Friday, December 6, 2013

Abraham Lincoln Was No Nelson Mandela

"He no longer belongs to us. He now belongs to the ages.",  Secretary of War during the Lincoln Administration, Edwin Stanton said while speaking about the death of President Lincoln. Yesterday, President Obama said the same words when speaking about the death of Nelson Mandela. I'm sorry but I'm repulsed by the idea that he would even attempt to draw a parallel between the two men by using the same quote.

He is utterly obsessed with Lincoln. This obsession must be driven by the fact that Lincoln had a fervor for the Constitution just as he does. However, I think the President forgets that the Constitution during Lincoln's era included a fugitive slave clause and the three-fifths clause. He only "freed" the slaves to undermine the Confederacy and increase manpower through ex-slaves who fought for the Union (some 200,000 men). Furthermore, the Emancipation Proclamation didn't even "free" all slaves.  It didn't apply to border slave states like like Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri because they were all loyal to the Union. He also exempted certain parts of the Confederacy that had already come under Union control, hoping that the Whites in those areas would see that as a favor and become loyal to the Union as well. He was not an abolitionist, although he thought slavery was morally wrong.

Unlike Mandela, Lincoln did not believe that Blacks and Whites should have the same rights. In fact, he said, “I will say then that 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.” Then went on to say that he opposed blacks having the right to vote, to serve on juries, to hold office and to intermarry with whites. What he did believe was that, like all men, blacks had the right to improve their condition in society and to enjoy the fruits of their labor. In this way they were equal to white men, and for this reason slavery was inherently unjust.

So it irritates me to no end that this President can be so out of touch and disconnected that he would have the audacity to use the same quote that was used in reference to Lincoln's passing, while speaking about the passing of a great man like Nelson Mandela. I've tried to remain loyal and supportive of President Obama, but this guy really needs to get his head out of his ass.

Well, that's my take on it. What's yours?