 million every year. This amendment did not abolish Columbus Day as a separate celebrated holiday or attempt to erase history. We would still recognize Christopher Columbus and his significant impact on our nation without losing an additional $600 million for an additional paid federal holiday. There are many other recognized holidays we celebrate as a nation that are not paid federal holidays, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day, Halloween and Flag Day, but they are still holidays.
I believe saving federal tax dollars should be considered every time we have a vote. Currently, only 21 states in the nation recognize Columbus Day as a paid holiday. Very few people in the country celebrate Columbus Day with special events or gatherings, even though Columbus is a very important part of our American history. But, even if the amendment passed, Columbus Day would still remain a recognized holiday.
Senator Johnson has since withdrawn his original amendment to remove Columbus Day from the list of paid federal holidays. Instead, Senator Johnson intends on introducing a new amendment to limit the number of paid leave days federal employees receive.
As I have stated publicly, the original amendment was intended to start a conversation about the cost of adding an additional federal holiday. Columbus Day was never at risk. These conversations have led to a number of suggestions on how to save the taxpayer dollar, and I look forward to working with Members to find other ways to manage our enormous federal debt. The amendment was never about "appeasing the mob", it was always about protecting the hardworking taxpayers of Oklahoma who want their government to be more efficient.
As chairman of the Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management Subcommittee, which has oversight jurisdiction over the federal workforce, as well as a member of the Financial Services General Government Subcommittee, which appropriates funding for the federal workforce, I will continue to remain engaged on issues related to efficient spending in government operations. Even during this season of massive spending as we fight COVID-19, we should still look for every possible way to save taxpayer dollars and do the right thing for everyone. People work hard across Oklahoma and they do not want their hard earned tax dollars squandered.
Please feel free to contact me again via email at www.lankford.senate.govfor more information about my work in the United States Senate for all of us.
In God We Trust,
James Lankford
United States Senator
I just got the same letter.
How can Langford say he wasn’t wanting to replace Columbus Day with Juneteenth when he cosponsored a bill to do exactly that?
The republicans are no different than the democrats. They lie and use people for their votes and then stab them in the back repeatedly once elected. It will never change. We can call lankford all we want and nothing will change. He don’t care what we have to say. All he cares about is his career. When my wife and I voted this last time and we saw the results she said to me, “what’s the point of even voting anymore?” I said there ain’t one. Our vote will NEVER change things in this country. People that actually think it will are delusional. Our country is going down fast. And we will just sit here while it happens.
Cue the ones that always tell me that things have been this way for years and ain’t nothing happened. Things have never been the way they are now in this country. That is a fact. Evil has been embraced by so many. Our government is the biggest and most corrupt it has ever been. We are not free. We may be more free than other country’s but we are not truly free. Our constitution don’t matter to our government. It might as well get burned because no matter how many times it is violated by our government, we don’t do a thing about it.
Apple pie, the Flag and loving our Vets and Seniors......or what ever the political consultants advise cranking out. This holiday idea was most likely his own idea. He'll get back into line quickly and stop trying to think on his own......
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