Shall we delve into the past? Just a few points:

1. Racism and slavery have been facts of life for all people in all cultures and societies since man appeared on the scene – long before the USA was even an idea. Example: White Europeans were captured by Arab pirates off the Barbary Coast and sold into slavery to black North Africans centuries ago.

2. Many Africans (some estimate close to 2/3) brought over to the colonies to be indentured servants or slaves were delivered to the slave ships by other Africans; rival tribes that traded their prisoners of war for goods. But actually, the very first Africans brought to America were stolen and sold by Muslim slave-catchers in Africa to Dutch traders journeying to America in 1619. That ship sailed up the James River, thus introducing slavery into America. However, when the first slave ship to arrive in the Massachusetts Colony, set up by Christian pilgrims and puritans, landed the ship’s officers were arrested and imprisoned and the kidnapped Africans were returned to Africa at the Colony’s expense.

3. Originally, Africans brought over to the colonies were not slaves, properly defined. They were indentured servants and were often released after a set period of time. Many fortunate indentured servants even received land and equipment after their work contracts expired. This was such the case with Anthony Johnson, a black indentured servant in Virginia who was freed and went on to become the owner of this country’s first official slave – another black man – John Casor.

I’m going to shorten these facts from here on out – I don’t have time to explain everything. All that I have said, and will say, can be researched. I encourage you all to do so. In fact, there’s a fantastic book on the subject entitled “Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black & White”. Look it up. And please remember, I’m not here to defend racism or slavery. I’m just trying to show that it’s not such a black and white (literally) issue, and it is simply not the case that the United States was founded 100% by “white devils”, despite the opinions being peddled in the classroom these days. Let’s continue:

4. Blacks fought along-side whites in the War of Independence and were able to earn their freedom for doing so. Some examples of black patriots include James Armistead, Peter Salem, Prince Whipple and Oliver Cromwell (research them! these men heroes!)

5. Most signers of the Declaration of Independence were not actually slave owners. There were 56 of them, and only a few were. Anti-slavery signers included Samuel Adams, Stephen Hopkins, Benjamin Rush (who helped establish this country’s first Abolitionist Society in 1775 along with…), Benjamin Franklin. Others include Elbridge Gerry, James Wilson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and John Witherspoon. Just to name a few…

6. Speaking of founding documents, remember that old Three-Fifths Clause in the US Constitution that’s cited so often as an example of early institutionalized racism? Well Frederick Douglas concluded, after reading it, that it was not a pro-slavery, but an anti-slavery document: “I became convinced that the Constitution of the United States non only contained no guarantees in favor of slavery but, on the contrary, it is in its letter and spirit an anti-slavery instrument, demanding the abolition of slavery as a condition of its own existence as the supreme law of the land.” Did he miss the 3/5ths Clause?! No, he saw its true intention, as drafted by Northern anti-slavery advocates, as it dealt with the representation and not the worth of any individual. The Southern states wanted to count their slave populations to increase vote representation in Congress, and thus strengthen pro-slavery influence in the forming country. The anti-slavery founders saw right through this, not allowing the slave-owners to treat slaves as property but count them as citizens (having their cake and eating it to). They understood that the fewer pro-slavery representatives allowed in Congress, the sooner slavery could be eradicated from the nation. Gouverneur Morris, a signer of the Constitution and strong opponent of slavery argued: “The admission of slaves into the representation comes to this – that the inhabitant of Georgia and South Carolina who goes to the coast of Africa and – in defiance of the most sacred laws of humanity – tears away his fellow creatures from their dearest connections and damns them to the most cruel bondage, shall have more votes in a government instituted for protection of the rights of mankind than the citizen of Pennsylvania or New Jersey who views with a laudable horror so nefarious a practice.” I could go on and on about this, but the point is that the 3/5ths Clause was an anti-slavery provision designed to limit the number of pro-slavery representatives in Congress.

7. Do you know the first country to eliminate the practice of slavery amongst its people? Drum-roll please…. England. The second? The United States! And do you know what these crazy cats did? They went sailing around the Atlantic bilaterally ending the slave trade by force.

8. As I’ve said, every culture/society has had slavery. But do you know the quickest country to eliminate it? The USA! From our official founding in 1776 to the end of the Civil War in 1865 (less than 100 years) it was defeated. The institution of slavery was under attack from the very inception of this country.

Well, I guess I didn’t shorten my explanations too much there. Have to get the point across you see. Again, I could go on and on with examples, but there’s no time and I’d rather those of the same mindset as Chalktalk do the historical research and discover for themselves. And keep in mind, a practice like slavery, even if it takes a war, is still easier to eliminate than a prejudicial mindset like racism. This is why the former is no more, and the latter persists. Let’s keep working to make sure men are judged not “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” And let’s lay off the racism charges. This is only high school football, after all…

how do u go 4 whole quarters without scoring on the 2nd and 3rd strings!!!
HUMBLE PIE NO MORE DONUTS
4 A SMALL FEE ILL FIX UR SHIT!!!!
come come now its week 6
WHEN I SPEAK E.F HUNTON STILL LISTEN

What the hell happened at Arroyo vs BOD last night? Arroyo’s 2nd game this year they had to eat donuts on Saturday. I don’t want to hear about them being young this year. They wre suppose to be all 10th & 11th graders last year.

I also see no point in talking about the Jets for a few weeks until they play St. Mary’s(the 2nd best team in the league) or their last game getting ready for the play-offs.