Combative U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas surprised both his supporters and detractors — to judge from the responses — with his dignified, sensitive tribute to the commemoration of Juneteenth, a federal holiday marking the 1865 emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.
(Though Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 and the end of the Civil War that Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Army was able to convey to slaves in Texas news of their freedom. Granger issued what was called General Order No. 3, and enforced it.)
Made a federal holiday by President Biden in 2021, Juneteenth was first officially celebrated as a holiday in Texas beginning in 1980, more than 40 years before.
Cruz, whose normally vitriolic rhetoric includes proposing imaginary scenes like his recent “video of Joe Biden murdering children dressed as the devil under a full moon,” struck a very different tone, calling Juneteenth a time for reflection and a “joyful reminder of our nation’s progress in advancing the principles of liberty & equality for all.”
As we commemorate Juneteenth, we recognize & reflect on the blessing of freedom.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 19, 2023
Together, we celebrate the anniversary of Major General Gordon Granger’s arrival in Galveston, Texas, where he brought news of the emancipation of the enslaved.
Today is a joyful reminder of our…
Even Cruz’s consistent detractors evidently appreciated the Senator’s measured and respectful tone and message. One wrote: “Today also commemorates that all too rare occasion when you say something I actually approve of.”
Senator, Today also commemorates that all too rare occasion when you say something I actually approve of. 🤔
— Carlos Turnbull (@cturnbull1968) June 19, 2023
Even those who have heard enough of Cruz’s incendiary rhetoric to remain wary of the messenger still approved, as shown below:
Good message, flawed messenger.
— 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕖_𝔻𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕖 (@SundaeDivine) June 19, 2023
Of course, the post was so “off-brand” — and not particularly tailored to Cruz’s base of supporters, despite his couching the celebration in a broader “freedom” context — that at least a few wondered if the Senator was feeling like himself when he wrote it.
“Are you ok?” asked more than one.
Are you ok?
— Lasso (@mma0604) June 19, 2023
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