Some interesting posts here.
Going back in through history, I think what we did to the Native Americas was unfortunate.
However, I would like to note, that Native American tribes had been waring and trying to
kill each other off for some time as well.
Nevertheless, some of the tactics to kill off indians was horrible (like false good will
gestures, ie, diseased blankets) and massacring innocent people should never happen.
But, I would also like to note that throughout the beginning of our countries history, and
even when we were still a part of Britain, Native Americans were used by all sides vying for
colonizing this continent, French, British, and even Spanish, to attack the other sides colonials.
They used Native Americans, who gladly participated, as mercenaries, who ruthlessly killed men,
women, children. Now I don't want to say that they deserved to be moved off their land, and in
some instances killed, but I will say that they weren't rounded up in concentration camps and
later killed.
It was a gradual process, and while maybe not the best part of our history, it definately cannot be
considered the most shameful. And also, I ask this simple question, as time has passed on this world,
there has always been someone or something that occupied a certain area, and when someone new
comes into that area, they either fight if off, or are fought off. Now as horrible as it was, without it
happening this country wouldn't exist today.
As far as slavery in general goes, it was and in some cases today still is a horrible practice.
However when our country first started off, it was an excepted practice. Yes we probably
were alittle slowing in outlawing it completely, the North did outlaw slavery before the Civil War.
However the practice wasn't started by us. It was other Africans who were selling off people
as slaves. The most deplorable situation was the slave trade itself. Because while this was
going on, slaves were considered expendable. However once the slave trade was outlawed, which
did happen well before slavery, slave treatment was greatly improved. Because they were no longer
considered expendable, and while this still doesn't make it any better, it explains that during the Civil
war some slaves fought against the north, without being ordered to by their masters.
I actually find the treatment of blacks in america during the 1900's to be considerably more shameful.
I would like to note that when Roosevelt commented to Hilter about his treatment of the jews prior to
WWII, Hilter responded that it was no different than our treatment of blacks, which at the time was
correct.
I hate to say it again, but without slavery this country wouldn't exist today. And as I said before
that doesn't make it acceptable, however I think it elimiantes it from being the most shameful thing
we have done.
I would like to comment about WW2 in the fact that droping of the atomic bombs was not shameful.
People make the comment that Japan was close to surrender, well, they had 2 days after the first bomb
hit they had not surrendered and Russia declared war, and they did not surrender. The next day we dropped
the second bomb and they didn't surrender until Aug 15. So I am not sure how close they were to surrendering.
Even though they were without food. Obviously you wish it never had to be done. You never want war, however
more american, japanese would have died, and far more civilian causilities would have resulted from an invasion of
Japan, than because of the two atomic bombs being dropped.
However I really feel that the treatment of the Japanese on the west coast was the most shameful thing in this countries
history. Because of the paranoia resulting from Pearl Harbor, someone though it was a good idea to put them in concentration
camps. Now they might not have been the worst conditions, and it may have been done to stem anti-Japanese sentiment
throughout the west coast, but let me ask you, what would you think if I said, people don't like you so we are putting you in a
prision for your own protection, where you cannot leave, until people will accept you again.
Now i think the biggest thing when your looking at the most shameful thing in a countries history you have to balance it off
of what was acceptable at the time. You cannot fault people for doing things that were considered acceptable. Because
who knows, in 100-200 years, everything we do now could be considered shameful by their standards. Thats why when
you consider this, you have to consider things in terms of that. Otherwise, there are things that happened on this Earth,
that far outweigh anything the US has ever done, in terms of shame.
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