First of all, forgive me for starting another thread. I’m going to bump this thread as often as historical ignorance continues to rear it’s ugly head.
I cannot post under a thread started by bota. In every realm of human behavior, one can take things too far. bota throwing rocks at Lincoln is too far. If you are one of those jackasses (dustin) who thinks freedom of speech should not and does not have any limits, then you have to believe that anything goes. For instance, are you fine with david duke/louis farrakhan shouting racial slurs at passerbys in a mall? Are you sanguine about the most vile/foul language being shouted at a pre-schooler? You’d be fine with some asswipe making Pro-Nazi comments to a holocaust survivor.
As I said, there are some things said by some people that go too far. People should be offended by bota, in particular, throwing rocks at Abraham Lincoln.
Remember this is the same guy who was glad when we thought austrians were selling sniper weapons to the iranians.
I’ve been here for about four years. This is probably the fourth time some people have demonstrated their historical ignorance. It’s a circular argument that needs to be squashed each time it comes up.
First of all, the essential reason for the Civil War was slavery. It was the issue that couldn’t be resolved diplomatically.
Don’t believe me? Here’s Lincoln’s Second Inaugural:
“One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it”
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/inaug2.htm
More Lincoln: Prior to Inauguration.
http://members.aol.com/jfepperson/newhaven.html
Second, Lincoln cared very much about the plight of the slaves.
Here is Fredrick Douglas giving an eulogy to Lincoln:
“Though Mr. Lincoln shared the prejudices of his white fellow-countrymen against the Negro, it is hardly necessary to say that in his heart of hearts he loathed and hated slavery… [FOOTNOTE: I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I cannot remember when I did not so think and feel.'' Letter of Lincoln to Mr. Hodges, April 4, 1864.] The man who could say, Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war shall soon pass away, yet if God wills it continue till all the wealth piled by two hundred years of bondage shall have been wasted, and each drop of blood drawn by the lash shall have been paid for by one drawn by the sword, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether,‘’ gives all needed proof of his feeling on the subject of slavery. He was willing, while the South was loyal, that it should have its pound of flesh, because he thought that it was so nominated in the bond; but farther than this no earthly power could make him go.”
http://american_almanac.tripod.com/dougorat.htm
JeffR
