‘This Is How We Lost to the White Man’

Atlantic Monthly ^ | May 2008 | Ta-Nehisi Coates

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Cosby torpedoes his own message when he wraps it around being “proud to be black”.

Be proud of your accomplishments and skills. Don’t be proud of your DNA. That’s moronic.

Nonsense.

If you are in any part descended from slaves imported to America from sub-Sahara Africa, you will accept that as part of your heiritage. Mere self-respect would require it. And if that carries with it a glint of militancy it is only too understandable, considering what the history of racism has been.

That being said, trust Thomas Sowell to point out the larger context. Slavery - as an institution, not as something you would want yourself or anyone you cared about to undergo - was accepted worldwide, throughout history. All religions - and atheism - have accepted it. And yes (see the book of Philemon in the Bible), that includes Christianity.

Uniquely among religions, however, Christianity turned against slavery contemporaneously with our founding era. The British were creating their empire at the time, and the British accordingly exerted tremendous influence toward the abolition of slavery. The same attitude was of course predominant in the American North. The real problem was that the American South was uniquely situated to be in no position to accept that. They had a tiger by the tail, and did not consider letting go to be an option. And in reality the North understood that - which is why the Abolitionists were considered extremists before, and even during, the Civil War. Sowell's point is that although people have always, undoubtedly, had some pity for slaves, you look in vain for any Abolitionist movement anywhere in history except among modern Christians.

Rush Limbaugh has lately been raving about The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and it is instructive to read the lyrics of that 1861 poem. In the context of 1861, exactly what was Julia Ward Howe saying? Basically, "Jesus wants you to enlist in the Union Army." You cannot find a text exhorting people to risk their lives "to make men free" on the basis of any belief system other than Christianity. Nor, I think, any similar exhortations for Christians written any more than 200 years before that one, either.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic is therefore, IMHO, a proper, fully adequate, basis on which to exhort American blacks to patriotism. And (in consideration of how many died opposing the Confederacy) it is a rebuke to the demands for apologies for slavery, and reparations. Accordingly blacks should adopt The Battle Hymn as a rallying cry, not to separatism, but to judging whites by "the content of their character." That is true self respect, of the sort that would lead blacks to effectively move into the mainstream. Which would of course marginalize Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson - and Barak Obama.

[TigersEye]

It is interesting and very long for saying the same thing over and over again. The author is very confused. He recognizes common sense with great precision. He knows the history of common sense in the black community very well. And after each recounting of it he constructs an argument against it. The security blanket of being a victim has just too strong of a pull to give in to the common sense positions he sees quite clearly. His own father slaps him upside the head with reality but he can’t stay with that. The temptation of liberal excuse making is too strong.

[littlehouse36]

“Bing!”

Belated chuckle.