Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Of course you do. It takes a massive amount of intelligence to understand other people. It's much easier to just regret modern life and harbor animosity toward people who lived 150 years ago. I'm sure you're living a very fruitful, carefree life as a result.
In some cases, in some situations, understanding others is good. In this situation, I refuse to understand anyone. The bottom line matters the most, period. The way I see it, "understanding" the Confederates is not beneficial by any stretch. Call me stupid all you want. At the end of the day, what matters the most to me is what would have happened to me in this case. In other situations, I could be understanding. However, in this case, NO. I'm not going to understand. It's not complicated to me. Yhe Confederates wanted to make sure that my ancestors stayed enslaved. I care about freedom over anything else. Live Free Or Die is my motto.
I'm not arguing whether he was right or wrong in his letter. Obviously in today's society we KNOW that he was wrong. However, as I have stated before, in those days it wasn't as cut and dry. People held that belief. Through hindsight we have learned that it was wrong.
Refusing to believe that we don't live in those times now, and that they did not see things as we do today is part of the problem. You have to be able to recognize that people's mentalities (right, wrong, or otherwise) were not the same.
I agree with you, anyway regarding Robert E Lee, I been thinking about this topic for a bit.
- November 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President and Robert E Lee stayed in the US Army.
- December 1860, 6 or 7 southern states beginning with South Carolina secede from the Union and Lee stayed in the US Army.
- March 1861, Lee accepts a promotion in the US Army - this is after the Confederate Congress and government were already meeting in Montgomery, Alabama.
Only in April 1861, a couple of days after Virginia seceded did Lee resign from the US Army. If Virginia did not secede then Lee may very well had stayed in the US Army.
What does this all mean???
- Lee did not resign from the Army because the anti-slavery candidate Abraham Lincoln was elected. If he did, he would have resigned in November or December 1860, when South Carolina seceded.
- Lee showed he was still loyal to the Union by staying in the US Army for 5 months after Lincoln won the election and by accepting a promotion to Colonel.
- Lee only resigned from the US Army AFTER Virginia seceded. Had he not resigned it would be like he was serving a foreign government against his own state, family, friends and neighbors.
Conclusion.
IMHO, any open-minded person with a knowledge of history wishes that Lee never resigned but would still understand his reasoning, given the choice he had to make in April 1861.
Look, I don't feel sorry for not "understanding" from someone else's point of view. I don't want to "understand". I am tired of understanding. I am about the bottom line, period. The bottom line is what affects me the most, period. The facts are what matter to me. I don't care about the "complexities". If I had been living back then, I would have been subjected to those "complexities". For that reason, I don't care. Call it what you want. I care what what would happen to me.
Yes we all know and we feel sorry for you. It's sad your life is dictated by old statues.
If you were a black living before slavery in Africa, Africa would be your only home and you wouldn't have to put up with living in the world's largest economy. You could be living in the thriving African economy. Doesn't it suck that history played out the way it did?
Yes we all know and we feel sorry for you. It's sad your life is dictated by old statues.
If you were a black living before slavery in Africa, Africa would be your only home and you wouldn't have to put up with living in the world's largest economy. You could be living in the thriving African economy. Doesn't it suck that history played out the way it did?
I don't need your sympathy. I'm just sick of this admiration for Confederates. There is nothing admirable about the Confederate cause. And thanks for that gaslighting tactic. The old "you should be thankful we brought you here" crap. Yes, I am so thankful for being enslaved, followed by being treated by a 2nd class citizen under the quasi-dictatorship known as Jim Crow. I never knew I was so lost without those things.
I don't need your sympathy. I'm just sick of this admiration for Confederates. There is nothing admirable about the Confederate cause. And thanks for that gaslighting tactic. The old "you should be thankful we brought you here" crap. Yes, I am so thankful for being enslaved, followed by being treated by a 2nd class citizen under the quasi-dictatorship known as Jim Crow. I never knew I was so lost without those things.
Apparently not. You must have had such a rough childhood living under all those Confederate soldiers. It must have been traumatizing. Can you tell us more about your enslavement? We were under the impression that that was 19th century stuff but if you're old enough do tell!
