racism has never stopped people from having sex with the "inferior"
group; Just ask old Strom Thurmund about that!
In the Nazi death camps the guard had sex with Jewish women and then
sent them to their death.
Jefferson's racism was profound, which perhaps why he wold have
preferred the light skinned Sally to some of his other slaves.
Paul Finkelman
President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law
and Public Policy
Albany Law School
80 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, New York 12208-3494
518-445-3386
[log in to unmask]
>>> [log in to unmask] 05/04/08 4:11 PM >>>
Ms. Wills:
Your statements here may well be construed as "racist" to some. It
occurs to me that we should look at the issue with a more distant
mindset; to apply the term "racist" to the debate only clouds the issue
at hand. What is considered "racist" today would have been a very vague
concept in TJ's time. Slavery was a terrible injustice but it happened;
WE cannot change that.
The issue, in and of itself, is whether or not TJ fathered children with
SH. If we apply the term "racist" in the strictest sense, then you have
solved the isssue; the "racist" white TJ would certainly NOT have had a
sexual relationship with the slave SH.
I have followed the discussion on this topic with great interest;
however, I now have the same opinion regarding this topic as I had prior
to reading the first post: Wheter TJ had sex with his slave ... or
anybody else for that matter ... is totally irrelevant to me. I see
little benefit in attempting to destroy the good done by TJ and his
contemporaries by applying modern labels to them. Yes, TJ (and thousand
of others) was a slaveholder; should that detract from his role in the
formation of this country? I think not.
If there is ANY entity that has a legitimate interest in whether or not
TJ was the father of SH's child(ren), then it should be SH's decendents.
Since I have not seen any dire and urgent requests from that family to
know the truth I wonder if, once again, society is not reaching for
straws in order to tear down the pedestal we built under TJ. When we
are left with rubble where a patriot once stood, will we be content? Of
course not! So who is next on our hit list?
"Racist", "sexist", ... whatever we may be called today ... I heartily
tank TJ for taking part in the great experiment that gave us the freedom
to use those expressions should we choose to do so. Being far from
perfect myself, I won't be casting stones at Jefferson.
RBJ
----- Original Message -----
From: Anita Wills<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 3:17 PM
Subject: Re: Jefferson's Overseer
Anne,
I agree with you on this one. It seems to aggravate some folks that
Jefferson may have slept with his young slave. Take away Sally and what
we are left with is Jefferson, the racist, slave holder. I believe that
is what some of the historians here are arguing for, to leave his legacy
of slave holding, Genocide against Native Culture, and racist views
intact. Trying to paint him as a saint is not going to work, because
there is too much opposing information out there. Even if he never
touched Sally, the fact that he held slaves, and wrote literature that
continues to be used to justify racist views, says a lot about his
character.
Anita
-- Anne Pemberton <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
wrote:
Steven,
Perhaps because I am no spring chicken anymore, I am on a fence on how
much
we can or should demand that science establish "proofs" which in the
past
were left as unanswered questions.
I have no problem whatsoever in analyzing all the available
information and
sticking to my belief that in all probability, Sally shared TJ's bed.
He
would not have needed to slip out to her cabin. They could have been
comforably undisturbed in his bed. Since she was also his chambermaid,
who
would know? Such testimony as the overseer's statements reminds me of
the
"testimonies" offered by our current president to explain away his
absences
from National Guard duty.
I would like to learn more about that census entry for Madison Hemings
that
he was the son of Thomas Jefferson. Why would the clerk of the court
sign
off on a document with such an assertion if it was not intended to be
understood as knowledge and fact.
Anne
Anne Pemberton
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
http://www.erols.com/apembert<http://www.erols.com/apembert>
http://www.educationalsynthesis.org<http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/>
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