Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Rum » Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:16 pm

This book may be familiar to Americans - it may even be required reading in schools. If it isn't perhaps it should be.

As a Brit I only recently came across it and I have to say I have rarely been more moved by a piece of literature in my life.

For those who don't know it is the self penned story of a southern States slave who ultimately escapes and lives in the north. The book is primarily about slavery and its awfulness. I am only part way through at the moment, but the descriptions of what it was really like to be removed from the care of your mother at the age of twelve months, to be whipped at random, to have barely enough to eat and no bed to sleep on - all this and more, is told with compassion, not the least bit of self pity and a burning hatred for the system and its cruelty.

If you ever thought that slavery had any redeeming features (I certainly didn't!) then this is the book to get rid of that notion.

Highly recommended!

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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by cronus » Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:31 pm

Sounds cheerful inspiring stuff? Lucky the internal combustion engine came along? :coffee:
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:36 pm

Douglas was a powerful writer and speaker, a major player in the abolitionist movement in the antebellum US.
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Tyrannical » Sat Mar 23, 2013 1:11 pm

Here's a good book freely available on line if you wish to learn the African side of the slave trade story.

As a young Italian man, Theophile, wanted to be a sailor. After one of his early voyages as an apprentice navigator ran aground near Cuba, he found himself stranded after a pirate attack. The pirate captain spared him, as he recognized a family resemblance between Theophile and Theophile's uncle that the pirate new.
Taking a job on board a ship in Cuba, he was on his way to Africa. After a bit of excitement, the mulatto slave trader that was village chief befriended and hired Theophile and taught him the slave trade.

http://archive.org/details/captaincanotortw00maye
Captain Canot ; or, Twenty years of an African slaver : being an account of his career and adventures on the coast, in the interior, on shipboard, and in the West Indies (1854)

I find slavery morally wrong, but Douglass failed to realize how sick and depraved his fellow Blacks were back in Africa. Human sacrifice and cannibalism was the norm there, and most Africans there were slaves owned by other Africans.
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat Mar 23, 2013 1:16 pm

As compared to sick and depraved racists?
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Rum » Sat Mar 23, 2013 1:18 pm

Your point being? (Edit: in response to Tyrannical)

I neglected to mention that Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is out of copyright and is available free at Project Gutenberg ( http://www.gutenberg.org/).

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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by rachelbean » Sat Mar 23, 2013 1:34 pm

I read "My Bondage and My Freedom" and it was brilliant. He was an amazing man.
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Tyrannical » Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:00 pm

Rum wrote:Your point being? (Edit: in response to Tyrannical)

I neglected to mention that Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is out of copyright and is available free at Project Gutenberg ( http://www.gutenberg.org/).
That there were redeeming qualities of slavery. They were and continued to be far crueler to each other back in Africa when Douglass was alive. Slavery in America taught them not to behave as inhuman beasts. African depravity can not be understated, and the little news gems we hear today about witch doctors cutting off body parts, cannibalism, burning witches was the norm before they met the White man.

It's a myth that slaves were mistreated. They were valuable property, and only valuable if in working shape.
The ones that were whipped fell in to two categories. The ones that didn't work,and the ones that committed crimes. Everyone had to work back then to survive and prosper, there were no free rides or government welfare checks. As for crime, you only have to look at the huge current black on black crime statistics to realize that punishing a slave was often done to protect other slaves.
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:12 pm

Tyrannical wrote:It's a myth that slaves were mistreated. They were valuable property, and only valuable if in working shape.
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Rum » Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:30 pm

Tyrannical wrote:
Rum wrote:Your point being? (Edit: in response to Tyrannical)

I neglected to mention that Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is out of copyright and is available free at Project Gutenberg ( http://www.gutenberg.org/).
That there were redeeming qualities of slavery. They were and continued to be far crueler to each other back in Africa when Douglass was alive. Slavery in America taught them not to behave as inhuman beasts. African depravity can not be understated, and the little news gems we hear today about witch doctors cutting off body parts, cannibalism, burning witches was the norm before they met the White man.

