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It's true what you say Mark but doesn't take away from the point that slavery was wrong. After all, not all Jews were in the holocaust and in fact hunted down other Jews in Germany, Poland and elsewhere. Yet, I've never heard anyone say the same about Jews.

Re: "It's true what you say Mark but doesn't take away from the point that slavery was wrong."

I quite agree. I very strongly agree but exploring history and it's odd ironies is not the same as justifying something. So many make that leap of logic. If "A" is true and "B" is true that does not make "A" = "C". Slavery is bad, true. Some slaves fought for the South, true. So if you say "B" is true you must be for slavery, not true.

There is a value in understanding the "why" of a slave fighting for a government that legalizes his status. For example blacks fought in WWI and WWII yet at home they were mistreated, Why did they do that? Some have pointed out the slave of 1850 was in some ways better treated than the free black in 1910. I do not justify slavery near as much as I criticize Jim Crow. It was horrible in 1910. All the worst sort of court ruling come from that era until the Warren court which seems determined to out do them. Why do children fight and kick and scream at social workers taking away child abusers. Why do smart adult women attack police when the man they love is in trouble for beating her. Heck she might have even been the one who called the police, but just ask a policeman what often happens on such calls.

I think some are just lazy. The teacher who is made uncomfortable by the subject maybe because they just do not know enough yet are afraid of that leap in logic so they respond in a manner that is a leap in logic itself.

NO ONE in this thread, or on FR that I'm aware of, has even hinted that slavery was not an evil institution. Rather, that we can't measure a system that existed since we bagan walking on two legs from today's perspective. Oh, maybe we can, since it still exists throughout the world.

Since 'we are all immigrants' is a popular saw these days, take a look into your family tree and let me know how many 'servants' 'indentured servants' or simply 'laborers show up in the record. Bet we've all got some.

Finally, maybe Mark in the old south can help out here, I've heard of slaves being armed for both hunting and property defense, I've been told of slaves hiring out to work in the community and sharing the wage with their 'msters' (hate htat word) and I know that many slaves HAD to be better educated than most around them because they administered the plantation's business.