tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523754873880542370.post6872206754939912490..comments2009-07-12T21:29:03.640-07:00Comments on Summer of 2009 at Cornell University: First Taste of JusticeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523754873880542370.post-80647305120121151162009-06-24T16:29:47.898-07:002009-06-24T16:29:47.898-07:00Hi Mr. Gosney (and all other readers for that matt...Hi Mr. Gosney (and all other readers for that matter),<br /> You are absolutely right. Dr. King was not an abolitionist and Professor Kramnick did not describe him as such. I simply meant that in part the abolitionist ideology - inclusive of equal civil rights - was based on the Bible; just as slavery had been. It was Dr. King's name that was brought up in discussion, but rather than sticking only with the Civil Rights Movement, I wanted to expand the argument to abolition. My desire to do so was primarily because I know that church and religion played a big factor in the abolition of slavery. I did generalize it too much, I really did not want to spend too much time breaking down how the Bible had influenced both sides of the issue; and I failed to recognize my mistake.<br />I stand corrected, or rather clarified. <br />Thank you for staying on top of things and keeping me on my toes.<br /><br />*RamiahAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14868341477604886336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523754873880542370.post-25289715632124443932009-06-23T23:52:56.767-07:002009-06-23T23:52:56.767-07:00Ramiah,
I had to add another comment about your r...Ramiah,<br /><br />I had to add another comment about your reference to Dr. MLK as an abolitionist. Was this a term used in the class to describe him or was this your own?<br /><br />I've never heard that word used to describe Dr. King and I'm not sure how appropriate it it really is. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.Don Gosneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17110247579694408858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523754873880542370.post-49484736433568217872009-06-23T23:41:40.099-07:002009-06-23T23:41:40.099-07:00Ramiah,
I'm glad that your prof touched on ho...Ramiah,<br /><br />I'm glad that your prof touched on how the 'Christian" movement here in the US has become a driving force in American politics. It's hard to say exactly when it started but many feel it was just about the same time that the voting rights acts were signed in the mid '60's giving all Americans the right to vote.<br /><br />Many people from the midwest and the south still held misgivings dating back to the Civil War and earlier about the place for non-whites in this country and they simply could not accept that non-whites would have the same rights as they would.<br /><br />They often found the rationale in their faith that justified their beliefs and the subsequent actions many took to preserves their way of life. [I believe Dr. Kramnick touched on this.]<br /><br />And, of course, things escalated from there and America became polarized with devout Christians being on one side of many issues and the rest of us being on the other side.<br /><br />Two of the most polarizing ideas circulating in our country today are a woman's right to choose and what should constitute a legal marriage. And both of the arguments on these two issues center on faith based concepts.<br /><br />Since they weren't having much luck convincing the non-believers that their way was the right way, they took to politics as a means of legislating their way of life. This is a very dangerous way to affect change.<br /><br />Take a look at so many of the countries around the world where we see them as evildoers and you may see that what we see as so objectionable in them is really no different than what some people are trying to do right here in the US. Whether it's what's happening in Iran right now, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, China, North Korea--the list goes on.<br /><br />I hope you listen to what's being said in these lectures and open your mind to ideas outside of what you normally might be thinking.<br /><br />Listen to Mr. Crossley, Ramiah. He speaks words of truth about how easy it might be to deceive yourselves into thinking that what you hear in your class is a cross section of what the country might be thinking. Look at those from your own school and ask how many of them might agree or disagree with what they might hear in this class.Don Gosneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17110247579694408858noreply@blogger.com