John Adams Recalls the First Independence Day

I would suppose you think your progressive, counter culture mutterings are revelation - somehow illuminating the rather troublesome, subjective standards of 18th Century America.

Apparently, you believe that slavery was unique to Western Civilization. That being the case, it might be good to enlighten you since I'm certain you were never taught the un-p.c. truth in school.

Whom do you suppose sold the African slaves to Europeans and Americans? Never gave that much thought eh? You see, various African tribes made war on weaker African tribes and sold the survivors to the slave traders - well, at least those they didn't keep as slaves or concubines for themselves.

At some point in time every culture, that comes to mind, kept slaves of all colors; Rome, Greece, Carthage, Vikings, Egyptian, Phoenician, Muslims, Japan, Brittan, China, Persia, Aztecs, Incas, Toltec - well heck, nearly all New World Indians kept slaves and fought wars of aggression. But back to the point - there is no moral high ground to be claimed notwithstanding the ramblings of Ward Churchill or other Progressive apologists like our president.

America's strength has always arisen from, ( to clip and paste from Lincoln) "the better angels of our nature" - to strive to do the right as God gives us the light to see the right - with malice toward none and charity for all.

Works for me...

R.L. Schaefer of CA 12:27PM July 04, 2011

“George Washington's attitude toward slavery changed as he grew older. During the Revolution, as he and fellow patriots strove for liberty, Washington became increasingly conscious of the contradiction between this struggle and the system of slavery. By the time of his presidency, he seems to have believed that slavery was wrong and against the principles of the new nation."

“As President, Washington did not lead a public fight against slavery, however, because he believed it would tear the new nation apart. Abolition had many opponents, especially in the South. Washington seems to have feared that if he took such a public stand, the southern states would withdraw from the Union (something they would do seventy years later, leading to the Civil War). He had worked too hard to build the country to risk tearing it apart.”

http://www.mountvernon.org/learn/meet_george/index.cfm/ss/101/

Bill Hedges of MO 8:08AM July 04, 2011

your founding father GW owned slaves

c kubisz of NJ 7:12PM July 03, 2011