The issue in the article relates to recent curious changes in the Florida school curriculum, which require teachers to talk about slaves learning certain skills which "in some cases" provided a "personal benefit".
How I interpret this is that a slave that learned wagon repairs or blacksmithing for example would have benefited from that knowledge after slavery was abolished. That doesn't seem like a stretch to me, but the addition of that sentence in the curriculum is being criticized for claiming slavery provided any "benefits". The whole controversy seems overblown in my view but I admit it's not an issue I'm very sensitive to and I would appreciate some more diverse perspectives.
The facts that - (1) being enslaved in any capacity is heinous and (2) being taught skills that are beneficial to one’s future is a benefit - are not mutually exclusive. It doesn’t have to be all one and none of the other. Yes, it would have been a whole lot better (to put it mildly) if these men, women and children were free, paid fairly and treated with due respect for their work and were taught skills that would benefit them going forward. But they did learn those skills regardless of their circumstances.
It sounds as if your friends are overly emotional and can’t discuss the matter in a purely intellectual manner. I’m going to guess your friends will be fervently against including the history of white slavery in the curriculum also. They want to hang onto a narrative and don’t truly want to dispassionately discuss the topic. Someday when the tv tells them the same thing you’re trying to, perhaps they’ll be more accepting.
It also reminds me of the biblical concept of how, when satan, through his many minions, throws up trials to break us, God uses these to strengthen us. MHO.
That's a pretty accurate summary of the situation. My friend's girlfriend is African American and they are both fantastic people, but when it comes to discussing racially charged topics like this, he has to be overly defensive (to virtue signal for her I guess?) and it completely feels unfair from an intellectual standpoint to try and argue with both of them in that context.
Virtue signaling is not good for anyone, least of all the young lady, in this instance, trying to somehow insulate her feelings vs making her (and him) stop with the emotional claptrap and look reality squarely in its face. The DS, through the insidious tripe they’ve been feeding students in their curriculums throughout their indoctrination, has aimed to shut down discourse and replace it with emotional overreaction based on falsehoods, half-truths and lies - all in an effort to sow division.
I think it’s much worse for the younger generations. One of my best friends (for over 45 years) is black (I’m Caucasian) and we’ve always been able to discuss any topic including race. Frankly I could not care less if they were purple and I were green. Color makes not a single difference to either of us, but both of us have pretty solid BS detectors and don’t shy away from discussing when people are trying to be manipulative.
It’s their choice what they want to believe. They can embrace the circus clown spirit of people like Al Sharpton (pushing victimhood and division) or the realistic, straight-talking spirit of Thomas Sowell (a national treasure, imho) or anything in-between. For you, my advice would be to keep the peace with this couple, just tell them you love them both and that triggering topics are probably best left for the future when cooler heads can prevail. Understand also that this particular topic inre Florida education matters is extremely politically charged right now so your friends are likely getting double and triple doses of BS from the FNM.
I really hope we can get to the point where the DS is eradicated and we can all go forth in a much better world. God willing, in my lifetime.
The issue in the article relates to recent curious changes in the Florida school curriculum, which require teachers to talk about slaves learning certain skills which "in some cases" provided a "personal benefit".
How I interpret this is that a slave that learned wagon repairs or blacksmithing for example would have benefited from that knowledge after slavery was abolished. That doesn't seem like a stretch to me, but the addition of that sentence in the curriculum is being criticized for claiming slavery provided any "benefits". The whole controversy seems overblown in my view but I admit it's not an issue I'm very sensitive to and I would appreciate some more diverse perspectives.
The facts that - (1) being enslaved in any capacity is heinous and (2) being taught skills that are beneficial to one’s future is a benefit - are not mutually exclusive. It doesn’t have to be all one and none of the other. Yes, it would have been a whole lot better (to put it mildly) if these men, women and children were free, paid fairly and treated with due respect for their work and were taught skills that would benefit them going forward. But they did learn those skills regardless of their circumstances.
It sounds as if your friends are overly emotional and can’t discuss the matter in a purely intellectual manner. I’m going to guess your friends will be fervently against including the history of white slavery in the curriculum also. They want to hang onto a narrative and don’t truly want to dispassionately discuss the topic. Someday when the tv tells them the same thing you’re trying to, perhaps they’ll be more accepting.
It also reminds me of the biblical concept of how, when satan, through his many minions, throws up trials to break us, God uses these to strengthen us. MHO.
That's a pretty accurate summary of the situation. My friend's girlfriend is African American and they are both fantastic people, but when it comes to discussing racially charged topics like this, he has to be overly defensive (to virtue signal for her I guess?) and it completely feels unfair from an intellectual standpoint to try and argue with both of them in that context.
Virtue signaling is not good for anyone, least of all the young lady, in this instance, trying to somehow insulate her feelings vs making her (and him) stop with the emotional claptrap and look reality squarely in its face. The DS, through the insidious tripe they’ve been feeding students in their curriculums throughout their indoctrination, has aimed to shut down discourse and replace it with emotional overreaction based on falsehoods, half-truths and lies - all in an effort to sow division.
I think it’s much worse for the younger generations. One of my best friends (for over 45 years) is black (I’m Caucasian) and we’ve always been able to discuss any topic including race. Frankly I could not care less if they were purple and I were green. Color makes not a single difference to either of us, but both of us have pretty solid BS detectors and don’t shy away from discussing when people are trying to be manipulative.
It’s their choice what they want to believe. They can embrace the circus clown spirit of people like Al Sharpton (pushing victimhood and division) or the realistic, straight-talking spirit of Thomas Sowell (a national treasure, imho) or anything in-between. For you, my advice would be to keep the peace with this couple, just tell them you love them both and that triggering topics are probably best left for the future when cooler heads can prevail. Understand also that this particular topic inre Florida education matters is extremely politically charged right now so your friends are likely getting double and triple doses of BS from the FNM.
I really hope we can get to the point where the DS is eradicated and we can all go forth in a much better world. God willing, in my lifetime.