It's being carried on because it does so many things for american culture that are valuable in today's society. It vilifies whites, ennobles blacks, gives a rationale for racial hatred, and overshadows other, potentially more important parts of American history.
I understand that it should be taught. Devoting a week to slavery education in grade school and a week to world war II, with 2 days given to world war I?
Yeah, that's right. I'm sure, however, that this comment will be passed over as "racist"
People forget about a lot of things that happened. No one makes a big stink about the crusades anymore do they? They should never forget, but stop throwing it in everyones faces like it was the worst thing to ever happen to a group of people on the planet.
My family, nor I, had a single thing to do with slavery in colonial America. I don't need some guilt trip played on me, my family and my future offspring for centuries to come.
During the time slavery was active in America my family was over in sicily farming grapes and olives. I in no way shape or form will ever apologize to african americans for the slavery they were put through.
Anyway, the book was good, but not worthy of mandatory high school reading.
OP, you're an idiot. What's the point of constantly reminding everyone about what happened some 150 years ago, in english class... High school english is for reading comprehension, not history... if you want to learn about American history take a history class. If you want to learn about a particular groups history, take a special interest history class.
wait, let me get this correct. You believe slavery wasnt the worst thing to happen to? im sure the slaves-to-be were all happy and giddy to be part of the largest (forced)migration known to man. And not to mention the way they were treated for the next couple hundred of years, and even how blacks are treated today. If you do not believe american slavery was the worst thing to happen to a particulary race (group of people, what ever you want to call it), then you sir are one ignorant man.
hence i said "highschool" not just english class.
You don't get it, do you? If you're white, you're directly responsible for slavery. No exceptions. Now get on your knees, bitch, and apologize :|
So the holocaust was just a walk in the park?
Or Ethnic Cleansing in Rwanda? Croatia? Sudan?
:roll:
A good HS history book will have a chapter or two about slavery, why dedicate another MONTH or SO to read a fictional narrative... We don't do this for any time in history... you don't study fictional narratives to learn history in high school buddy...
I never read the book, so I'm just responding to your post. First, yes, the slave ships were absolutely hellish, and of course life as a slave in America was horrible. However, a good portion of the slaves purchased by Europeans were captured and sold to them by other Africans; they were originally POWs taken by enemy tribes, but then it became a lucrative business for the natives. As for life in Africa not being barbaric, I don't belive that for a minute, seeing as how life is STILL shockingly barbaric there on most of the continent (just watch the news).
Also, some 2/3 of all slaves shipped across the Atlantic ended up in the Caribbean possessions of European powers (sugar plantations), rather than North America, despite the popular misconception that the trans-Atlantic slave trade was primarily focused here. Accordingly, it was Great Britain (who had always preferred indentured servitude to slavery, at least in North America) that took the first steps to squashing the slave trade (1807), and then pressured the other Europeans to do the same (1815), and it was the Royal Navy, not the US Civil War, that really brought the horror to an end. Unfortunately, the Southern US kept up the practice after these developments because their entire economy was based on slavery. This is one of the main reasons that Britain stopped short of giving the Confederacy its full support.
Schadenfroh
Elite Member
- Mar 8, 2003
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If I'm an ignorant man, then I'm not sure how low you are on the scale.
Look up the "holocaust" sometime. Or mabey the worldwide systematic slaughtering of jews outside of nazi germany that required them to constantly migrate to other parts of the world doesn't classify as one of the, if not THE most heinous event to occur to a particular group of people.
Gee how about the genocide attempts in rwanda and croatia? Mabey they don't teach you that stuff in first year english?
You're also taking a fictional book as a basis for fact, that doesn't say much for you, or your understanding of history.
shortylickens
No Lifer
- Jul 15, 2003
- 80,287
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Yep. This is pretty much how any slavery thread progresses.
Although in P&N the responses are more entertaining.
Although in P&N the responses are more entertaining.
That's because I can't make up history, or rely on a fictional book to base my opinions on like the OP.
Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
Probably?
