There are, no doubt, winners and losers in history. The winners generally have a good bit of influence to cast facts and personal data in ways closely resembling the way they would like them to be remembered. Countervailing facts seen as less relevant are less often--if ever--repeated among succint historical summaries.
Barron called BO's examples of heroes--Washington, Jefferson, etc., "your heroes." He said that because they were slave owners, they should not be honored by blacks. One of Barron's preferred heroes was Malcolm X. Upon hearing that, BO called Malcolm X a clear racist, and cited a quote from him. BO asked him if he would repudiate Malcolm because he was a racist.
Barron wouldn't repudiate him, but said Malcolm's statements evolved over time. BO asked Barron if others' heroes, such as Washington should be viewed more favorably, given that they, too, evolved better understandings over time, but Barron would allow none of that kind of thinking.
"If Socrates and Plato and their like kept slaves, should we no longer hold them in high esteem?" was another BO example. That would be nonsense, as the thrust of such peoples' contributions to history have to do with other aspects of they ways in which they might have participated in that which was common throughout the ages in which they lived. Revising history that way is simply willful ignorance and attempts to create an artificial reality.
Barron and his ilk are yet another threat in the PC crowd's attempt to revise history and take over America with their own version of events and beliefs. These people are simply happy to lie if it furthers their cause. This undermines character, upon which so much has been built in the past.
BO had a point that Barron's way of thinking was very detrimental to the blacks whose interests Barron was purporting to represent. He's right, of course, but as long as they can take over the country, such a means will be justified to reach that end.
There probably have been very good, fundamental reasons people throughout history benevolently wiped out their enemies--to eliminate the detrimental influence of those peoples' pasts and the potential negatives of their future actions might well have, perverse to the beneficent hopes they have for their children's futures, based in a reality worthy of being a foundation for future actions.
HF