I have a dream
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- dito
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ww… Have A Dream.mp3
- CyBrain0
On the first MLK day, which I think was 1991, PBS played many of his speeches in full. This man was such a great speaker. You should make a point of seeing/hearing/reading his speeches completely through.
- kgvs720
There should be a MLK YouTube Channel for everyone to watch.
- drgss0
Because in Europe slavery disappeared with the spread of Christianity, and the last traces of it are lost in the 12 century. In the United States slavery existed in 18th and 19th centuries.
In other words, Americans introduced slavery at a time when Europe many centuries ago said good-bye to these survivals of antiquity, and also went to the establishment of democratic institutions, equalizing the rights of the various groups. American slavery, thus, was not a leftover from the antiquity, but an innovation of the Anglo-Saxons, who wanted to realize their dream of building a "City upon a Hill".
Except that slaves had to do the building- Don't forget the 3/5 of a vote BS. I can't believe my friend didn't know that one.kgvs72
- Slavery in the French Republic was abolished on 4 February 1794 however it was re-established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804creez
- Serfdom. However sad the position of serfs was in Europe, their social status was never made equal to slaverydrgss
- since Christian morals if not directly oppose it, but already imply the depravity of humiliation of human dignitydrgss
- A slave on the other hand, doesn't have any rights at all, inclduing the right to lifedrgss
- nocreez
- PonyBoy0
Obama doesn't have any slave blood in his heritage - so i suppose if to be oppressed requires one have a slavery background... then no it hasn't happened - the dream sleeps on.
- i say this based on the fact folks are only arguing slavery as a factor - which is merely an item on a long listPonyBoy
- Slavery or not, people were still prejudice against skin colour...kalkal
- +1kgvs72
- why would you need "a slavery background" to be oppressed?nadnerb
- you don't... the post was sarcastic in tone and clarified w/the notePonyBoy
- ItTango0
The 3/5s Compromise cut both ways. Obviously it is demeaning for anyone to be counted as only 3/5s a person, but there was more to be considered.
States that practiced slavery wanted to count their slaves as full citizens of said states, even though they had ZERO rights. This would have given those states more representation in government, specifically the House and electoral college.
As a compromise (sprinkled with tasty humiliation), slaves were counted as 3/5s.
Weee! Only 2/5s to go, Mabel.
- drgss0
Blacks in the U.S. were lucky. They were at least recognized as people-- maybe as "defective" people, second or even third-class, and even if they did not have any rights at all, they were at least regarded as human beings.
At the same time, in the epoch of American nation-building, there was another category, which in general operated outside the concept of human beings. These were the Indians, the indigenous people of America before the arrival of "bearers of democratic values". In the minds of americans North America was initially seen as a blank space, equating the indigenous people to inhuman forms of life, as some natural barriers, like bushes of thorns or spikes. The extermination of indians was essential for the existence of the constitution itself as the ideal target of operating with an empty non-populated area.
And in exactly the same manner the contemporary Americans relate to the entire world today --as an empty space which is subject to "democratization", “adjustment” and “civilization”. When George Bush calls russians as "genetically incapable of democracy", it reveals that exact mechanism of racism, and ignoring of the facts which do not fit into the framework of the American idea about the world, which teaches about black people as inferior, and indians who do not relate to the human form.
- mikejjjj0
But isn't it also true that Europe never had to grapple with many of these issues because their societies have for the most part been free of large minority populations? Now that large numbers of immigrants are moving to Europe you can see many problems with racial tensions that rival the U.S. Also colonialism - including disregard for native populations -has been practiced by many nations through the course of history. So I think it's a human problem and certainly not unique to America.
- +1 though immigrants are the ones who immigrate , they are not colonizeddrgss
- ukit0
America has achieved a first with Obama - the first Western Democracy in the history of the world run by a minority.
- kelpie0
when did we start separating out "americans" and "european" in teh great nasty history of project america at that time?
someone needs to A) brush up on his history [your slavery stats are a nonsense, not to mention your brushing over the only subtle diffs between serfs and slaves], and B) get over his blind US-hate, its embarrassing to be associated with by dint of being "european"
- ItTango0
So, this planet is rife with injustices and downright genocides. Pointing fingers and attempting to determine who played what role is fruitless in the end.
Far more important (I think) to recognize future seminal events, so the shit doesn't happen again. Then work to end it in places where that hell is still alive and kickin'.
Done and done.
- epete220
thank you sir!