Considering the last known confederate widow died only a few years ago I couldn't completely ignore the possibility of there being some offspring still alive.
Viper GTS
erikistired
Diamond Member
- Sep 27, 2000
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the sad part is if you said that in some areas you'd probably get killed for it because people feel so entitled to hate these days.
erikistired
Diamond Member
- Sep 27, 2000
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the way blacks are "treated" today probably has more to do with the way they act as a culture than something that happened hundreds of years ago. if you want to try and play the race card look at what prominent BLACKS are saying (bill cosby? chris rock?).
its too long, maybe in something like ap or honors english it could be done.
In high school I had to read Ethan Frome, I hated that book.
If you want to talk about good books that should be read in high school, I'll nominate Red Badge of Courage. That was a very well written book with an excellent story, I didn't discover it until I took american lit in college.
That being said, I have never read more then 1/2 of a fictional book during and after high school. I always passed english and lit classes with B or better with cliff & spark notes conbined with reading the first middle and last 2 chapters of a book.
In high school I had to read Ethan Frome, I hated that book.
If you want to talk about good books that should be read in high school, I'll nominate Red Badge of Courage. That was a very well written book with an excellent story, I didn't discover it until I took american lit in college.
That being said, I have never read more then 1/2 of a fictional book during and after high school. I always passed english and lit classes with B or better with cliff & spark notes conbined with reading the first middle and last 2 chapters of a book.
shortylickens
No Lifer
- Jul 15, 2003
- 80,287
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Let's some up some major events in history
Crusades: Holy Land
Civil War: Slavery
WWI: telephone poles
WW2: The source of 99% FPS games.
Anyway, I think any assigned reading should be to get people interested in reading itself; how many reading assigments of "classic" literature have there been throughout the years, boring students who don't want to read them in the first place? Oliver Twist, Romeo and Juliet, An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge, Roots, Great Expectations, Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Diary of Anne Franke, Grapes of Wrath, The Lottery, etc. By today's standards, not exactly riveting reading. Boring, tough to slow through, in fact. You can argue all you want about how "important" or "meaningful" they are, but it doesn't do anything for the students. Most of the symbolism and issues of the story aren't exactly hard to grasp, so asking questions or discussions about these types of materials doesn't really stimulate the minds of the students either.
My solution? If you want students to at least consider reading outside of school, go to alternative sources; comic books, which can have very adult storylines under writers such as Alan Moore, modern books with some intelligence, yet have been at the Top Ten list at some point. Devinci Code, Historical Novel, a biography on a recent politician or public figure, or a particular major event like 9/11 or even the Gulf War. Maybe a related fiction book like "Black Hawk Down." An emphasis on reading and keeping up with news articles, both local and on national levels. It would require daily reading and discussion, constant stimulation of the mind by things that are happening here and now.
Crusades: Holy Land
Civil War: Slavery
WWI: telephone poles
WW2: The source of 99% FPS games.
Anyway, I think any assigned reading should be to get people interested in reading itself; how many reading assigments of "classic" literature have there been throughout the years, boring students who don't want to read them in the first place? Oliver Twist, Romeo and Juliet, An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge, Roots, Great Expectations, Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Diary of Anne Franke, Grapes of Wrath, The Lottery, etc. By today's standards, not exactly riveting reading. Boring, tough to slow through, in fact. You can argue all you want about how "important" or "meaningful" they are, but it doesn't do anything for the students. Most of the symbolism and issues of the story aren't exactly hard to grasp, so asking questions or discussions about these types of materials doesn't really stimulate the minds of the students either.
My solution? If you want students to at least consider reading outside of school, go to alternative sources; comic books, which can have very adult storylines under writers such as Alan Moore, modern books with some intelligence, yet have been at the Top Ten list at some point. Devinci Code, Historical Novel, a biography on a recent politician or public figure, or a particular major event like 9/11 or even the Gulf War. Maybe a related fiction book like "Black Hawk Down." An emphasis on reading and keeping up with news articles, both local and on national levels. It would require daily reading and discussion, constant stimulation of the mind by things that are happening here and now.
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