tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255491668947443177.post1392417488571262104..comments2023-06-17T11:47:24.375-04:00Comments on The Mongoose Chronicles: On Darwin and racism: comment responsecaddlewashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241127953404268513noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255491668947443177.post-71710844589744329372009-02-13T15:33:00.000-04:002009-02-13T15:33:00.000-04:00While I care very much about whether people are ra...While I care very much about whether people are racist or not, I can't say I would disregard the work of scientists such as Darwin because they were racist. I think every life matters, every mind thinks (even if their thoughts are stupid), every person adds something to the world. We have to thank Adolf for Hollywood.<BR/><BR/>I am reminded of another well loved racist (who happened to be born the same year as Darwin), the man America celebrates this week, Abraham Lincoln, who is credited with freeing the slaves. Was he racist? Of course he was. He was a white American living during a time when it was against the LAW for a white person to marry a black person in that country. Don't believe me? Here's an excerpt from his speech made at Charleston, the Fourth Joint Debate.<BR/><BR/>"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." - Abraham Lincoln. Read the whole speech here:<BR/>http://www.bartleby.com/251/41.html<BR/><BR/>Surprised? Don't be. I doubt there were many places on earth where people weren't racist at the time. Slavery may have been coming to an end worldwide by the time these two men were adults, but racism was probably not a word widely in use at that time. And I imagine it wasn't negatively perceived by the general European and American societies.<BR/><BR/>So let's move past the race debate and move on to the more interesting religious vs logical debate. It's much more interesting and fun to read! ;-)Jodihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01079459862164327926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255491668947443177.post-51557773430174415552009-02-13T14:27:00.000-04:002009-02-13T14:27:00.000-04:00I never got the idea that you were praising everyt...I never got the idea that you were praising everything darwin did....just assumed that you were acknowledging his contributions to the topic of evolution.<BR/><BR/>it is also good that the person highlighted that he may have been a racist, but that does not mean that his work should not be acknowledged.<BR/><BR/>Good and bad have shaped the world..I am currently reading a book entitled the psychopathic god which is about hitler and a white person asked me why am I reading it. Educatiing yourself is about hearing all 3 sides to a story and analysing all of the views. Darwin's contributions have been significant in shaping the thoughts of the world, racist or not.<BR/><BR/>One statement I believe in as that "a people without knowledge of their past.....is like a tree with no roots"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com