Slavery Museum - Bad Idea?

[Jon Miller]

Slavery Museum

Jon Miller
(and yes I think it would be unfortunate if it was used as a racial attack)

[chequita guevara]

Throughout the South there are slavery museums, just not per se. They are called plantation tours. You can go on one of these tours, and see the beautifully kept grounds, see the beautiful and huge mansions, see examples of the fabulous wealth, and not one mention of the people who worked and built these places (if they do, it is generally the owner that is given all the creidt). ONE, one plantation in the whole of the South has maintain the slave quarters (most have been demoslished) and give a tour talking about what slavery is really like.

Slavery needs a museum, because too many people simply want to whitewash it from our history. Yes, it should deal with Black and Indian slave holders. It should deal with Indian slaves and white indentured servants. And yes, it should deal with the African side of the slave trade. But that would still constitute only a minority of the institution as it was practiced in the United States.

BTW, Slowhand, Africans did not sell "their own people." They sold their neighbors. Europeans did the same damned thing. The English sold criminals and Irish as indentured servents. Parents sold their children. Debtors were sold by those whom they owed.

I do hope that the slavery museum covers indentured servitude, because it was actually crueler than slavery. Although 1/3rd of African captives died on the voyage over, few indentured servents lived to see the end of their "contract." Since you owned a slave for life, you had more of an investment, and you took better care than someone youhad only for seven years. Indentured servents were worked harder and treated harsher than slaves.

And yet today, what does anyone really know of either institution. Slavery is seen as bad, but not the horror it really was. Indentured servitude is barely mentioned. (Jim Crow is almost forgotten, and it is still within living memory.) A museum is needed.

I think this thread is the proof that Caligastia really just doesn't like Black people.

Chris 62, the slavery built American is an exaggeration, but it contains a kernal of truth. Much of the start up capital for building the United States was generated by the cotton trade (the majority of it came from British investment, but then again, this was based on the cotton trade). Black slaves did not build America per se, but their unpaid labor helped spark our industrial revolution. Since most people don't remember precise details, but rather the jist of things, this gets translated into Black slaves built America. (At least this is my theory.)

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Ok, I want an Irish immigrant museum.
Let's all be represented.

I believe there is one.

I was incorrect, there are several. Do a search on Hotbot.

[SlowwHand]

As a matter of fact, Australia just celebrated the first penal colony established by the British there, how many ever years ago.

This is the basic reason for ill will betweeen Aussies and Americans vs. Britain.
We came from penal colonies or left in protest.
Why would we embrace them crushingly later?

[Caligastia]

I think this thread is the proof that Caligastia really just doesn't like Black people.

What a load of bull****! Just because I am against a slavery museum you call me racist?! You dont know me. If you did you wouldnt say such things.

I have some good friends who are black, but I dont care what their race is. A friend is a friend. They respect my opinion on these matters and some of them agree with me.

[chequita guevara]

Yeah, whatever. You constantly post threads criticizing Black people, their politics, their culture, without ever once trying to understand their (many and varied) points of view.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Yeah, whatever. You constantly post threads criticizing Black people, their politics, their culture, without ever once trying to understand their (many and varied) points of view.

You can think what you like Chegitz. I dont give a toss.

[Bosh]

Cal: the person you're quoting is incredibly idiotic, you don't bury troubling history you dig it up and take a hard look at it and try to understand it. Not having a slavery museum in America is every bit as ridiculous as not having a holocaut museum in germany. Issues such as the African end of the slave trade should certainly be included (the politics of the short lived slave exporting african states is pretty interesting), dividing up history into victims and victimizers is nearly as ridiculous as white supremecist revisionist history.

And I'd have to agree with che, you appear to be quite racist.

[orange]

Woah woah...everyone's entitled to their own opinion and just because Cali is against such a museum doesn't make him a racist. Lets drop the PC bull**** and just let people express their opinions without dragging out the insults.

Not having a slavery museum in America is every bit as ridiculous as not having a holocaut museum in germany.

If the German's look back and are ashamed of the holocaust, what would make it ridiculous that they not build a museum to show the horrors of what they are responsible for?

Personally I'm for such a museum, I think it would be interesting and informational, and I don't think anyone would be slanted because of it. As stated, it can discuss all types of slavery throughout history or even just American history and wouldn't target just one race.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Zhu Yuanzhang
Cal: the person you're quoting is incredibly idiotic, you don't bury troubling history you dig it up and take a hard look at it and try to understand it. Not having a slavery museum in America is every bit as ridiculous as not having a holocaut museum in germany. Issues such as the African end of the slave trade should certainly be included (the politics of the short lived slave exporting african states is pretty interesting), dividing up history into victims and victimizers is nearly as ridiculous as white supremecist revisionist history.

