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"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 -- that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races from living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior and I as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." (Source the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln.)
You know this is an example of WHY I get so upset by people discussing the idea of bringing this country back to its Constitutional roots, and that we all need to deify the Founding Fathers and appreciate their work in building this nation as unassailable.
Here is an example of a man who came along many decades later, is justifiably considered an incredibly important figure in bringing equal rights to ALL people in this country, but who was clearly still a product of the prejudice and racism of his time.
The facts are that our society has greatly evolved since the time of Lincoln, and especially since the time of Washington, Madison, and Jefferson. The world as it is today would be virtually unrecognizable to these men. And the rights enjoyed by Americans would literally cause their jaws to unhinge with amazement.
Literally the only people who should desire a return to a country that embraced ONLY those privileges laid out in the original Constitution and Bill of Rights, are wealthy white MEN. Anybody else who believes they would benefit from a return to those days, or enjoy this country as it once was, are either ignorant of history or a self loathing member of a majority of Americans who are NOT rich, white, and male.
