Has this country evolved into what President Lincoln tried to establish by Emanc

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   whonunuwhoposted 12 years ago

   Has this country evolved into what President Lincoln tried to establish by Emancipation in 1863?
   
   Since Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, do you think this nation has come full circle with election of our present president?
   
   

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   My Esotericposted 12 years ago

   Absolutely not.  The reason is the two Congresses aren't similar at all.  Over half the Congress is made up of an ideology that represents those that came into power after the demise of reconstruction. 
   
   The vision of Lincoln died with him, the Supreme Court made sure of that.  It wasn't until 1937 did the Court begin to issue decisions in support of civil rights.  It its zenith in the 1980s, until the Rehnquist Court came into being which began undoing the vision of Lincoln; the Roberts Court has continued this journey.

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   cam8510posted 12 years ago

   This is such a difficult question, but a great one.  Thanks for asking it.  In one way I believe we have surpassed Lincoln's accomplishment in emancipation.  What he congress succeeded in passing was a bill that stated that blacks were equal to whites in the eyes of the law.  I believe that most people today see people of all races as being equal, not only in the eyes of the law, but absolutely. 
   
   Having said that, it is sad that as the slaves were freed, even in the north they were shunned.  Northern whites wanted slavery abolished on moral grounds, but they did not want the slaves living anywhere near them. 
   
   It has been a long road.  I believe we have to consider two things.  First, we must consider the laws of our the U.S. Congress and the decisions of the Courts.  In that regard, I suppose we have a ways to go.  The second thing we should consider is the attitude of the average American.  Here is where I believe the greatest progress has been made.  While there are racists and bigots around, I believe most Americans have embraced equality and are willing to live, work, worship and and send their kids to school with people of all races.  There are exceptions, but I believe I am an average American, and I have personally embraced the equality of all men, absolutely.

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   taburkettposted 12 years ago

   = in structure for emancipation requires that the disenfranchised group being supported accept their responsibility to participate equally to achieve that equality.  Dumbing down the nation does not make anyone equal, it just destroys the nation.  Lincoln did his job in declaring support at the national level, however the nation could not change the society with just paperwork.  And instead of improving the disenfranchised, the federal government has diminished the creativity and innovation of the nation.  When an individual earns equality they are considered equal - but -  when an individual is awarded equality without putting forth personal effort, they are conferred equal by inflexion.  Such con activity is not only degrading and ruining the nation, it is detrimental to those conferred.

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      My Esotericposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't see anything about earning equality in the Declaration of Independence; all it says is all men were created equal.

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      cam8510posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      My Esoteric, I agree.  Equality is not earned, it just is.  All men are equal by the very fact that they are human.  Slavery didn't make people less equal.  The slaves were always the equals to their masters.  All men are equal.

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