American Anti-Slavery Tract: 1853 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]
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Bernard Davis is a Facebook friend of mine from Birmingham (UK), who always makes challenging and interesting comments: usually about political and ethical matters (he is very informed about US politics). We almost always disagree, but he is unfailingly polite and congenial (which I greatly respect). His political description on his Facebook profile is: “G.K.Chesterton Liberal, Communitarian, Civilization of Life”. This was an exchange on my Facebook page. I had posted a meme that stated: “Democrats haven’t been this upset since Republicans took away their slaves.” His words will be in blue.
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Dave, are your recent posts really in the spirit of this article that you posted on 15th November which talked about not putting people in boxes and being a unifier?
My emphasis on unity is particularly among fellow Republicans / conservatives. That was my reference: the in-fighting among them.
I can seek that, while at the same time I won’t be muzzled if I see something that addresses a current issue or the secularism that is the enemy of Christianity in a challenging way.
The article is clearly addressing the unity of the whole of the USA. This present post of yours about Democrats haven’t been this upset……. It is not in the service of standing up for any specific current issue, it is just having a go at Democrats for being upset. How is that helping?
It’s a valid point. They are currently attempting to tar us as racists again (for the billionth time). That’s the issue. Thus it is appropriate to remind them of a bit of history. I think truth ultimately is a good thing. It may ruffle a few feathers, short-term. I’m a truth-teller.
Would it not be more appropriate to make that point in a different way?
Peacemakers and truth-tellers can exist simultaneously. In fact, Jesus was both, and He was one Person. So you be the peacemaker and I’ll be the truth-teller.
But what truth about the present are you telling here. Would not a post showing how Republicans are not racist have been more appropriate?
That would be good, too, though it never shuts up Democrats when they get on their high horse of supposed vast superiority to us in racial matters. I saw this, liked it a lot, and posted it. It’s as simple as that. You don’t like it, because it is a pointed, true observation about the liberals that you appear to politically favor.
I defended Steve Bannon as not racist at length a few days ago. Did it cause Mark Shea to cease and desist, in calling 60 million Trump voters racists? No. That’s what we get when we try to talk sensibly and factually about race relations.
Well, can we talk sensibly and factually. One issue that is going to come up in the next year is if Trump and Bannon make common cause with the European Far Right, like France’s Front Nationale. Where will you stand on that?
I don’t know enough about the particulars. I’ve never studied those parties. I know a little about the connection to Brexit. But I’ve written enough about Bannon: all to no avail for those who despise Trump as Vlad the Impaler and now Bannon (rapidly becoming Liberal Public Enemy #1) as Satan Incarnate. For those who can actually see a few good things about Trump here and there, my fact-filled article would have had much more impact.
I should add, too, that when I was saying before the election that I would be promoting unity within the party and with Democrats, that presupposed that the election results would be accepted. But of course what happened was that we had a week of rioting and ridiculous “cry-ins” and “diaper-ins” on college campuses. Then we had the usual race card brought out (x 100), and applied to Steve Bannon.
You think I can sit through that and not utter a peep, for the sake of unity? That kind of nonsense is so opposed to unity, that I must speak out against it, for the sake of unity. It’s all of a piece. I’m being perfectly consistent. I promote unity and I vociferously condemn those actions and words that are most destructive of that same unity: just as St. Paul did in the Bible: in terms of the Church (whereas my comments are more to do with society and the political sphere).
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Meta Description: Good short exchange about societal unity: post-election and how some folks care little about it and need to be critiqued a bit.
Meta Keywords: racism, bigotry, prejudice, Bernard Davis, liberals & race, conservatives & race, discrimination, slavery, Lincoln, abolition, KKK, white supremacists, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, President-elect Trump, President Trump, race relations, African-Americans, race card
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