Leesburg council member claims God — not government — ended slavery [View all]

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Last edited Mon Mar 16, 2015, 09:44 AM - Edit history (1)

Leesburg council member claims God — not government — ended slavery

By Caitlin Gibson March 13
@caitjgibson

A Leesburg Town Council member drew criticism from the president of the Loudoun County branch of the NAACP after stating that God — not government — was solely responsible for freeing America’s slaves and correcting racial injustice.

“It’s the . . . hand of God touching the hearts of man that will bring unity within diversity, it’s not government,” Leesburg council member Thomas S. Dunn II said at a public meeting Tuesday.

Dunn spoke after a well-attended public hearing at which dozens of Loudoun County residents urged the town council to approve the creation of the Leesburg Diversity Commission.
....

Thompson told The Washington Post that he was responding to a statement made by an earlier speaker who had argued that government should not involve itself in civil rights matters. ... “The bottom line is that most, if not all, civil rights matters that have been handled in this country have been handled by government action,” Thompson said in an interview Friday. “I went a little over the top on it, but I used the analogy that if the government hadn’t intervened, I would still be a slave in the field picking cotton. Government had to act, or I wouldn’t be here.”

ETA, Monday, March 16:

Leesburg councilman says God freed the slaves; NAACP president calls comments offensive