Something tells me that this quote didn't make it into Spielberg's new movie Lincoln.Hobbery wrote:Sorry, I should have worded that better. But Abe worded his part flawlessly. I love that quote because Lincoln couldn't have more perfectly crafted a more racist statement. It's so matter of fact. It's obvious that he was clearing up any uncertainty about his position on the matter in case people weren't sure...Pointedstick wrote:To be clear, and for the benefit of any who may be reading, you love that quote for the picture that it paints of Lincoln, rather than out of any agreement with the sentiment expressed, right?Hobbery wrote: I love that quote. You guys might enjoy some articles by Tom DiLorenzo on this topic.
In case anyone here missed it:
"I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." --Honest Abe
Lincoln was just a person of his times. I have to think that there were very few white people back then who weren't a bit racist, and I think that a lot of this racism may not have even been conscious or hateful. For a lot of people, a more accurate term than racism might just be "ethnic elitism."