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onenote

(46,147 posts)

156. 30 counties. 30 cities. At least

Tue Feb 17, 2015, 01:10 AM

Feb 2015

Last edited Tue Feb 17, 2015, 07:04 AM - Edit history (1)

A dozen or more institutions of higher learning (including George Washington University, Washington and Lee (doubly bad, I suppose), Washington College. I have no idea how many high schools.

And what in heaven's name do we do with that state out west -- you know, Washington. Pretty big honor to have one of only 50 states named for you (the only one named for a former president). And not a little hardly noticeable state. But the 18th largest state by area and 13th largest by population.

And as you suggest, we can't stop at Washington. So I guess we need to dynamite half of Mount Rushmore -- being on that mountain is a pretty big honor to give to two slave owning presidents. And we better get Washington & Jefferson College to just close its doors (or maybe they could rename it Reagan and Bush University -- those guys weren't slave owners, so no reason not to honor them).

We're going to be so busy. After all, how many presidents have a major arena named for them -- buh-bye Madison Square Garden.

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A holiday to honor someone who owned hundreds of slaves for over 50 years, [View all] Nye Bevan Feb 2015 OP

Oh, please ann--- Feb 2015 #1

Nope, it's not "Presidents Day", it is officially "Washington's Birthday". Nye Bevan Feb 2015 #3

Wow--I was sure that it had been changed to "Presidents' Day." Orrex Feb 2015 #11

It was. WillowTree Feb 2015 #158

This message was self-deleted by its author Bohunk68 Feb 2015 #166

It's also officially "Presidents Day" Major Nikon Feb 2015 #18

"Judging people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago by today's standards.. whathehell Feb 2015 #33

No we should not. Because slavery is a common theme in human history. Drahthaardogs Feb 2015 #51

& some freed blacks owned slaves--human imperfection crosses all races, genders, creeds�. zazen Feb 2015 #58

Slavery still exists today. Jamastiene Feb 2015 #126

Actually what you don't realize is that the american Solomon Feb 2015 #152

ISIS enslaving and raping little girls is every bit as bad. Liberty Belle Feb 2015 #161

The Nazis' enslavement of large numbers of eastern Europeans and Jews was KingCharlemagne Feb 2015 #164

That's ridiculous! Solomon Feb 2015 #174

No. Next Question. Richardo Feb 2015 #86

That's not what your Snopes link actually says. pnwmom Feb 2015 #100

"nearly half of the state governments have officially renamed their Washington's Birthday...." uppityperson Feb 2015 #118

No ann--- Feb 2015 #127

My calendar says "Presidents' Day" bigwillq Feb 2015 #175

I'm convinced. I'll never vote for him again! 11 Bravo Feb 2015 #180

He also killed hundreds/thousands WhiteTara Feb 2015 #4

And what is your source? GP6971 Feb 2015 #133

American history 101 -French and Indian Wars WhiteTara Feb 2015 #137

Far cry from genocide Telcontar Feb 2015 #138

Compared to modern instances of it, yes... Lancero Feb 2015 #160

And I cited only one instance WhiteTara Feb 2015 #168

Thank you. I thought that's what you were referring to GP6971 Feb 2015 #141

according to Thornton hfojvt Feb 2015 #173

I'm not sure you phil89 Feb 2015 #9

I'm not sure if you whathehell Feb 2015 #27

I strongly recommend you self-delete. merrily Feb 2015 #10

I tend to agree with what you are saying. However, if I am not mistaken the issue of slavery was jwirr Feb 2015 #52

Actually, it was a bone of contention in getting support for the Revolution itself, not only the merrily Feb 2015 #59

I agree that the slaves were not treated well. I mentioned the book not to defend slavery but I jwirr Feb 2015 #69

Being in Massachusetts, I've had coffee in a home that was part of the Underground Railroad merrily Feb 2015 #71

I hope we preserve those homes. They are a part of our history and we need to remember our jwirr Feb 2015 #76

"We" are doing nothing to preserve that particular one as it is a private home. merrily Feb 2015 #77

Yeah, I hear you. The historical society that should be taking care of it have other priorities. On jwirr Feb 2015 #91

It will probably survive this owner as they seem to have the money to maintain it and heaven knows, merrily Feb 2015 #93

You need to go to Mount Vernon and see the slave quarters. Scuba Feb 2015 #56

Or any plantation for that matter GP6971 Feb 2015 #67

Also from your link: benz380 Feb 2015 #2

Or, like Adams, he could have simply not owned slaves. Nye Bevan Feb 2015 #5

+1 I always enjoy agreeing with people, most esp those with whom I rarely agree. merrily Feb 2015 #15

One reason why I never use "Ignore" (nt) Nye Bevan Feb 2015 #20

The Pres. Adams of the Alien and Sedition Acts earthside Feb 2015 #42

Wouldn't that have been Congress? Granted he did not veto, but did he write that legislation? merrily Feb 2015 #65

At least one of them GP6971 Feb 2015 #75

Maybe, but that is a very different issue from Adams's culpablity. merrily Feb 2015 #78

