Re: OT:Thanksgiving

In article <5r9b19F13a7pvU1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Pete Dashwood <dashwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


<docdwarf@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:fimmjs$r0q$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In article <ZMA3j.19766$K27.16492@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Judson McClendon <judmc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

[snip]

Most early Americans fled oppression in Europe, and did not like
the idea of a powerful central government here.

(The primary reason for the U.S. Civil War was to reverse this, not to
free slaves, as is commonly thought. Freeing slaves was the
tentative excuse, but not the reason.

Mr McClendon, several people have disagreed with this assertion... one of
them was Alexander H. Stephens, who addressed this very matter in a speech
he gave on 21 March 1861 in Savannah, Georgia, USA.

From http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?documentprint=76

--begin quoted text:

[snip]

Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its
foundations are laid, its corner-stone rests, upon the great truth that
the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery - subordination to
the superior race - is his natural and normal condition. This, our new
government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this
great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.

--end quoted text

Slavery was 'the immediate cause of the late rupture and present
revolution' and the corner-stone of the Confederacy was 'the great truth
tha the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery - subordination
to the superior race - is his natural and normal condition'.

So asserted Mr Stephens... who was the Vice President of the Confederate
States of America. What would *he* know about the reasoning behind the
Civil War, anyhow?

Thanks for that, Doc.

Like Judson's piece, I read it with great interest.

I was quite surprised by the revulsion that the last quoted paragraph evoked
as I read it.

I am no longer surprised, Mr Dashwood, by the ignorance people have - or
pretend to have - regarding this speech and many, many pronouncements
similar to it.

[snip]

Sadly, I have encountered people in the US, even recently, who genuinely
believe that Negroes are an inferior species and should be tended like
cattle, as God requires us to take care of them.

I believe Auld Blighty had a tradition of 'The White Man's Burden' for a
few years, as well... some folks cling to Oldene Stylees.

[snip]

(In my opinion, it still has a way to go, but I am encouraged by the legal
dismissal of "Intelligent Design" and such cases... I have no problem with
people believing whatever they want to, until they get commands from God to
suppress the search for knowledge and understanding and to believe that the
"unchosen" are inferior and should be treated as such...)

I have no problem with beliefs, period... actions concern me more. Oh...
and keep worship or advertising of your gods out of my public schools,
while you're at it.

DD

.

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