On Jun 17, 2007, at 7:02 PM, Anita Wills wrote:

> That has already been debated and accepted. The problem in many  
> Americans minds is that the word slavery translates into Africans.
OK, to be flip about it, Indians didn't work, Africans were  
available, the Chinese weren't on the horizon yet for a less virulent  
form of exploitation and that's debatable in itself, so Africans were  
it.

> Muslims had a thriving slave trade in Europeans, and anyone else  
> who was not part of Islam.
Absolutely.

>   Most cultures had some form of servitude, but nothing to the  
> degree of America.
That's debatable. Going back to the whipping boy du jour of Islam,  
they really didn't care, for as long as they got you, you were a  
slave, regardless of race, culture, religion, etc.

> Other than the Muslims enslaving anyone who was not part of Islam,  
> no culture had slaves for life.
And that's a really big part of the world. The premise is also  
debatable as there were definitely cultures that had lifetime slavery  
AFAIR.

> There were no references to God ordaining Africans to be slaves for  
> Europeans, even in Muslim society (which was and is Multi-racial).
That's a mixed-up reference there. There was a great deal of  
posturing, using the Bible as the accepted Word of God, that Africans  
were suitable for slavery, as you know, so I'm sure that's not what  
you meant. Muslims, not European, were multi-racial and as along as  
you weren't Muslim (and sometimes if you were), they didn't care what  
ethnic or religious brand you were, you were suitable for slavery. If  
you lived, you lived as a slave, if not, you were replaced by  
another. They were truly equal-opportunity slavers, those muslims.
>
> That still does not relieve Europeans of responsibility when they  
> were major players in the trade.
So if Europeans, and by extension Americans of Euro descent are  
responsible, what is your solution in today's terms for coming to  
grips with our shared heritage?

> After all they referred to themselves as Christians and Civilized,  
> and there was nothing Christian like, nor civilized about slavery.
Nor is there about a lot of things that happen, but that's a  
theological debate.

I think you're going to have to accept that no all will end up  
thinking exactly alike in these issues. But I would daresay that the  
overwhelming majority on this list view slavery as repugnant. We  
appear to have semi-apologists for slavery on the list and what would  
be termed 60's radical thinkers and folks running the gamut in  
between. The changes in attitude that have happened in my lifetime  
have been absolutely astounding. The "Old South" is no more.

Let's move the knowledge base forward.

Lyle Browning, RPA