The other "N" word

[marv2]

The Puritans, who were protestants, had an enormous influence in the direction of this country, even today. They fled the church of England because of it, but they came here only to do the same.

They also burned and lynched those accused of being witches.

[roger]

The Puritans, who were protestants, had an enormous influence in the direction of this country, even today. They fled the church of England because of it, but they came here only to do the same.

That is pretty much what we were taught in school here in England Soulster, certainly their variety of Protestantism seems a lot more prevelent in the U.S.A. than it does in modern England [[though perhaps not in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). However we were also led to believe that the passengers on "The Mayflower" founded the first English settlement in what is now the U.S.A. and so it came as a surprise to me when I learnt about Jamestown a few years later.

Roger

[144man]

Roger, I found that 1999 BBC documentary extremely interesting. Thanks.

[splanky]

Negra was used by slave owners in the antibellum south,so it ain't cool,for those of you who wonder why we use the designation[african american]you have to understand that africans were brought to this country in chians,unlike other folks that left of thier own free will.

Damn, Jai, I meant to say this earlier but though I get what you said and I know black people
have had the unique experience of having their ethnicity and color used as a "rational "
reason [[read: excuse) to justify placing them into a lifetime of bondage, let's not forget that
the Chinese were brought here by the British to build the railroads and then left stranded
in a new country they had to adjust and adapt to...

[arr&bee]

It's not quite the same.

[splanky]

It's not quite the same.

Never said it was, Jai. It's just that a lot of us seem to believe that American black people
were the only folks ever exploited by others and world history proves that that is not the
whole truth. If it's all about playing a blaming game there are people all over the world
who can cite their own abuse by other people and nations. And that is something that is
still going on to this day. Look at Russia and the Ukraine...Sometimes I think if I were God
I'd scrap the whole humankind experiment and start all over with another entity...

[soulster]

Just about every group of people on this planet have been enslaved at one point or another. But, we are specifically talking about the U.S. here. The Chinese, American Indians, some Mexicans, and even poor Whites were enslaved, but no other group here were enslaved as long, or as brutally as the Africans who were shipped here.

[splanky]

no other group here were enslaved as long, or as brutally as the Africans who were shipped here.

This I can agree with, soulster, and I am not trying to argue this point but...

"Just about every group of people on this planet have been enslaved at one point or another"
this I cannot. I could almost if you had used the word exploited but there are scores of
people on this planet who have NEVER been enslaved for one reason or another though
I'll admit most of them have been European or Asian. As far as abuse is concerned we know
almost the entire continent of Africa was colonised. Still, today it's a different ballgame
if you know what I mean...

[Jerry Oz]

Never said it was, Jai. It's just that a lot of us seem to believe that American black people
were the only folks ever exploited by others and world history proves that that is not the
whole truth. If it's all about playing a blaming game there are people all over the world
who can cite their own abuse by other people and nations. And that is something that is
still going on to this day. Look at Russia and the Ukraine...Sometimes I think if I were God
I'd scrap the whole humankind experiment and start all over with another entity...

People who believe that we were the only peoples to be exploited prove that you can only go as far as you are taught. I know of some folks who feel entitled based upon past abuses, but I don't know any who fail to recognize that others have similar grievances. If anything, they focus on the state of African-Americans/Blacks/People of Color/Negroes/Brothers and Sisters because our inclusion in the American mainstream seems to have been halted prior to being fully realized.

[arr&bee]

Fully realized???

[marv2]

Looks like Uncle Smokey may have been peeping in and reading this thread.....check this out:

[soulster]

I liked that! Brother Smokey! Smokin'! He almost lost me at 5:54, started to sound like one of his buddies at Fox, but, he bounced back and he has it right.