It doesn't seem appropriate to say Happy Juneteenth, but it is certainly appropriate to observe the day. I recently visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute museum, and that is a difficult thing to do, especially if you top off your trip with a visit across the street at the 16th Street Baptist Church, where four little girls were killed by a bomber in 1963.

Some people say that slavery occurred a long time ago, and we should move on. Slavery is still very much a part of some cultures, and discrimination against African Americans is very much a part of American culture. The only way to "move on" is to end this discrimination, as well as discrimination against women, minorities, gay citizens, and the disabled. But first we have to admit that the discrimination exists.

Happy Juneteenth.