Say Anything Blog

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, [unless they are black, then they can bring the turkey and stuffing and get the fuck out!]

Sparkless, Sparkless: Get the pole out of your keester!

It was a different time, but most of the Founding Fathers were uncomfortable with slavery, while didn’t want to cause the southern states to keep out of the Union and so they made comprises and yes many of those in slave holding states did not release their own slaves. But, prayers like the one above, The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution nonethelss demonstrated how they recognized a general right of equality of all citizens. Yes, our nation was tardy in dealing honestly and fairly with minorities, but they created the very principles and tools that would eventually set all things right and truly make all people equal.

For you to make such an asinine statement indicates a failure accept and understand that we cannot always apply the standards of this time with a couple of centuries ago and a failure to recognzie how our Founding Father’s made provision for all its citizens despite their own shortcomings.

No matter the age or state of health, for a military man it is always glorious to tilt at windmills, rescue a fair Dulcinea and be a gallant knight in armor in a glorious cause.

It was a different time, but most of the Founding Fathers were uncomfortable with slavery

Hogwash. Bullshit.

prayers like the one above, The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution nonethelss demonstrated how they recognized a general right of equality of all citizens

and when they said that, they excluded blacks. you are committing the intentional fallacy. the system they set up excluded blacks. period. yes, other people redeemed it. to maintain that we still use that system is folly. we have replaced the simple presence of a document and natural rights with a towering bureaucracy which, contrary to your claims, ir rarely ‘fair’. citing George Washington as a moral authority must be followed with a little asterix to the effect of: *The man thought blacks were inhuman. That they had no soul and therefore could enjoy no natural rights.* Other than that he was brilliant. Just that one shortcoming… listening to the church. D’oh.

Privately, however, Washington could—and did—lead by example. Later in life, just two years before his death, Washington wrote to Lawrence Lewis (1797), “I wish my soul that the legislature of this State could see a policy of gradual abolition of slavery.” George Washington died on December 14, 1799. Although he did not free his slaves during his lifetime, nor did he initiate emancipation plans as president, he privately encouraged those in the Congress to champion the effort through legislative action. He personally resolved the issue by providing for the emancipation of his slaves in his will. In addition to freedom, he left detailed instructions for their care and support of the newly freed people and records indicate that some lived at Mount Vernon as pensioners into the 1830s. Of the 316 slaves living at Mount Vernon in 1799, 123 belonged to George Washington and those 123 slaves were freed on January 1, 1801.

Sparkie, the system did not exclude blacks, slave traders did.  These founders were guilty of slavery which clearly contradicted the premise of our founding documents.

Times were different, but our founders laid the foundation for the greatest liberties ever enjoyed by humanity under government, and subsequently the greatest nation in history.  What is telling is your disdain for Washington for his gross flaw in a time when it was the social norm and your willingness to ignore the many good and great things he accomplished. 

By the way, if it was the social norm at the time and all morality is relative, then by the relative standard he did nothing wrong.

HG: The only thing I will add to your excellent response to educate Sparkless when he says, “the system they set up excluded blacks. period. yes, other people redeemed it.” You will hate this, but It was a Republican President that wrote and passed the Emancipation Proclamation and it was Republicans that passed the Civil Rights Act and most civil rights legislation that helped minorities gain full equality, which rights were guaranteed by our Founding Father’s in The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, which even people like Washington fully supported, knowing that the reality would not be immediate, but nonetheless inevitable!

No matter the age or state of health, for a military man it is always glorious to tilt at windmills, rescue a fair Dulcinea and be a gallant knight in armor in a glorious cause.