Lol, you seem to have identified yourself. You see, I've not said a word against Gen. Lee so your little triva wasn't needed. To you yokles who think I'm an idiot my IQ has been tested north of 160. Not bragging, just a fact.
Just missed Benedict Arnold's birthday party January 14.
Sure, just eliminate a certain "zone" and the problem will go away.....
Keep up the good work, Moderators.
1) Washington supported the elimination of slavery, but apparently felt that he couldn't unilaterally disarm and still run a business. Jefferson knew it was wrong "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever". Jefferson was instrumental in banning slave imports to Virginia. As President he banned international slave trading. But, yeah, I agree that we need to look at the totality of a persons life, not just the stuff that is convenient to hero worship.
2) Washington died 60 years prior to the civil war. By the time the civil war came around there was no longer any excuse to support slavery.
3) Most importantly, I'm commenting about people *today* who still worship at the feet of those who were so clearly, then and now, morally in the wrong. Even if we partially excuse some of the traitors by saying things like "oh, it's how they were raised" or "they didn't know better" the people *today* absolutely do know better and still fly the flag and worship traitors who were willing to destroy the country to keep humans as property.
Washington died a slave owner, yet people of all walks of life respect and admire him today for his legacy. If you read his history, and that of any significant historical figure, you'll realize that nobody was perfect, especially when measured by today's standards, yet we still have people that were heads and shoulders above the rest. You may wish to overlook certain "imperfections" in your own heroes, while others do the same with theirs. The bottom line is that humanity and civilization keep evolving, and what's perfectly acceptable to you today can easily become "sickening" to some individuals in future generations.
Not offended here. Just amazed at your lack of knowledge on the subject. But I'm sure your uber liberal professor told you his version of history and you took the bait.
Yeah, that's all true. But remember that there were enough people in the 1860's that knew slavery was wrong that the traitorous south tried to destroy the country to get away from the majority of people that knew slavery was morally wrong. Washington was more of a mixed bag. He did die a slave owner, you are 100% right. Part of his will was that he freed his slaves though, so lets not leave that part of the story out. Martha, however, decided to keep hers and left them to her heirs when she died.
You are forgetting or neglecting the fact that the "country" in those days was more of a confederation or union of states than it is today. So being loyal to one's home state wasn't the equivalent of being a "traitor".
Regarding "knowing" what's right and wrong, today some people consider eating or owning animals "wrong". Perhaps in a few generations they will be the majority, and by your standards, virtually all today's heroes will be "sickening" carnivores.
Nah, the point is that *in that era* it was well understood that keeping slaves was wrong. The british had stopped by a series of steps beginning in the early 1800's and ending in 1833 with the complete abolition of slavery, the north had stopped (I think completely, at least mostly). The south was morally in the wrong even in that era. And, of course, the point is still that those who idolize those immoral traitors even with the benefit of over a 150 years of hindsight are immensely more in the wrong.
"Well understood" by whom?
I said people's fathers and grandfathers. . .I'm pretty sure I didn't meet any veterans of the Civil War, not in the 1950s. Once anecdote, though not sure it's correct:If you were 18 in 1865, you would be 110 in 1957.
By the populations of many nations that had, or were in the process of, eliminating slavery.
And the people today who worship the confederacy have even less of an excuse.
Again, morality is not absolute, and evolves with time, per my above example.
Ok, make your case that slavery in 1860 was morally acceptable.
NOTE: Politics and religion and any other topic likely to become highly charged are not allowed, and threads may be deleted or closed if they start or trend, respectively, towards "spin" topics.