And I'd have to agree with che, you appear to be quite racist.

I dont really have a problem with the idea of a slavery museum, but in this case I just dont believe it will tell the whole story.

Can you tell me why the quote is "incredibly idiotic"?

I guess you and Che percieve me as racist. Thats your perception, not the truth. I like like to bring up controversial issues, what can I say. You just have to take my word for it that I am not racist. If you dont believe me...oh well. Nothing I can do about it.

[uh Clem]

Some museums we DO have (courtesy Yahoo!):

Banana Museum, The - gallery of banana folk art, artifacts
Frog Museum - collection of frog figurines and objects
American Museum of Papermaking - renowned resource on the history of paper and paper technology featuring a remarkable collection of watermarks, papers, tools, machines, and manuscripts.
Cumberland Pencil Museum - tells the story of pencils and pencil making, with information on the history of graphite mining in the area and machinery displays.
Museum of Menstruation - discover the rich history of menstruation and women's health.
Philadelphia Insectarium - an all-insect museum.
National Cable Television Center & Museum - provides a look at the history of the cable television industry and the people that shaped it.


and, from the Great White North:

Prince Edward Island Potato Museum - learn about the potato and treasures from the past.

But no museum of slavery?? I sense a need.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by orange
Woah woah...everyone's entitled to their own opinion and just because Cali is against such a museum doesn't make him a racist. Lets drop the PC bull**** and just let people express their opinions without dragging out the insults.

If it was just the one time, I'd agree with you. Caligastia, however, has a pattern of posting threads that basically go like this. "Look at this outrageous view that Black people have! What's wrong with them?" (Obviously I am engaging in a bit of hyperbole here, but not much.) After the tenth or so thread, one begins to think that perhaps Calig's problem is not that he has occassional differences of opinion with certain views in the Black community, but rather that he has a problem with Black people in general.

Just because you have a problem recognizing patterns, Orange, doesn't mean that calling Caligastia on this crap is PC.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


If it was just the one time, I'd agree with you. Caligastia, however, has a pattern of posting threads that basically go like this. "Look at this outrageous view that Black people have! What's wrong with them?" (Obviously I am engaging in a bit of hyperbole here, but not much.) After the tenth or so thread, one begins to think that perhaps Calig's problem is not that he has occassional differences of opinion with certain views in the Black community, but rather that he has a problem with Black people in general.

Just because you have a problem recognizing patterns, Orange, doesn't mean that calling Caligastia on this crap is PC.

You are making a mountain out of a molehill Chegitz. I dont post threads on race that often, and even if I did, so what? It doesnt mean I am racist. I just happen to think differently than you on these issues.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


If it was just the one time, I'd agree with you. Caligastia, however, has a pattern of posting threads that basically go like this. "Look at this outrageous view that Black people have! What's wrong with them?" (Obviously I am engaging in a bit of hyperbole here, but not much.) After the tenth or so thread, one begins to think that perhaps Calig's problem is not that he has occassional differences of opinion with certain views in the Black community, but rather that he has a problem with Black people in general.

Just because you have a problem recognizing patterns, Orange, doesn't mean that calling Caligastia on this crap is PC.

Your just an anti American commie aggitator that has no respect for what this country really stands for. You are the same communistic scum that killed millions in Russia and China and if you had your way, America would be consumed by the same forces that have destroyed so many lives around the world. You are UN-American.


At least that would "appear" to be the case. A pattern does exist.

Cal seems to upset that the slavery museum is more of a political spectical then an attempt to understand slavery. Which depending on who is behind it and how accurate it is, he may be right or not. Your accusation of racism is an often used tactic by some to scare away or somehow lessen another point. Maybe he is just tired of the new American saying "look at me, I'm a victim". He has his doubts about the true motives behind the push. I do as well. But my opionion is let them have their museum and see what comes of it. If it doesn't present all the facts then I'm sure that there will be many people out there to do it for them.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Sprayber
Your just an anti American commie aggitator that has no respect for what this country really stands for. You are the same communistic scum that killed millions in Russia and China and if you had your way, America would be consumed by the same forces that have destroyed so many lives around the world. You are UN-American.

At least that would "appear" to be the case. A pattern does exist.

Yeah, but you wouldn't be far off the mark, either. (inserts pinky in corner of mouth)