by gross54 » Sat Oct 24, 2009 2:39 pm
Dear Uncle Milty
Settle down...I have read and reread LMs post a dozen times, it was not racist or bigoted. It was maybe poorly worded but I do not believe that any ill-intent was involved at all. We all know that slavery was and is wrong...But it was accepted and it was huge industry many years ago. Some like Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and never really got over the guilt of owning them. Please take some time to read up on Jefferson.
Jefferson was an outspoken abolitionist, but he owned many slaves over his lifetime. Although these facts seem baffling, biographers point out that Jefferson was deeply in debt and had encumbered his slaves by notes and mortgages; he could not free them until he was free of debt, which never happened. As a result, Jefferson seems to have suffered pangs and trials of conscience. His ambivalence was also reflected in his treatment of those slaves who worked most closely with him and his family at Monticello and in other locations. He invested in having them trained and schooled in high quality skills. He wrote about slavery, "We have the wolf by the ears; and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other."
I would like to think that as we as a society advance all will end up with equal rights. Slavery is nonexistent in most civilized nations and as more nations advance, slavery will become less and less till it is wiped out.
As for LMBombers statement...Yes, good people back then did own slaves. If you grow up with something you believe that it is acceptable and you go with the flow....but if you do some reading you will find that with the good people came tons of guilt. Many a good person has trouble righting a wrong when the overwhelming majority is wrong. Look how long we had segregation. You cant whitewash it and tell me that every person in the south that sent there child to an all white school was racist. Some were racist, some were just stupid, some did not care one way or the other and some just did not know what else to do.
Anyway....I am not the best writer in southern Minnesota (so I hope this makes some sense), but I feel that you are wayyy overreacting. I have read hundreds of LMs posts I do not think he is a nut job or a bigot. TSN can remove his post if they wish but I do not believe that he meant any thing racist by his comments...
I hope this made a little sense
Peace
gross54
PS
Milty I do agree with you about Glenn Beck., The man is totally ******* crazy!!
PPS
LMBomber please keep you the good work you do on these threads, was guys like you that really helped me become a better strat manager and guys like you make the boards interesting reading.