Robert E. Lee has been much maligned because he fought for the South. He owned slaves. We must, says the Left, tear him out from the histories. He can never grace the halls of honor for he owned slaves and was a Confederate General.
Imagine, if you will, being a Black American and being told of the admirable qualities of Robert E. Lee. How offensive!
Imagine yourself as an African American in todays US Army, and being faced with people telling you General Toussant L’Ouverture should be admired.
Imagine yourself a Slavic American and being told that Saladin was a great General and an honorable man. All the while knowing that Saladin held Slavic slaves. He also trafficked in African slaves. Yet, he is not tainted somehow by this. I suppose this is due to his default membership in the ambiguous Western People of Color Club for the Terminally and Perpetually Offended.
Imagine the same of Hannibal, another African, who held African and European slaves.
Imagine then being told of the Greatness of Rome and being a Greek American or nearly any Dash American. Rome held slaves from all across the known world.
Imagine being a Persian American and being told of the Greatness of Alexander.
Should we erase Lincoln as well. He did not set out to destroy slavery and did so only as an expedience of war.
We should never speak of the admirable qualities of George Washington, either, for he owned slaves.
Back to the Great General Toussant L’Ouverture who helped defeat the forces sent by France to quell the rebellion of slaves in Saint-Domingue. He was a Great Black Leader spoken of with respect, awe and admiration by Black Americans everywhere. Yet, even he was a man of his age. He owned slaves. Does he get a pass because he was a Black Man who owned Black slaves?
I get a good chuckle when I meet a young Black Woman named Ashante’ or some variation thereof. The Ashanti were the African tribal association that grew enormously wealthy selling African slaves to both Europeans in the West and Muslims in the East.
I imagine we’ll need erase from history and halt extolling the virtues of anyone born before the Age of Offense.
Robert E. Lee was a man of his age. To judge him or anyone else from ages past by the virtues and morals of our age is madness.
And then there is William Ellison…
