July 3, 2008, - 3:02 pm
Honoring Washington’s Slaves: Worthy Memorial or Slap In America’s Face on Independendence Day Eve?
By Debbie Schlussel
Today, in Pennsylvania, nine slaves owned by George Washington are being honored. The timing, the day before Independence Day, was planned, and it will mark the establishment of a memorial to slaves held on federal property.
While slaves contributed monumentally to the building of America and that deserves to be–and has been–recognized, I think the timing is a slap in the face of America as we prepare to celebrate the 232nd birthday of America’s independence.
Tomorrow, when we celebrate our freedom, we will all be celebrating that, as we are all free. As we all know, unlike many Islamic countries in the world–where Blacks are still slaves today–slaves were freed, almost 1.5 centuries ago.
We don’t need to tell the world–on the eve of America’s birthday–how “bad” we are as a country, when frankly, we are a great country that long ago rid our nation of an ill that was embraced universally at the time we engaged in it.
That he owned slaves back in the 1700s does not mean that George Washington was a bad guy. On the contrary, he was a brilliant, brave founder and first President who set forth something that changed the world and let us–eventually all of us–live free.
Washington’s slaves and a memorial to other slaves would be more properly recognized at another time, perhaps during Black History Month or around the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. To do it now can only be interpreted as a deliberate dig at America at a time when all Americans should recognize how lucky we are to live here . . . and at a time when we all–regardless of race–live here in freedom and completely free.
While it is tragic that nine people lived as slaves, it is, ultimately, anything but tragic that their descendants got the good fortune to now live in freedom and relative prosperity in the greatest country on earth on this Fourth of July 2008.
And that is something to celebrate, not memorialize, on this eve of our Independence.
[That he owned slaves back in the 1700s does not mean that George Washington was a bad guy.]
Man, Debbie, you should’ve tried out on the TV show “Last Comic Standing”. I had one of the best belly laughs ever after reading this. I’m sure you would have had the crowd in stitches with that line.
[As we all know, unlike many Islamic countries in the world–where Blacks are still slaves today–slaves were freed, almost 1.5 centuries ago.]
Yes, out of 2000 yrs of Christianity, the last slaves were freed 150 yrs ago; about 80 yrs after the inception of the USA. Islam has been around for 1500 yrs, so I guess if they can free the slaves within 300 yrs, they’ll beat Christianity’s record.
[To do it now can only be interpreted as a deliberate dig at America at a time when all Americans should recognize how lucky we are to live here.]
If it’s of any consequence, the reason for the memorial is to get Obama elected:
“Talking about a presidential home where slaves lived and worked is especially important this year, because Americans have “a major contender for the White House that happens to be African American,” said Rosalyn McPherson, project manager of the President’s House.”
Obama ’08
CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!!!
Norman Blitzer on July 3, 2008 at 3:43 pm