I'll have to check when I get back GP6971 Feb 2015 #87

No, if you don't know off the top of your head, you don't have a responsiblity to check merrily Feb 2015 #89

But now I'm curious GP6971 Feb 2015 #116

OK....it was a quick check via GP6971 Feb 2015 #122

Or like a Deity, he could simply have been without fault altogether.. whathehell Feb 2015 #44

Between perfection and owning slaves, fully realizing that is wrong, is a lot of ground. merrily Feb 2015 #68

+ i'm shocked that not more agree with you. bravenak Feb 2015 #73

which is likely why he was the richest president ever. ND-Dem Feb 2015 #85

Adams was worse than Washington. Glassunion Feb 2015 #129

Hogwash. He exploited human beings to support his lifestyle throughout his life. And, when he merrily Feb 2015 #14

Hah! He sure struggled hard, some 50 years while he got rich. brush Feb 2015 #24

Washington twice attempted to have Oney Judge kidnapped and returned to slavery Chathamization Feb 2015 #32

He didn't reward his "faithful" slaves who did not run away, either. merrily Feb 2015 #99

should we discount mlk jr's contribution cause he had extra-marital affairs? Romeo.lima333 Feb 2015 #6

False equivalency at it's finest brush Feb 2015 #7

no im comparing people who did great things but have problems with their pasts Romeo.lima333 Feb 2015 #12

No, your comparison was invalid, a wholly false equivalency, just as brush posted. merrily Feb 2015 #19

you are free to disagree Romeo.lima333 Feb 2015 #38

It not about disagreeing. It's about pointing out your errors in logic. merrily Feb 2015 #50

Then I suggest we not have a MLK Day, TM99 Feb 2015 #57

Please take that up with Nye, who wrote the OP. merrily Feb 2015 #60

You are attempting to defend the OP. TM99 Feb 2015 #61

You are mistaken. Please quote words from a post of mine saying Washington should merrily Feb 2015 #62

You attempt to defend the OP TM99 Feb 2015 #81

No. I have been arguing against posters who defend slaveowners, minimize the evil of slavery, etc. merrily Feb 2015 #88

Then you are doing so circuitously. TM99 Feb 2015 #107

Foibles and Flaws? Glassunion Feb 2015 #113

I am not totally up to snuff on my internet memes TM99 Feb 2015 #117

Pretty much anyone who ever owned slaves deserves a good hit. Glassunion Feb 2015 #119

I just don't feel that way. TM99 Feb 2015 #131

We all have our prejudices. Yours are just different from mine. Glassunion Feb 2015 #134

Funny, I never said you had any prejudices. TM99 Feb 2015 #136

You exposed your own prejudices. Not me. Glassunion Feb 2015 #139

Look, TM99 Feb 2015 #140

So a modern day slave trader is simply a "flawed" person who partakes in "abhorrent" behavior? Glassunion Feb 2015 #142

Give it up. TM99 Feb 2015 #144

Well... To me (and this is just my bat-shit insane idology), slavery is rather black and white. Glassunion Feb 2015 #157

IMO it's still false equivalency brush Feb 2015 #22

It's not an opinion. It is a false equivalency. No question. With a straw man thrown in for good merrily Feb 2015 #23

This thread is a nauseating, heart wrenchin mess already. I have a feeling it will only go downhill. merrily Feb 2015 #21

Not at all.. whathehell Feb 2015 #36

Probably not in the way you might think Major Nikon Feb 2015 #40

Having extra marital affairs has nothing to do with civil rights. merrily Feb 2015 #16

i never said it did - youre discounting what i said and focusing on something i didnt say ... eom Romeo.lima333 Feb 2015 #43

You miss the point. I was explaining why your equivalency was so false. merrily Feb 2015 #48

I would say that extra-marital affairs GP6971 Feb 2015 #34

Oh, contraire..When the power differential between the sexes whathehell Feb 2015 #39

That argument isn't valid when the lower power person initiates the affair. Nt stevenleser Feb 2015 #147

How about when the "lower person" is underage? whathehell Feb 2015 #163

WINNER, WINNER. Best post of the day. brush Feb 2015 #45

Yet so much of history prescribed a death penalty for only one One_Life_To_Give Feb 2015 #102

Yeah, Yeah! But even back then many knew enslaving other human beings was . . . brush Feb 2015 #146

it's true and i wasnt Romeo.lima333 Feb 2015 #49

Thank you.. whathehell Feb 2015 #35

Only his religious contributions. Ykcutnek Feb 2015 #120

There's strong historical evidence that slavery had a causal contribution mythology Feb 2015 #8

"even if you count the slave owning against Washington" WTF? merrily Feb 2015 #17

Yeah, enslaving human beings caused the country to become rich and . . . brush Feb 2015 #30

I choose to celebrate my children, Grant and Carter. Borchkins Feb 2015 #13

If you grow up on a society where slave owning is common Kurska Feb 2015 #25

Well said. At some future point in time we will all be criticized for eating meat or driving FSogol Feb 2015 #28

Time out! brush Feb 2015 #41

Yeah and there have always been people who supported gay rights Kurska Feb 2015 #54

Even then some realized that 5-10% of the population was born gay brush Feb 2015 #148

