Slavery, History, and Quote of the Day

[ethics]

In the book I am currently reading, (Ends of the Earth by Robert Kaplan) I came across a great quote that I would like to share. Robert is in Africa (Ghania actually) when he writes the following scene:


"What cruelty, what cruelty!" said an African-American woman whom I had seen at Cape Coast. When the Ghanaian guide matter-of-factly pointed out a sign in the fort's Dutch chapel that read "Zion is [the] resting place of God," the woman said angrily: "No God could ever have existed in this place as long as the slave trade went on!"

Alice drew up beside me, hissing in my ear, "Did you hear that woman talk? These American blacks come over here just so they can get angry. For us it's history. For them it's pain. We weren't taken to America as slaves. It's their past more than ours. Anyway, all this emotion makes them feel good. They go back to America, hating whites more-it's no good. They want to be like me, a free African. But they can't. They're Americans."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
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[Sierra Mike]

Well, what are we to expect? Whites are evil, and should be destroyed.

but all those African slavers who sold off their own people are A-OK. Because, you know, they were forced to do it.:rolleyes:

SM

[ethics]

It actually reminds me of the Irish Americans (famine and the English) and other hyphenated Americans being more angry than the people who still reside in the lands.

[Sierra Mike]

Not sure what you mean? Can you give me an example?

See, the African Americans in question here are pissed about what happened to THEM, not what happened to the Africans of the time...sure, they'll rationalize it as such, but they have no cultural connection to them.

SM

[ethics]

See, the African Americans in question here are pissed about what happened to THEM, not what happened to the Africans of the time...sure, they'll rationalize it as such, but they have no cultural connection to them.

SM
My example would be that the Irish Americans are more pissed (and nationalistic) at the English for the great famine MORE so than the Irish that live and breed in Ireland.

[Sierra Mike]

Huh. Somehow that must've skipped my generation.

SM

[ethics]

Perhaps. It's pretty bad feeling in Boston and New York.

[Sierra Mike]

The only thing I've ever experienced in the Irish communities in Boston and New York is being asked for contributions to the IRA. :)

SM

[ethics]

Precisely my point (although I know you were joking). ;)

[Sierra Mike]

I think your point doesn't necessarily compare here...African Americans don't give a jack about Africa, and almost never have. Their beef is that in this story, the reflection is on African Americans...not Africans.

This woman in the story was reacting to her own prejudices and self-image, not out of indignation of what happened to Africans.

SM

[ShinyTop]

In the case of people who voluntarily left their country due to oppression or induced famine it is only logical that the most opposed, the people most likely to take action and be outraged would emigrate. Many believe that under such circumstances the cream of the crop leave and the people left are the more accepting, the tamer, if you will. Those that stayed were often culled by natural death from starvation or execution if too belligerent.

[ethics]

Good points, Steve, those are valid differences. As Shiny also pointed out, the way people came over here is very important.

[Techie2000]

My example would be that the Irish Americans are more pissed (and nationalistic) at the English for the great famine MORE so than the Irish that live and breed in Ireland.I'm part Irish and honestly have no idea what you are talking about...

FWIW I'm also part British...

[ethics]

It's a cultural thing, Techie, something that's very dear to first and second generation Irish that live in the US. You have no idea how rabid the Irish can get on the topic. True, not all, but many do.

I remember the first time PBS did a multi-part series about history of Ireland and how the next day, even my Irish co-workers were angry that the PBS didn't devote enough focus to the famine.