Comments on: Bill Bennett, Please Leave Frederick Douglass Alone http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/09/22/bill-bennett-please-leave-frederick-douglass-alone/ The national media watch group Mon, 22 Mar 2010 14:54:39 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Doug Latimer http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/09/22/bill-bennett-please-leave-frederick-douglass-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-9546 Doug Latimer Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:17:46 +0000 http://www.fair.org/blog/?p=13032#comment-9546 That's a pretty goddamn big cherry, Lemuel - and unless you're questioning the veracity of the quote, I'm not sure what you're point is. Neither party was "the party of freedom and progress" then, and neither is now. Douglass understood that 130 odd years ago, and many black "leaders" understand that today - and yet still throw their lot in with the Democrats for their own personal benefit, as I'm sure many did then with the Republicans. And if you're trying to convince me that Rush Limbaugh et al are closet egalitarians who yearn deeply for a nation in which persons are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character ... well, you're gonna have to do a whole hell of a lot better than that. That's a pretty goddamn big cherry, Lemuel – and unless you're questioning the veracity of the quote, I'm not sure what you're point is.

Neither party was "the party of freedom and progress" then, and neither is now. Douglass understood that 130 odd years ago, and many black "leaders" understand that today – and yet still throw their lot in with the Democrats for their own personal benefit, as I'm sure many did then with the Republicans.

And if you're trying to convince me that Rush Limbaugh et al are closet egalitarians who yearn deeply for a nation in which persons are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character … well, you're gonna have to do a whole hell of a lot better than that.

]]> By: Lemuel Kinsolving http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/09/22/bill-bennett-please-leave-frederick-douglass-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-9534 Lemuel Kinsolving Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:35:41 +0000 http://www.fair.org/blog/?p=13032#comment-9534 A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. FAIR cherry picked the words of Frederick Douglass. consider this quote "I am a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress. " Also this, "I recognize the Republican party as the sheet anchor of the colored man's political hopes and the ark of his safety. " AND I cannot imagine that any colored man would ever belong to the party of slavery, the Democrat party. FAIR can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, BUT that does not give them the chalice of truth. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. FAIR cherry picked the words of Frederick Douglass. consider this quote "I am a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress. " Also this, "I recognize the Republican party as the sheet anchor of the colored man's political hopes and the ark of his safety. " AND I cannot imagine that any colored man would ever belong to the party of slavery, the Democrat party. FAIR can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, BUT that does not give them the chalice of truth.

]]> By: Richard Bedell http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/09/22/bill-bennett-please-leave-frederick-douglass-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-9444 Richard Bedell Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:31:35 +0000 http://www.fair.org/blog/?p=13032#comment-9444 The ideals of this country have alway been better than the reality. The tenuous popular democracy and personal liberties that we enjoy today are almost accidental. The founding fathers said things without thinking them through. The growth of freedom has been the result of people's insistence on taking the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and the US Constitution as meaning what they say. Since WW II at least, while personal liberty and social justice has expanded somewhat, the cause of democracy has been under attack by imperialism and militarism rationalized as defense of democracy. When a President appropriates more power to his office in the name of national security no subsequent President will voluntarily aschew the perogatives of the office. The ideals of this country have alway been better than the reality. The tenuous popular democracy and personal liberties that we enjoy today are almost accidental. The founding fathers said things without thinking them through. The growth of freedom has been the result of people's insistence on taking the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and the US Constitution as meaning what they say.
Since WW II at least, while personal liberty and social justice has expanded somewhat, the cause of democracy has been under attack by imperialism and militarism rationalized as defense of democracy. When a President appropriates more power to his office in the name of national security no subsequent President will voluntarily aschew the perogatives of the office.

]]> By: Nightgaunt http://www.fair.org/blog/2009/09/22/bill-bennett-please-leave-frederick-douglass-alone/comment-page-1/#comment-9437 Nightgaunt Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:54:45 +0000 http://www.fair.org/blog/?p=13032#comment-9437 How easy it is for history to be distorted by those who want it to conform to their expectations and whims. Like all of those bogus quotes from our founders and Lincoln among others written in the 1890's and plague us today? I thank them for printing this, it is welcome. How easy it is for history to be distorted by those who want it to conform to their expectations and whims. Like all of those bogus quotes from our founders and Lincoln among others written in the 1890's and plague us today? I thank them for printing this, it is welcome.

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