Well Said Kevin. Mr. South has a bad case of, "Those People they..., with negative comments at the end. This board has so much information and a closed mind will not get fed. Anita. >From: [log in to unmask] >Reply-To: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history > <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Juneteenth >Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:49:15 -0400 > >Such a sad attitude. > >Solely on ideological lines, I find celebration of the end of slavery to be >a very good thing. > >Here is why: > >Slavery is opposed to the free market. Since I believe that capitalism is, >on the whole, a good thing, I believe that that slavery is a morally bad >and inefficient way to organize an economy. Thus, the end of slavery is >cause for celebration for anyone who believes in the free market. Its an >affirmation of capitalist economics. > >Slavery is opposed to self-government. If you believe in the capacity of >individuals to make meaningful choices for themselves, then you also must >believe that slavery is a terrible thing. As a libertarian, I celebrate >the end of slavery as a victory for freedom and for the classical liberal >principles in which I believe. > >Slavery is opposed to Protestant, and especially to Reformed, Christianity. > Martin Luther's principle of "Sola Scriptura" requires that Christians be >able to read. Slavery functioned most efficiently when the slaves could >not read, and as a rule radically retarded the spread of literacy among the >slave population. Since I am a Protestant Christian, I see in the >abolition of slavery a powerful victory for Christianity. > >Slavery is opposed to the dignity and freedom of the individual subjected >to it. As someone who believes in human freedom, liberty, and God-given >natural rights, I find slavery repugnant to the core principles of American >government. As an American, then, I think it is right and appropriate to >celebrate emancipation, and the abolition of slavery. > >Now I find it strange, indeed bizarre, that anyone who seems to identify >with the ideology of Ronald Reagan, or of the Republican party, would >condemn memorialization of emancipation as "Politically Correct." > >If what it means to be "Politically Correct" is to be in favor of >capitalism, free markets, self-government, small government, rugged >individualism, Reformed Christianity, natural rights, self-determination, >ordered liberty, and the United States Constitution, then by all means >count me in. If *that* is what it means to be politically correct, then I >am all for political correctness. > >As to what Mr. South is for--its hard to say. He seems to reject the >things I think are most valuable about the American way of life. Since the >things I identify above are generally considered to be conservative values, >I have to conclude that Mr. South is a liberal. > >All best, >Kevin > >---- Original message ---- > >Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:12:34 EDT > >From: [log in to unmask] > >Subject: Re: Juneteenth > >To: [log in to unmask] > > > >Just another PC contrived "holiday" or "celebration" along the lines of > >Kwanzaa. > > > >J South > > > > > > > >************************************** See what's free at >http://www.aol.com. >Kevin R. Hardwick, Ph.D. >Department of History >James Madison University _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail to go? Get your Hotmail, news, sports and much more! http://mobile.msn.com