Quote:
Originally Posted by dculkin
For what it's worth, I would imagine that there are grandchildren of slaves still among us. Say a slave born in 1860 had a child at age 35 and then that child had the slave's grandchild at age 35. The grandchild would be 76 today. Doesn't seem farfetched to me.
My point is not to do the math, but to point out that we had things like slavery and government-sponsored racial discrimination for a long, long time and that the time since they were abolished is relatively short. None of this is intended to provide excuses for anyone, but I think it's important to keep in mind. Old ways die hard and I don't think that it is accurate to say that slavery does not affect anybody currently alive. For example, there are probably plenty of white Americans whose great-grandparents owned slaves. You don't think that experience affected the current generation? I would have to disagree. Speaking for myself, I would have to say that my great-grandparents' lives continue to affect me in ways that I could not articulate.
BTW, I have not paid great attention to everything Bill Cosby has said on this subject, but what I have heard from him sounds like it's right on target.
To change the subject slightly, there are probably many people alive today whose great-grandparents were alive during Thomas Jefferson's life. We have a young country.
|
for what it is worth, in the mid thirties right here in marion indiana a black man was lynched. about a forty mile drive from lafayette.
and the black folks had their own school here in lafayette, "lincoln" up til the sixties i believe.
and in the seventies the grand dragon (national leader) lived in greenwood indiana just on the south side of indianapolis.
and about ten years ago i observed several examples of defacto segregation in georgia when i was down there picking up an old caddy. separate chain gangs picking up trash along the road. in a restaurant i noted that all the white folks were seated along the windows and all the black folks were seated next to the wall by the noisy kitchen.
so it is still with us.
i don't know the solution but i know this.... i wouldn't want to be black.... at least not here.
oh and i agree that the welfare system as it is administered presently discuourages familys form staying together. there is no sense in that!
tom w
__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.
[SIGPIC]
..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.