Anita, I have no tolerance for those who defend slavery, or who suggest it might have been a "good thing", but let's keep the record straight. If you read Nate Turner's own words, you'll find he was not "whipped into submission." Yes, there were other fanatics, but I don't necessarily suggest they should be compared to G.W. either. And please tell me, where I said --or anyone else on this list has said-- that it was "okay to enslave people, take away their lives, but not for one of those enslaved, oppressed people to rebel? " Is it really necessary for posters on this list to put forth a list of disclaimers to stop you from putting words into their mouths? Gus ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anita Wills" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, July 02, 2007 8:43 AM Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Nat Turner and unchanging history > So it is okay to enslave people, take away their lives, but not for one of > those enslaved, oppressed people to rebel? You would have to see him as a > man born a slave, whose family was sold away from him, and he being > whipped into submission. He was not the only religous fanatic of that day. > There were other religous fanatics who believed that Africans were born to > be slaves for whites, and used the Bible to justify it. . > > That would mean you would need compassion, and the ability to walk in his > shoes. Don't judge him until you can do that. > > Anita > > >>From: myfriends <[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: Nat Turner and unchanging history >>Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 08:25:02 -0700 >> >>No doubt there were other planned rebellions that were put on hold or >>never got off the ground due to the Turner fiasco, but I doubt if any new >>facts will do much to change Nat Turner from a religious fanatic who saw >>blood on the corn and interpreted an eclipe as the sign he should listen >>to the voices he heard. >> >>I realize not everyone sees him that way, but it's downright scary to >>read a former teacher's posting that she could see: >> >>"... a teacher asking the children to compare Nat Turner to George >>Washington or Thomas Jefferson who both advocated freedom for the colonies >>and fought/wrote so that they jeopardized their lives to make it happen. >>Nat Turner did the same, had many supporters in Virginia and elsewhere, >>but unlike George Washington he was not successful in defeating "The >>British" and paid the >>price that would have been paid by George and Thomas had the war not been >>won." >> >>Sure, for highschoolers, but 4th graders? Would they be asked to read >>Turner's confession? >> >>Gus >> >> >> >> >>----- Original Message ----- From: "Henry Wiencek" <[log in to unmask]> >>To: <[log in to unmask]> >>Sent: Monday, July 02, 2007 6:52 AM >>Subject: [VA-HIST] Nat Turner and unchanging history >> >> >>Charles L. Dibble writes that "factual history - is fixed." Yes and no. >>Nat >>Turner provides an excellent example. We know some of the basic facts of >>his >>uprising, but not all of them; and when we learn new facts, the meaning of >>the event changes. Lyle writes that the Turner uprising provides "an >>amazingly good definition of futility. . . . No real plan, just a sort of >>generalized instruction to slaughter." But I recently heard a fascinating >>lecture by a historian who is finding convincing evidence that Turner was >>not a lone nut, as many have thought, but part of a network of >>conspirators >>across the South planning to rise up in a very well planned, coordinated >>assault against the slave power. Turner jumped the gun, fouled up the >>whole >>plan, and everybody else ran for cover. No general uprising took place. >>We >>will have to await publication of the research to judge its accuracy, but >>if >>this historian is right, we get a whole new view of what happened, and the >>event changes. >> >>Henry Wiencek >>Charlottesville > > _________________________________________________________________ > Make every IM count. Download Messenger and join the i'm Initiative now. > It's free. http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=TAGHM_June07 >