Friday June 19th, 2021
My Dear America:
President Joe Biden was on Television this week signing the most recent example of Bipartisan Congressional Legislation.
What? No. That can't be. What in the Hell could qualify to pass with Bipartisan support successfully through the United States Congress in the Year 2021.
On the day after his Spectacularly Successful European Trip to visit with G7 Members, NATO Members and Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden signed the legislation establishing Juneteenth (June 19th) as the next American National Holiday.
The significance of Juneteenth is that over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln ending slavery in America that was when Blacks still in slavery in Texas found out about it and demanded their Freedom, which certainly had been more than a little late in coming their way.
Yes, there is actually still a possibility to have Bipartisan Legislation pass successfully through the Halls of the Congress of the United States of America.
We all thought that Bipartisan seemed to be a word that was no longer used in Polite American Society. Certainly it has been used rarely, if at all, in Republican Legislative Discussions
Although in years gone by Bipartisan was a highly respected word that usually meant that there was sincere and friendly cooperation between Republicans and Democrats, that friendly cooperation has been missing in recent years.
Quite frankly, however, the Juneteenth Legislation seems to be somewhat of an Aberration rather than a signal of more Bipartisanship to come.
We can certainly hope for it but it seems to me highly unlikely that Bipartisanship is what Republicans are looking for in the days, weeks and years to come.
I may be wrong, though. I certainly hope that I am.
I would love to see genuine Bipartisanship make a comeback in the United States of America.
What a Treat that would be for not only Democrats, but also for those remaining Decent Republican Politicians who sincerely want to accomplish good things in America and are willing to buck the Anti Democratic Trend in their Party.
When President Biden along with Vice President Kamala Harris announced that Juneteenth would this week become a Federal Holiday they strongly suggested that States follow suit as they did With Martin Luther King Day and other Federal Holidays to make Juneteenth a National Holiday.
Although there were many dignitaries at the Juneteenth Signing Ceremony there was one person who was more deserving of being there than even the Vice President or President. She was a 94 Year old Grandmother from Fort Worth, Texas named Opal Lee. "Miss Opal", as she was called by President Biden, was there in the White House getting a shout out from Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and a standing ovation from the crowd of dignitaries because she had been fighting for many Decades to accomplish what was being accomplished in her presence on June 17th, 2021. "Miss Opal" was called up to the desk where Biden signed the Juneteenth Legislation into law and stood by his side and received the first pen used to sign the Juneteenth document into law. "Miss Opal" was so excited that she dropped the pen but it was picked up and passed back to her.
Yes, Indeed, while there were plenty of important people on hand for this important occasion, No one was more important than "The Grandmother Of Juneteenth."
As is usually the case, Rachel Maddow later in the evening had a lot more information regarding the rest of the story of Opal Lee and her incredible connection not only to June 19th 1865 but also June 19th, 1939. Rachel presented a couple of old Fort Worth Newspaper stories detailing an incident that occurred in back in 1939 in Fort Worth, Texas, the city where Opal Lee still lives.
The Newspaper stories told the horrible tale of the Flake Family, who made the ap serious mistake of moving onto Annie Street in Fort Worth which was apparently an All White Section of Fort Worth. Otis Flake had a wife and three children and had been assured by his Real Estate Agent that Mr. Flake and his family would have no difficulty in their new home. Mr. Flake's Real Estate Agent was wrong.
Over a four night period the Flake Family were met with an incredibly violent reception by crowds of White individuals who were determined to drive out the Flake Family from their Annie Street Home. After a night of 100 or so rioters terrorized his family, Otis Flake obtained a gun to protect the Flake Family. According to the Rachel Maddow's story Mr. Flake was advised by the police that if he used that gun that the police would turn Mr. Flake over to the mob. After nearly a week and increasing numbers of White mob participants (500 at last count) Mr. Flake and his family fled the new home they had purchased. The white mob during the nightly riots removed furniture and other items from the Flake Home and burned them outside of the house. After the furniture burned some individuals came inside and turned on the gas jets and fled to watch the Flake House on Annie Road burn to the ground.
According to a recent Newspaper investigation there was never anyone arrested following the Annie Street riot. Opal Flake was 12 years old when she and her family were driven from their home and she apparently moved to another part of the city of Fort Worth, where "Miss Opal" still lives today. The day that the Flake Family barely escaped alive from their home on Annie Street never to return again was on June 19th (Juneteenth) 1939.
It seems to me that it takes a very strong individual just to get through a terrible situation like that which Opal Flake and her family endured. How could she look at Juneteenth as anything other than a dark and awful day that she never wanted to think about ever again.
Although it is probably the case that "Miss Opal" has nightmarish recollections of Juneteenth, 1939, It is also the case, however, that despite what happened to "Miss Opal" and her family on that dark date, Opal Lee (Married Name) has lobbied first her state of Texas and also the Federal Government to make Juneteenth a National Holiday.
On June 17th of 2021 she accomplished her goal of making Juneteenth a Federal Holiday with the cooperation of the United States Government, including the United States House of Representatives, The U.S. Senate and the American President and Vice President. "Miss Opal's" persistence paid off just as it had in Texas when Texas declared Juneteenth a State Holiday.
Now, hopefully, "Miss Opal Lee" can relax and enjoy the fact that she did the impossible. Not only did she accomplish her goal of making Juneteenth a Texas State and Federal Holiday, she also did the equally impossible task of bringing Bipartisanship back to the United States Congress.
God Bless you, Miss Opal for not losing faith in your fellow Americans despite the terrible things you lived through and endured. You deserve all the love and respect you are getting after your incredible accomplishments at 94 years of age. Thank you for hanging in there with us and never losing faith in your fellow Americans. What you learned and what you taught us will hopefully not be lost in the chaos of what we are all living through in this day and time. You, "Miss Opal," are living proof of the enduring goodness of America. You have certainly seen worse than we are seeing today. We salute you this Juneteenth and we will continue to salute you for Many Juneteenth's to come.
Sincerely Yours
Jerry Gallagher
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