Slavery, Civil Rights & Selective Memory

Granddaddy Long Legs ^

[cchandler]

When I usually come across articles about slavery reparations, I scan through them at best, and ignore them at worst. I am convinced that after witnessing a Slavery Reparations Rally on the National Mall a few years ago, I have given the argument enough thought to realize that I could not disagree more. A couple friend of mine even had the honor of being singled out by the mob, and was serenaded along their leisurely stroll to the repetitive chant of, "white devils!"

Unfortunately and unfairly, I recollect this image whenever I hear or read an argument for apologies or reparations for the long ago sin of slavery.

I have always disagreed with the theory of 'generational punishment' and refuse to demand atonement for the 'sins of the father'. I believe we come into this world with nothing -- no pre-packed baggage or tiny axes to grind.

But my interest was piqued when I read this argument by Carol M. Swain in favor of a federal apology for the institution of slavery. I'll cite some of the better portions.....

[Enterprise]

bump

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Not a particularly good article.

Read Thomas Sowell's Black Rednecks and White Liberals and you get a much cleaner rebuttal to the reparations nonsense. Sowell makes the point that slavery was rampant throughout the world and throughout history before Christianity existed, and continued so for many, many centuries after the advent of Christianity.

So you cannot say that Christianity as such inherently did much to eliminate slavery or to enable it. But what is true that enslavement of Europeans (by Moslems) died out when the modern European states coalesced and made the idea of pirate raids to steal citizens of, say, Napoleanic France ridiculous. And that after that Christianity developed an antipathy and a concommitant military influence which reduced slavery worldwide.

Christians did not oppose slavery throughout history, but throughout history nobody else but Christians ever seriously attacked slavery as an institution. The only place that ever produced a literature in support of slavery was the antebellum South, because of all the places that the institution ever existed it was the only place where it was under attack as an institution.

Slavery was ended (it still exists, actually) only by Christians with rifles and navies. Especially the Union Army and the British Navy, which at substantial expense maintained a squadron of warships off the African coast to intercept slavers for no other reason than the moral sentiments of Victorian Christians.

Sowell also vindicates the pro-freedom credentials of slaveowning southern Founders of the American Republic; he explains the considerations which prevented their acting more decisively against southern slavery.

[lunarbicep]

bump