In theory, there is nothing wrong with a celebration of emancipation. The freeing of the slaves was one of the great steps forward for this country, an end to the darkest chapter in American history. But we don’t live in theory.

Our politics happen in practice, and in practice, the vote that elevated Juneteenth National Independence Day to the status of a federal holiday is a disaster for those who hold that our country is good, our Constitution a great charter of liberty, and that the nation is to be commended for its progress on racial matters, not damned for its previous sins.