Then we disagree. There was nothing stopping him from owning slaves then, any more than there is anything stopping the Sudanese from owning Christians as slaves now, and I can't say with my morality that his owning of slaves was wrong. I think it was, he obviously didn't, and there was nothing to stop him from doing so. I can't say that my morality can let me judge someone acting within the morality of their time on one concept, whether or not I personally find it revolting. I can't deride Confucius's power as a leader and a thinker, nor his accuracy in some of his thought, just because he was a sexist bastard who supported all sorts of things I find reprehensible. He still has accuracy and power - and I don't have to like him to understand that.
In addition, this was primarily a commentary on fashion, not on history, the painting of or otherwise. If it had been, I would have mentioned things like the anti slavery movements in the North and South, the proslavery discussions in the North, the war in Kansas over whether or not it would be a slave or free state, the fact that the admission of California as a free state was the writing on the wall for the Mason-Dixon Line, the fact that the North post-War did not turn out to be some sort of haven of nice as many people wanted it to be, and a whole lot of other things.
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Date: 2006-08-28 09:11 pm (UTC)In addition, this was primarily a commentary on fashion, not on history, the painting of or otherwise. If it had been, I would have mentioned things like the anti slavery movements in the North and South, the proslavery discussions in the North, the war in Kansas over whether or not it would be a slave or free state, the fact that the admission of California as a free state was the writing on the wall for the Mason-Dixon Line, the fact that the North post-War did not turn out to be some sort of haven of nice as many people wanted it to be, and a whole lot of other things.