Posted on Feb 10, 2018
New Orleans activist makes the jump from Confederate monuments to Washington DC
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File this under "Give 'em an inch and they'll take a mile..." This got me to thinking: Were slave owners racists? Now, before you jump, let's clear up a couple of points. (1) Keeping human beings as slaves is wrong. (2) Racism, that is bigotry or discrimination, used as an excuse to act prejudicially towards others, is wrong. My question is, are they the same wrong? A person such as George Washington lived in a time when blacks were not considered human beings and there was no one to argue the point. In fact, according to the best evidence we have, Washington treated his slaves (actually his wife's) more humanely than most slave owners. Thus, he was not violating either any law nor any social more. He was being "just" in his own time. Is it fair to judge people by standards that didn't exist in their time? As a matter of law, you can't be found guilty of a crime in violating a law if you acted in such a manner before the law forbidding that crime existed. (Ex post facto - after the fact) Something to think about...
New Orleans activist makes the jump from Confederate monuments to Washington DC
Posted from bizpacreview.comPosted in these groups: 
Racism
Racism
Posted 6 y ago
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Judging historical figures by todays standards is unfair and unrealistic. To use the slavery example, slavery was not race based. It was an outcome of conquering another country or capturing foreign Fighters. In some cases those countries were different races and/or religions. Americans being captured and enslaved in North African nations (Barbary) was one of reasons we went to war with them (to free our captives/slaves) and to ensure free, unmolested trade. Even Americans were enslaved.
It is a strategy by the left to hold only American historical figures to this standard as well. America was not the only nation with slaves at the time by a long shot. The west ended the practice. It is still practiced in areas of the world today.
When writing the constitution, slavery was a reality. Many did not like it and wanted to end it but others knew that in order to get the document ratified they had to live in the time they were living in and allow the colonies the ability to amend the document in hopes that others could end the practice based upon the concepts most believed that ALL men were created equally and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.
Had those against slavery, at the time, refused to operate in reality we might not have seen the Constitution and the wisdom found in it and had the ability to end slavery and other items that were matters of common practice in the 18th century.
It is a strategy by the left to hold only American historical figures to this standard as well. America was not the only nation with slaves at the time by a long shot. The west ended the practice. It is still practiced in areas of the world today.
When writing the constitution, slavery was a reality. Many did not like it and wanted to end it but others knew that in order to get the document ratified they had to live in the time they were living in and allow the colonies the ability to amend the document in hopes that others could end the practice based upon the concepts most believed that ALL men were created equally and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.
Had those against slavery, at the time, refused to operate in reality we might not have seen the Constitution and the wisdom found in it and had the ability to end slavery and other items that were matters of common practice in the 18th century.
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I have never bought off on the premise that an entire race today is responsible still for the sins of their ancestors. If you want to call me a racist because of what I say or do, fine, but not because George Washington owned slaves 200 years ago, or Thomas Jefferson kept a slave for a concubine. If that rationale was rational couldn't Germans today be blamed and held accountable for the sins of the Nazis 50 years or so ago.
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