In some cases, in some situations, understanding others is good. In this situation, I refuse to understand anyone. The bottom line matters the most, period. The way I see it, "understanding" the Confederates is not beneficial by any stretch. Call me stupid all you want. At the end of the day, what matters the most to me is what would have happened to me in this case. In other situations, I could be understanding. However, in this case, NO. I'm not going to understand. It's not complicated to me. Yhe Confederates wanted to make sure that my ancestors stayed enslaved. I care about freedom over anything else. Live Free Or Die is my motto.
You do know the "Live free or die" liscense plate is made by prisoners don't you?
Lol, I'm kidding. But seriously, you'd probably be much happier in life if you didn't stress the opinions of ancient people. Who does that?
Apparently not. You must have had such a rough childhood living under all those Confederate soldiers. It must have been traumatizing. Can you tell us more about your enslavement? We were under the impression that that was 19th century stuff but if you're old enough do tell!
I'm guessing sarcasm is not that well understood, at least when I'm the one making sarcastic remarks. Look, how I feel about Lee and the Confederates is based on fact. I'm not changing my position. Period. Game Over. Nothing you say or do will change the fact that the Confederates were wrong, period. Nothing you do or say will make me have any respect for them. Don't like that I despise the Confederates? Well, nothing can be done about it.
You do know the "Live free or die" liscense plate is made by prisoners don't you?
Lol, I'm kidding. But seriously, you'd probably be much happier in life if you didn't stress the opinions of ancient people. Who does that?
I'm not stressing about the opinions of ancient people. If those persons opinions were so insignificant, you wouldn't be trying to get me to "understand" their point of view. My problem is with individuals who feel that the Confederate cause was an honorable cause. The Confederates were wrong, period. Time to move on. If that is something that cannot be accepted, well, that shows a strong degree of childish, unstable thinking.
I'm not stressing about the opinions of ancient people. If those persons opinions were so insignificant, you wouldn't be trying to get me to "understand" their point of view. My problem is with individuals who feel that the Confederate cause was an honorable cause. The Confederates were wrong, period. Time to move on. If that is something that cannot be accepted, well, that shows a strong degree of childish, unstable thinking.
One could go so far as to say that refusing to understand that people in those times were torn between serving a government they had served under for years and their loyalty to their home and family is childish, unstable thinking as well.
My point is, has been, and always will be, that people in those times had to make some very difficult and challenging decisions. They didn't have foresight to the future. They only did what they thought was right in support of their family. THIS is why so many push not to lump the Confederacy into a bucket of racist slaveholders. Not everyone was....
Do we call all Germans Nazis? Of course not, although some stood idly by and even indirectly supported the Nazi movement with the hope to just continue to live.
Do we call all Muslims terrorists? No, even though some may have family who have been involved in terrorist activities. They simply want to stay out of it and live.
Do we call all Native Americans savages? No, even though some killed very viciously protecting their way of life. They just wanted to continue to live.
Do you not get the point to all of this? Using the slavery argument is so polarizing that it is a guaranteed way to make sure to divide our country. Those who just say "I don't care about you or how you feel and only look at my circumstances and consider how I feel" are achieving the goal that has been established by the agenda pushers. Divide and conquer.
We all have ancestors who we do not want trampled in the mud. Because of them, we are here. I am not ok with anyone defiling the names of my family because they think they know what their true character was. Just the same as you don't want anyone defiling your ancestors.
I'm not stressing about the opinions of ancient people. If those persons opinions were so insignificant, you wouldn't be trying to get me to "understand" their point of view. My problem is with individuals who feel that the Confederate cause was an honorable cause. The Confederates were wrong, period. Time to move on. If that is something that cannot be accepted, well, that shows a strong degree of childish, unstable thinking.
Look, you're one of the few black posters on this forum and I kinda respect your opinion but some of the stuff you say is full on crazy. We're just a bunch of guys talking politics, don't go around clapping people over some monuments. Taking things a little less seriously will go along way in your personal health.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
