Mr. Lee

[J. Beckert]

(04-18-2014 11:02 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  Joe, the "n" word is a horrible word but how was it regarded during the Civil War? Are you holding Mr. Lincoln to 21st century standards?
Rick, the best illustration of how Lincoln felt about African Americans is the Emancipation Proclamation. It says something about Lincoln's character that the African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass came to admire him.

Not at all, Linda. How were blacks regarded during the Civil War? Should we use 21st. Century mores, as most here do, to make excuses for why the slavery question wasn't solved sooner? And let's give Lincoln a pass for his documented use of the "n" word. He probably "evolved" by April 14th., 1865 and referred to them as "African Americans".

As far as calling blacks "African Americans" goes, it's pandering and it makes me sick. I like (black comedian) Bill Cosby's spin on that : We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don't know a thing about Africa .....
I say this all of the time. It would be like white people saying they are European-American. That is totally stupid.
I was born here, and so were my parents and grand parents and, very likely my great grandparents. I don't have any connection to Africa, no more than white Americans have to Germany , Scotland , England , Ireland , or the Netherlands . The same applies to 99 percent of all the black Americans as regards to Africa . So stop, already! ! !

I've made a point of asking some black friends about this and they laughed. They said it's just a way for white people to feel better about their self inflicted guilt. They actually feel it's patronizing. Their words - not mine.

I think Rick already explained Lincoln's motives behind the EP. What's interesting about Lincoln's thoughts was that he was investigating colonization right up until the day he signed the EP. There's now way around that. Let's put everyone on the same playing field and call it what it was - a different time.

Women's Suffrage took 70 years to come to a conclusion in this country. Why is it so hard to see why slavery and racial equality weren't cleared up in 4 years?

I hope you take none of this personal, Linda. You know we are friends and I think highly of you, but I've really had enough of this 21st. century spin on 19th. century events.