Spielberg's Lincoln

[Laurie Verge]

Liz,

First, your last posting basically says the very same thing that I have been stressing (mainly to you) over the past few days. I was getting the distinct feeling that you saw some of us as a bunch of rebel rabble who were condoning the institution of slavery 150 years after its elimination.

No one is suggesting forgetting about the institution, but there is a distinct difference between "forgetting" and "moving on." Talking in historical terms, "forgetting" insinuates that we advocate wiping out the topic entirely (such as some people have done with the Holocaust in suggesting that it never occurred). No one on this forum is dumb enough to think that.

However, "moving on" means that you recognize problems, work to fix them (which we as a nation have certainly done - especially in the past 60 years), and continue to make progress without constantly using the evil past as an excuse for failure. This holds true for a variety of areas that still need working on in our society - such as reverse discrimination.

Let's change the word "resent" to "respect" and have it as a two-way street. Or, better yet, let's consider that we all get the gist of this thread and MOVE ON.

P.S. I taught for nearly a decade when the schools of Maryland were going through desegregation. I have vivid memories of the dissatisfaction that both sides felt during that very troubling time. Trust me, it wasn't just white backlash.