From: Pat Inniss (inniss@sprynet.com)
Date: Sat Jul 28 2001 - 14:25:00 MDT
Lee Corbin wrote:
>
> Pat Inniss writes
>
> > Are you saying that whites DIDN'T profit from slave labor?
>
> My God, for the record, in caps,
>
> IT IS ENTIRELY TRUE, WITH NO QUALIFICATIONS WHATSOEVER,
> THAT SLAVERY WAS A HIDEOUS EVIL, AND WHITES WERE THE
> ONES IN NORTH AMERICA WHO PROFITTED FROM IT AND
> ORCHESTRATED IT.
>
> Would you kindly *carefully* read people's posts? I was debating
> her assertion that this is not widely known in the U.S. I'm sorry,
> but my statement
>
> >> You are quite wrong. I don't think I've ever [met] anyone so
> >> so ignorant of history as to be unaware of slavery.
>
> is about as clear as I can make it. If you aren't going to
> understand that---i.e., try to make it sound as if I didn't
> know that whites profitted from slave labor, then we're doomed.
> Why even try to write coherently about anything if blatant
> misrepresentations like this are going to occur.
>
Thanks for the clarification. I finally understand what you were trying
to say. Now I suggest that you *carefully* re-read Olga's post. She did
(for the record, in caps) NOT say that people were in any way "unaware
of slavery." She was obviously referring to the fact that few people
were aware of the fact that slaves built the White House. Why would she
say that few people were aware of slavery? The obvious point was that
slaves' contributions were unappreciated. Hence your response was (to
me, obviously) unclear and confusing.
> And, poor me, I tried to be as inoffensive to all parties on
> this list as I could be, without provoking a general rehash
> of "the causes of the civil war" when I wrote
>
> >> It's usually put forth as the reason that the Civil War
> >> was fought, "to free the slaves". Abraham Lincoln is
> >> probably best known "for freeing the slaves." Okay :-)
> >> maybe you didn't hear this growing up because you weren't here.
>
By using phrases like "to free the slaves" in quotes, your response
might reasonably be interpreted as suggesting some doubt or disavowal of
that statement on your part. If that isn't the case, then I am
gratified. But coming on the heals of your apparent assertion that Olga
had claimed people to be "unaware" of slavery, I admit I was ready to
believe the worst.
> But I don't blame you so much (only a little) for finding that
> confusing. You weren't aware that I was talking about the
> state of "everyone's" beliefs, not about what was true. As
> it happens, I agree with you that slavery was the root cause
> of the civil war, the fundamental cause, and the main cause.
> (There were also other causes.) Happy?
>
Yes, extremely. In fact I'm dancing with glee as I type.
> Lee Corbin
>
> P.S. I can see why most of the time you only lurk.
>
Yup, me too. Heck, most of the time I don't even read half this stuff.
Regards,
Pat Inniss
[Engage lurk mode]
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