“I was trying not to open the can of worms about whether or not the war was fought over slavery”
We can argue over whether secession was about slavery. I tend to think we much overrate Southerners’ word on the matter, given his naturally politicians demagogue and how much easier it is to whip people into a frenzy over the specter of John Brown and blacks stealing jobs and commingling in white society and an inequitable tax code. I’ll nevertheless concede the point.
The war is a different matter. The North fought it for the union, and therefore it was nit about slavery, at least not for a couple years.
“If I said the states were right, it would appear to many that I am condoning that ‘peculiar institution’”
Many ignoramuses, but why bother about them?
“so why give them any mire reason to buy into it”
Diminishing returns? Seriously, though, because you shouldn’t let them dictate your arguments. You can’t argue out of fear. And you’ll only encourage them.
“You can’t argue out of fear.”
Agreed. I’ll say more like discretion.
Leftists are so intellectually dishonest it is almost moot to even try to argue a point with them.
I have also read the threads arguing the Civil War causes here on FR, and freepers do not always play nice with each other.
I was just not in the mood to rile up my fellow freepers who happen to view that war as a single-issue conflict.