It's a myth that slaves were mistreated. They were valuable property, and only valuable if in working shape.
The ones that were whipped fell in to two categories. The ones that didn't work,and the ones that committed crimes. Everyone had to work back then to survive and prosper, there were no free rides or government welfare checks. As for crime, you only have to look at the huge current black on black crime statistics to realize that punishing a slave was often done to protect other slaves.
You are a truly despicable excuse for a human being.

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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Tyrannical » Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:24 pm

Rum wrote:
Tyrannical wrote:
Rum wrote:Your point being? (Edit: in response to Tyrannical)

I neglected to mention that Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is out of copyright and is available free at Project Gutenberg ( http://www.gutenberg.org/).
That there were redeeming qualities of slavery. They were and continued to be far crueler to each other back in Africa when Douglass was alive. Slavery in America taught them not to behave as inhuman beasts. African depravity can not be understated, and the little news gems we hear today about witch doctors cutting off body parts, cannibalism, burning witches was the norm before they met the White man.

It's a myth that slaves were mistreated. They were valuable property, and only valuable if in working shape.
The ones that were whipped fell in to two categories. The ones that didn't work,and the ones that committed crimes. Everyone had to work back then to survive and prosper, there were no free rides or government welfare checks. As for crime, you only have to look at the huge current black on black crime statistics to realize that punishing a slave was often done to protect other slaves.
You are a truly despicable excuse for a human being.
How am I despicable? I'm just relating the facts of how things were instead of using the rose colored glasses of political correctness. They were extremely brutal and savage to each other back in Africa.
Slavery was wrong, but the average slave in America was much better off than the average black back in Africa. It's a myth they were free in Africa, their ancestors were slaves to other Africans long before the white man bought them. If slaves in the US were mistreated it was wrong, but back in Africa they were subjected to rape, beatings, human sacrifice and as a food source.
A rational skeptic should be able to discuss and debate anything, no matter how much they may personally disagree with that point of view. Discussing a subject is not agreeing with it, but understanding it.

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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by cronus » Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:44 pm

Nothing wrong with slavery so long as it is voluntary. That's what Ian-Duncan Smith believes and the DWP. They have the fine print to prove it these days. :coffee:
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat Mar 23, 2013 4:58 pm

Tyrannical wrote:How am I despicable? I'm just relating the facts of how things were instead of using the rose colored glasses of political correctness. They were extremely brutal and savage to each other back in Africa.
Slavery was wrong, but the average slave in America was much better off than the average black back in Africa. It's a myth they were free in Africa, their ancestors were slaves to other Africans long before the white man bought them. If slaves in the US were mistreated it was wrong, but back in Africa they were subjected to rape, beatings, human sacrifice and as a food source.
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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Rum » Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:08 pm

Tyrannical wrote:
Rum wrote:
Tyrannical wrote:
Rum wrote:Your point being? (Edit: in response to Tyrannical)

I neglected to mention that Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is out of copyright and is available free at Project Gutenberg ( http://www.gutenberg.org/).
That there were redeeming qualities of slavery. They were and continued to be far crueler to each other back in Africa when Douglass was alive. Slavery in America taught them not to behave as inhuman beasts. African depravity can not be understated, and the little news gems we hear today about witch doctors cutting off body parts, cannibalism, burning witches was the norm before they met the White man.

It's a myth that slaves were mistreated. They were valuable property, and only valuable if in working shape.
The ones that were whipped fell in to two categories. The ones that didn't work,and the ones that committed crimes. Everyone had to work back then to survive and prosper, there were no free rides or government welfare checks. As for crime, you only have to look at the huge current black on black crime statistics to realize that punishing a slave was often done to protect other slaves.
You are a truly despicable excuse for a human being.
How am I despicable? I'm just relating the facts of how things were instead of using the rose colored glasses of political correctness. They were extremely brutal and savage to each other back in Africa.
Slavery was wrong, but the average slave in America was much better off than the average black back in Africa. It's a myth they were free in Africa, their ancestors were slaves to other Africans long before the white man bought them. If slaves in the US were mistreated it was wrong, but back in Africa they were subjected to rape, beatings, human sacrifice and as a food source.
Your sir, are the savage.

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Re: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:12 pm

Nah, just a bigot compensating for a small dick. Savages has SOME class, after all.
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