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Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, stop defending him

https://similarworlds.com/beliefs/4763857-Thomas-Jefferson-was-a-skeptic-Editors-note-Two-of-our

Blue sky king defending slave owners. He owned 600+ slaves not a good role model. And he got a 13 year old pregnant what a sick rapist.

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anythingoes477 · M

I think concentrating on Jefferson as the epitome of who was bad for owning slaves is looking past the elephant in the room to find a whipping boy to blame. Slavery began in Africa. It had been going on there for dozens of centuries before the first slave was ever sold off continent. It was not a white/black issue in the beginning and today it's still not. Slavery is STILL alive and well in Africa. In fact the top 5 countries in the WORLD for slavery are all located in Africa still today. Was slavery in America bad....yes. But do we blame those who bought a slave.....oir those who catch, bind and sell the slaves as the root of the problem? If no product exists.....no market for it exists. If a white owner and a slave is the answer to wrong.......what about the question of why the slave was here in the beginning? And the hard answer to that was profiteering by those who SOLD slaves to be in America in the first place. The issue of why slavery happened 250 years ago in America should be an issue of "buyer based" and not "seller based". But that is not ever how slavery is framed because of the degree of racism of the person bringing it up.

Look at the responses here. Some are flat out racists at blaming a white for ever owning a slave with no quarter given for anything else other than a "white did this to a black.". Those would be the most racist individuals. Some say the idea of pinpointing Jefferson as a bad slave owner is wrong by our views now...but not necessarily outside of what was considered normal for the time. Those are the ones that can see wrong but frame it in historical perspectives. Some say who cares...move on, Those thoughts most likely come from the least racist in society...the live and let live folks and let's move on.

The best way to deal with slavery is to not look back 250 years to find blame. The best.,.most productive way to end a wrong is to ask why is this is still going on in the world....anywhere? Instead of trying to find fault 250 years ago based on today's views of what WAS racist and what wasn't is to spend that time and effort to end slavery currently. Of course that takes the wind out of "you owe us" reparations claims........doesn't it?

So what is the issue? Slavery? Or just using examples of slavery 250 years ago...."a white guy did this to us" to justify a payday today?

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MarkPaul · 26-30, M

@anythingoes477 Your categorization and assessment of 3 groups of respondents seems perverted, biased, and contrived. By attempting to concentrate on slavery as a problem today without accounting for its historical context is simply a short-sighted (and perhaps lazy) way to look like you are solving a problem as a performance without the due diligence of understanding how we got here, i.e., how slavery came into being and is still utilized in some societies today.

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anythingoes477 · M

@MarkPaul Really? So how deeply do you consider where mankind came from? Or soup? Or. horses? And who cares? There are accounts of slavery in the Bible 2000 years ago and in Greek and Roman and Mesopotamian writings before that. Do you dwell on those?

Slavery is still here in the world now. If one has passion for that issue that is really good. There a REAL need for what they can do about it now. To live in the past is great for archeologists. But if something that is still a problem now is not the focus but Thomas Jefferson is.....you need to reassess what your priorities are.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477 Right. Let's go after all the black people, because they're totally responsible for its existence.

anythingoes477 · M

@LordShadowfire I wish ust sometimes...just sometimes...you would say something that made sense or had any bearing whatsoever on what you think i said.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477 I do. All the time. You literally just wasted several paragraphs justifying slavery in America by saying black people started it and that anybody who's opposed to white slave owners is a racist.

JSul3 · 70-79

@anythingoes477 Slavery was evil from day one. I refuse to see it any other way and reject it. Yes, slaves built the pyramids...slaves built roads, etc. That does not excuse it! The Dutch brought the first slave ship to the New World.
To brush it aside and say, "well that was how it was back then" or "it was the norm" turns a blind eye to the inhumane treatment of other human beings. Then we have this BS, "the slaves were treated well....look what skills they learned."
Yes slavery still exists in the world today and it still abhorrent and vile and evil!
You can't sanitize or pretty it up!

A wise man said: If you forget the past, you are doomed to repeat it.

anythingoes477 · M

@JSul3 i agree with you 100%. The statement made by some jerk Republican about how slavery helped blacks is stupid. The point i made is one SHOULD not be concerned with is] how it started or who we cheery pick from 250 years ago to make an example of now.......because in their day it was acceptable and times have changed.

The point is.....it still exist......and in this time period there are ways to turn ones passion about the evils of slavery into action to end it. That was my point despite the comments from those here who cannot read or comprehend what i said. There are lots of human rights organizations. Join one. Donate to them. Use social media to spotlight who is doing it. If you have passion......use it.

But it "seems" that most passion about slavery now is attached to "they did it back then....so you owe me money now".

Another wise man once said "if you live in the past you miss the joys of the present".

Live in the present and if you have the passion to be in that conversation then drop "whats in it for me" and use any route you can to be involved so OTHERS dont have to be in slavery today.

anythingoes477 · M

@LordShadowfire Qutoe what i said that "justified" slavery....or join a remedial reading class. You need one.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477

Look at the responses here. Some are flat out racists at blaming a white for ever owning a slave...

anythingoes477 · M

@LordShadowfire Again......can ANYONE tell me what your point is???? Some comments to the original post DOES say that. Where do you find "justification for slavery" in me saying "some here have said this"? You're like talking to a throw pillow. Zero reasoning or comprehension.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477 Then why are you so angry at people who point out that white people owned slaves? Why does it piss you off so badly to be reminded of that?

anythingoes477 · M

@LordShadowfire

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LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477 Don't roll Judge Judy's eyes at me. Answer the question. Why are you calling people racists for pointing that out?

anythingoes477 · M

@LordShadowfire I was once told if you want to find the rascist in the room just wait....the real racist will keep beating on race...looking for a fight.....until you just walk away. The racist here is you. Buh bye now.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477

The racist here is you.

JSul3 · 70-79

@anythingoes477 Owning other human beings is wrong. It is immoral. You can not justify it, period.

Fun fact: Remember the Alamo? Mexico had outlawed slavery. The land known as Tejas was ripe for cotton expansion, and the slave labor that came with it.

anythingoes477 · M

@JSul3 I did not say "owning" anyone was right.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477 You said it was understandable. You said it was understandable that Thomas Jefferson not only owned slaves, but forced a 14-year-old kid to have sех with him.

anythingoes477 · M

@LordShadowfire What was understandable in the 1700's does not relate to now. That is called "presentism". Treating every slang word or action done 300 years ago and comparing it to today and calling it an equal comparision. So if it's bad now it should have been bad back then too,,,,,,,,,,,and history don't work that way/.

If you recall just 15 years ago referring to blacks as "Negros" was acceptable...........even to blacks. Times change.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477 Nope. Rаріng kids was always bad.

anythingoes477 · M

@LordShadowfire Bad news. ;-) In 4 states it is STILL legal to marry girls as young as Jefferson's slave. ..........Get this.....................NO MINIMUM AGE TO MARRY.

"As of March 2024, in four states there is no statutory minimum age when all exemptions were taken into account. These states are California, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma"

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477 Still wrong.

anythingoes477 · M

@LordShadowfire Right or wrong......................its law.

LordShadowfire · 46-50, M

@anythingoes477 So you defend it.

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