I just watched Amistad

[ThePresence]

Powerful. Jeeez, did they really treat them like that? I mean, I'm sure it was no picnic for them, but like THAT? Is it accurately portraying history? How did people justify it to themselves at night?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Did they tell you that the Cinque returned to Africa... to become a slave trader?

 

[linuxboy]

How did people justify it to themselves at night

You don't seem to understand... blacks are inferior. I am superior, therefore I have the mandate from myself, my peers, and yeah even God Himself to do as I damn well please without consequence.

Quite simple, isn't it?


We have years of history and realization to make us aware of what has occured and what is right and wrong. You look at the world today and you look at your own self and you will see the same madness concealed in what seems a less deadly and overt form but it is still there, some penumbra that doesn't go away. Remember the past. And yes, some cases were as bad as that though it is a dramatization of actuality.

Cheers !

 

[ThePresence]

<< You look at the world today and you look at your own self and you will see the same madness concealed in what seems a less deadly and overt form but it is still there, some penumbra that doesn't go away. >>



I think I can honestly say I dont have any thing close to that within me.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

<< Powerful. Jeeez, did they really treat them like that? I mean, I'm sure it was no picnic for them, but like THAT? I sit accurately portraying history? How did people justify it to themselves at night? >>

Even if not 100% accurate, I'm sure there has to be some element of truth in the portrayal of slavery, like all things evil it is truly ugly.

I think the trick to being able to live with yourself and sleep well at night would be to dehumanize and/or trivialize the subjects involved.

Just like in abortion, if it's just a clump of cells then no harm/no foul when it's done away with, right?

If infants don't feel any pain then it's OK to perform surgery without anesthesia, right?

Well, you get the idea.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I always find it fascinating that the current generation (any current generation) is prepared to sit in moral judgement of those who went before them. You consider what they did as evil. If given the chance, what would they say about us?



Edit- Hello LB!

 

[linuxboy]

I think I can honestly say I dont have any thing close to that within me.

What now has saliency does not detract from what is hidden and possible, from what has potential and strength. If you do not see darkness in the daytime, then perhaps you have not chosen it, but this does not mean necessarily that darkness does not see you.


Cheers !

 

[jjones]

From what I've read about the slave ships, they did all that and worse. Definately an ugly period of history.

 

[ThePresence]

<< I think I can honestly say I dont have any thing close to that within me.

What now has saliency does not detract from what is hidden and possible, from what has potential and strength. If you do not see darkness in the daytime, then perhaps you have not chosen it, but this does not mean necessarily that darkness does not see you.


Cheers ! >>



I just finished a tiring day of work. This is WAY too deep from me.

 

[Novgrod]

Man that spielberg is great. I hope he can find another really obvious cause. Or he could address that the bullets made in Schindler's factory fired just fine, but that would be adding shades of meaning, a task of which he's obviously incapable. "If it isn't black and white, I don't want to see the script on my desk."

As for "how could they do that?" it's a really good question. I'm familiar with Jefferson and Washington's take on it. Washington of course freed his slaves, and Jefferson didn't because he was broke by the time of his death.

Jefferson petitioned for ending slavery, and he almost succeeded. He ultimately failed because South Carolina wouldn't have stayed in the Revolution/obeyed the Constitution had slavery been ended.

If you want, a good book is _The Wolf by the Ears_. Also look for Jefferson's notes on the state of virginia re: slavery. Racist: yes. Pro-slavery: no. This was the case with almost every white in America until, well, recently. Even Lincoln.

Before anybody responds, Jefferson probably didn't make babies with Sally Hemmings. A Jefferson--there were over twenty in three counties--did that, and Jefferson was 65 when Hemmings' child was born.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

<< I always find it fascinating that the current generation (any current generation) is prepared to sit in moral judgement of those who went before them. You consider what they did as evil. If given the chance, what would they say about us? >>

Exacting involuntary servitude from another human is wrong no matter the generation.

What would they say about us? Probably just find us fascinating, like you do.

 

[linuxboy]

Yo_Ma-Ma, I agree with your point but think Hayabusarider here was just expressing the sentiment of looking to another side instead of reacting as opposed to notions of absolute relativism.

I just finished a tiring day of work. This is WAY too deep from me.

Whenever I'm tired physically or weary mentally, a hot cup of cocoa or tea with a warm bath does wonders. Or just crash and take a nap.


Hi Hayabusarider, I haven't posted much here lately. Good to 'see' you.

Cheers !

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Actually, YYM I find many people and their behavior fascinating. Every generation has it's perspective. They view the world through their common experiences. The question was how did people sleep at night with what went on. Probably very well. Reason? Because it was nothing out of the ordinary. This does not address the morality of the issue, but the reality of the day from THAT generations perspective. Certainly there were individuals who objected to slavery, but this was not a universal sentiment. Most were concerned about that day's bread, about cholera, smallpox, and death and bad weather in general.

 

[Cyberian]

A replica of the Amistad was built at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, and launched a little over two yrars ago.

Mystic Seaport has some pretty interesting information about the Amistad story on their website.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

<< Actually, YYM I find many people and their behavior fascinating. Every generation has it's perspective. They view the world through their common experiences. The question was how did people sleep at night with what went on. Probably very well. Reason? Because it was nothing out of the ordinary. This does not address the morality of the issue, but the reality of the day from THAT generations perspective. Certainly there were individuals who objected to slavery, but this was not a universal sentiment. Most were concerned about that day's bread, about cholera, smallpox, and death and bad weather in general. >>

Yes, I'd agree with this for the most part.

 

[Squisher]

People just don't understand how poorly was the life of the masses from those times and before. Slavery was an abomination in concept and deed, but rights and privileges were something that was not bestowed on the common man let alone property. To say it was a cruel world would be an understatement.