NYTimes Charles Blow Opinion

[Rob Wick]

Steve,

I believe there was no president, perhaps other than Thomas Jefferson, who was as literate as Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln loved words and used them to their fullest potential and, on many occasions, used them with less specificity to keep something hidden that he wanted hidden. Had Lincoln only said, "Nevertheless, I repeat, without the institution of Slavery the war could not have an existence," then I would agree that he's simply talking about a point I think most of us accept. But he didn't. He added the phrase "and the colored race as a basis." It is beyond me how that can be interpreted otherwise. However, I remain open to arguments proffered to change my mind.

I also agree that Lincoln's life was an exercise in growth and continued search for understanding, but if one accepts Benjamin Butler (not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination), then Lincoln didn't live long enough to realize the mistake that colonization would have been, both politically and most important, morally.

Roger, I guess in a deeper philosophical sense, one could argue that both sides were right based on their belief system, which is all we have in order to make assumptions and hold viewpoints, but in a cold, hard, realistic sense, only one can be right, based on the evidence as it is currently known. Given that history has been written by white men for the past several decades, it's little wonder that the white viewpoint has achieved predominance. While I don't fear inviting as many voices into the mix as possible, I do fear that "the other side" will forget how exclusion and submissiveness felt in not allowing other views to be heard and attempt to suppress what they disagree with. There is room enough for all, even if all cannot be right.

Best
Rob