[marron]

Slavery was a Democrat institution, as was Jim Crow repression for the century following it.

Republicans should never let themselves be put in the position of defending the indefensible. Let Democrats defend Democrat history. We're Republicans. We are the party founded to end slavery, we ended it, and we should never apologize for it.

American conservatism isn't the traditionalist conservatism of the rest of the world, it is the simple John Lockean, Jeffersonian belief in limited government, individual liberty, individual responsibility. That is the tradition we seek to "conserve". We should never be put in the position of defending a culture that only imperfectly manifests our ideals, but understand that we are in a fight to the end to transform that culture. To defend it when it merits defending, and to transform it as it falls short.

You can tell me all day long that there were noble men who lived in the South and fought for its cause, and I will tell you that this only proves one of history's most tragic truths. The greatest evils are not committed by evil men, as we all know who they are and can defend ourselves against them. The greatest evils are committed by good men who don't see the damage they do. The greatest evils are committed by people who put clan loyalty ahead of moral right. The noble southerners who died in that war, died themselves for a cause that was not worthy of their sacrifice, and they died to defend men who were themselves not worthy.

It is true that we are talking about another time, when people did not understand things in the way they do now, and you would be right. But the fact remains that some men did understand, some men did find the courage to stand up against evil, many of these men paid the price for it, and it is these men whose lives and deaths we should celebrate.

Let Democrats defend Democrat history.

[cyborg]

amen

[mac_truck]

I have trouble finding fault with a private school curriculum that exposes its students to a variety of opposing views so that they may better understand the concepts they are learning. In this particular instance the booklet was meant to give the students some understanding of the views and mores of mid-ninteenth century southern slaveholders. It was supposed to counterpoint the northern perspective as embodied by Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.

It may also be of some interest to note that the Cary Christian School has decided to pull the booklet in question from its curiculum. This after they found out the booklet is no longer being published due to inaccuracies in its content.