A Miraculous Union!
Many woke American's now morn on the 4rth of July as they imagine a monolithic global racist hierarchy. This narrative wrongly ignores the theme of the holiday. The miracle of the 4rth was not their inability to self criticize and fragment over disagreement. The miracle of the 4rth was the formation of a functioning Union among a group of colonialists who disagreed so intensely.
This new America became what today's progressives would call, "The Re-imagining," of Government in the Western World. Even with her many flaws the greatness of America stands out. When focused on her shortcomings (and that is what they are) it is easy to overlook the valiant efforts that were made by courageous individuals who challenged the injustices of slavery in America. But repentance is hard, and it is easier just to ignore pervasive problems like slavery; even as we do in our world today. Then like now wealth, comfort and pleasure seeking makes the reality of world wide emancipation impossible, at least in our preoccupied minds. Throughout human history vulnerability to exploitation, combined with avarice, and military ambition motivated exploitation of people groups, and tribal groups were often much more vulnerable. It is sad that the nature of mankind seeks advantage over his fellow and it is human triumph when justice prevails. The inspiring speaker, Fredrick Douglas, presented in the link below, contrasts the strengths and hypocrisies of the pre and post Civil War time that he lived in, as well as the culture at the time of the nation's founders. Hear him below.Frederick Douglass | What To The Slave Is The 4th of July?
But to admit that we fall short does not mean that we do not aspire. To be balanced we must remember the courage and integrity of many black leaders like Douglas, along with many of his white contemporaries, even some of wealth and power. All were examples of vision and integrity much like the Jewish person mentioned in the blog below who committed himself to redeeming one group of modern day slaves.
see story described in this screen capture...
Full story embedded in context of: https://www.thesubwaywalls.com/2019/10/is-judgment-coming-lincoln-thought-yes.html
Or view article directly at: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4694211,00.html
Among them was the wealthy Philanthropist and British Parliamentarian James Oglethorpe who founded the Georgia Colony. He associated with those who later inspired William Wilberforce. Neither were colonists, but both were instrumental in emancipating the enslaved subjects of the British Empire. Oglethorpe was a man of action, a problem solver, a prison reformer who resettled many of Britain's poorest debtors' from prisons into the New World. In his colony, slavery was banned. Wilberforce persevered through 35 years of poor health and constant defeat before achieving victory through the process of dis-incentivizing financial investment and profit in the slave trade.
History also shows that Thomas Jefferson clearly intended to address the issue of slavery in the Declaration of Independence in his early drafts, where he wrote...
"He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither."
This phrase, “Cruel war against human nature itself " accurately reflected the views of many of America's founders and other white Europeans at that time and many spoke out, but not enough to pull the majority and even their lives were filled with the compromises of their culture. They may have been good hearted individuals, like many of us today who have strong convictions, but they also caved to the pressures of their culture.
Even before the Declaration of Independence the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, known as "The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage" was founded April 14, 1775. Eventually Benjamin Franklin was elected as the organization's president and he presented ending slavery to the Constitutional Convention as well as petitioning the U.S Congress to ban slavery in 1790.
The Society eventually had members and leaders of all races. It is the oldest known abolitionist organization in the United States and continues to seek improvement on issues of fairness in our criminal justice system.
Fredrick Douglas in his speech, (see link above), describes the grave hypocrisies we commonly defend and the incredible moral price we pay when we refuse to examine our attitudes and actions; hypocrisies great enough to divide America into warring factions.
But consider; Are our inconsistencies unlike theirs? Don't we and our political leaders willingly overlook extreme discrimination in the form of modern day slavery, cultural exploitation and even organ harvesting and involuntary abortions among persecuted people groups in China; and this to maximize business profits and enjoy cheap consumer goods? Aren't we enhancing our wealth, our power, our pleasure and our comfort at their expense?
Perhaps you could say... The difference is our level of ideological commitment. But aren't we the ones who joined our newly elected leaders in callous disregard of the crimes and atrocities foisted on families, and their children abandoned on our southern border? Now will we run to the rescue in pretence of mercy to save the surviving victims of this political humanitarian crisis? The crisis we worked to create by dismantling cooperative organized efforts with our neighbors; the crisis that enriches the criminal elements in these nations and impoverishes their population? Can we now bathe our consciences in waves of self congratulatory virtue? There is much that must be done to protect these children. But first we have to see the problem.
With our recent withdrawal from Afghanistan I am reminded of Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban as she attempted to inspire girls in her community to attend school. She survived and became an international speaker. In 2014 Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai were both honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. Shortly before Kailash gave an excellent speech on child slavery while receiving the Wallenberg Award. Hear him below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXatIqAO9cA&list=PLc7nB8Z7S2L-tkJK4oU_fyY14bO4-gdNY Kailash Satyarthi, 2002 Wallenberg Lecture
One thing is certain; with the measure that we judge; we will surely be judged. Like our founders who struggled with the realities of their time. We will either succeed or fail based on our actions, and currently we are failing. We are not willing to accurately address the glaring problems that we create.
How is the process of solving these problems inherently different from solving the problem that our founders faced? Their failures eventually led to what Lincoln labeled a Judgment of God. Will our failures be seen differently?
Throughout history discrimination and oppression has occurred along various lines and not been confined to race. Remember Jonathan Swift's, "Modest Proposal"? Here the persecution through extortion, coercion and starvation was a re-visiting of the, "religious wars," which had nothing to do with race.
Douglas was right to both extol and complain about America! But he also worked constructively to make it better.
To consider more on Lincoln and slavery including steps to remedy present day slavery, see blog at: https://www.thesubwaywalls.com/2019/10/is-judgment-coming-lincoln-thought-yes.html
sources:
https://www.history.com/news/declaration-of-independence-deleted-anti-slavery-clause-jefferson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Abolition_Society
https://www.history.com/news/declaration-of-independence-deleted-anti-slavery-clause-jefferson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Abolition_Society