Lol that is really the best you have Kurska Feb 2015 #150

First of all, it's not my thread. brush Feb 2015 #154

My reply is directly related to the OP Kurska Feb 2015 #155

Two different and consequential issues that are deserving of their own thread . . . brush Feb 2015 #159

"People do not understand how much their morals are shaped by social context" whathehell Feb 2015 #46

Please see Replies 14 and 79. merrily Feb 2015 #90

This message was self-deleted by its author GeorgeGist Feb 2015 #92

For that matter, it was more difficult for them to treestar Feb 2015 #109

Moses did a few genocides, and every single Biblical author quoted to excuse anti gay bigotry in Bluenorthwest Feb 2015 #26

Oh, good grief. aquart Feb 2015 #29

You don't have to honor Washington if you don't want to. Pick your favorite president, and consider dissentient Feb 2015 #31

George Washington on slavery: LWolf Feb 2015 #37

Yet nothing prevented him from freeing his own slaves before he personally had no further use for merrily Feb 2015 #55

Context. nt LWolf Feb 2015 #94

No. Hypocrisy, not context. If he seemed oblivious to the evil, context might be an argument. merrily Feb 2015 #96

No. LWolf Feb 2015 #97

Again, I did not ignore context. merrily Feb 2015 #98

A closer look LWolf Feb 2015 #101

Still not ignoring context. Not cherrypicking it, either. merrily Feb 2015 #104

Thank you. Octafish Feb 2015 #70

Don't forget corporations. Jamastiene Feb 2015 #128

So from what you posted Glassunion Feb 2015 #105

Okay. LWolf Feb 2015 #111

I missed nothing. Glassunion Feb 2015 #112

Those laws were on and off again LWolf Feb 2015 #165

yet he made beaucoup bucks off of their blood his whole life. bettyellen Feb 2015 #106

I honor the thought-processes and writings of Plato, Homer and Aristotle LanternWaste Feb 2015 #47

It should be a day to honor all Presidents. Presidents' Day, not President's Day. merrily Feb 2015 #53

Even on DU, mention slavery, the confederate flag, etc. and you get all kinds of ugly surprises. merrily Feb 2015 #63

Almost every major figure in history has a checkered past by modern ethical standards. bluedigger Feb 2015 #64

Inasmuch as Washington railed against the wrongness of slavery, judge him by his own standards. merrily Feb 2015 #79

Wut? VScott Feb 2015 #66

I think we should have a Mother Jones Day...she saved poor children from slaving 12+ hours a day libdem4life Feb 2015 #72

And let's rename the nation's capital onenote Feb 2015 #74

Our Corporate Masters have determined that we are to have TEN days a year off. No more. Spitfire of ATJ Feb 2015 #80

This message was self-deleted by its author Richardo Feb 2015 #82

This message was self-deleted by its author Richardo Feb 2015 #83

This message was self-deleted by its author Richardo Feb 2015 #84

It would be interesting to see how we will be judged in 200 years. Throd Feb 2015 #95

Workers who are paid so little they cannot afford to live anywhere abelenkpe Feb 2015 #103

+1 treestar Feb 2015 #110

Judging the 18th century by 21st century standards. Jenoch Feb 2015 #108

18th vs. 21st century Glassunion Feb 2015 #114

While I believe slavery is and was wrong, Jenoch Feb 2015 #123

The two are not mutually exclusive. Glassunion Feb 2015 #124

Of course American slavery was a terrible thing. Jenoch Feb 2015 #169

You're making terrible assumptions. Glassunion Feb 2015 #170

Robert E. Lee's slaves were descended from Washington's slaves. kwassa Feb 2015 #115

This is what happens when people take their copy of "A People's History" wayyy too seriously. Ykcutnek Feb 2015 #121

A very thought provoking OP. stevenleser Feb 2015 #125

Do you support honoring him with the name of the nation's capital? onenote Feb 2015 #135

How many folks have a National Holiday for them in the US? That kind of honor should not be stevenleser Feb 2015 #145

How many folks were the commander of the revolutionary army and first president? onenote Feb 2015 #149

I agree the Capital is a similar honor. And I would support it being revisited. stevenleser Feb 2015 #151

30 counties. 30 cities. At least onenote Feb 2015 #156

What moral failings? Glassunion Feb 2015 #171

So you support renaming the state of Washington. onenote Feb 2015 #176

There would be no benefit. Glassunion Feb 2015 #178

You realize it also would piss off a shit-ton of Democrats and independents, too, right? onenote Feb 2015 #179

Well, you see the general attitude right in this thread. Jamastiene Feb 2015 #130

Believing that slavery was an abominable institution ... DemocratSinceBirth Feb 2015 #143

He had wooden teeth Warren DeMontague Feb 2015 #132

Did you think your post GP6971 Feb 2015 #153

John Adams refused to give women rights in the constituion, Liberty Belle Feb 2015 #162

Post removed Post removed Feb 2015 #167

So what do you suggest we do? BlueStater Feb 2015 #172

Apparently we should disavow the Founding Fathers altogether & pretend the US was... Hekate Feb 2015 #177