I'm half slave and half master

[KingCrr]

Just found out my great great grandfather was a slave master, and he got it on with his slave, my great great grandmother. It got me to thinking, should I have love for this man simply because he is a grandfather to me, or should I hate him for what he contributed to slavery... This guy also had tons of kids, all white who from what i was told moved to Chicago... Crazy stuff.

[Fiyenyaa]

Although being a slave master is obviously reprehensible, I think that a great great grandfather is long enough in the past not to hold any kind of meaningful grudge.
If you go back far enough, everyone probably has ancestors who we would think are truly evil.

[Jams79]

My grandfather got work as an overseer in British Guiana after the war and from what I saw in my life I'd have to say he wasn't even remotely racist he'd chat and joke with anyone regardless of colour. So I don't consider job to define belief.

[Lance-Corporal Jones]

There weren't many, but even during the slave era there were some African-Americans who had become extremely rich and owned substantial plantations with thousands of slaves.

So figures, even in a racist society like the old South, money will shut people up, heh.

[Lord of Lost Socks]

Don't be hatin', bro.

Also. Don't waste time worrying about the ones who have been dead for ages. Worry about the living.

[Thanatos]

Just found out my great great grandfather was a slave master, and he got it on with his slave, my great great grandmother. It got me to thinking, should I have love for this man simply because he is a grandfather to me, or should I hate him for what he contributed to slavery... This guy also had tons of kids, all white who from what i was told moved to Chicago... Crazy stuff.

Well, consider the fact that the mindset back then was different. It was acceptable (to a degree, at the very least) to have slaves back then.

[gambit]

Well, consider the fact that the mindset back then was different. It was acceptable (to a degree, at the very least) to have slaves back then.

Right. People were born being told it was perfectly fine, you cant blame everyone.

[C-Rob]

jsut imagine if Hiter had children.. if you are going to make a big deal about a slave owner...

[Garrigan]

C-Rob, well Stalin did. His grandchildren are still alive, iirc.

[C-Rob]

C-Rob, well Stalin did. His grandchildren are still alive, iirc.

thanks for the info? Again, more point, it's not a big deal what the person who gave... let's see, great grand children... that would be, 1/16 of your genes has done. Doesn't affect you at all. Go ahead and demonize the guy though. He's dead. What does he care?

[wudang_clown]

Sometime ago I've watched some documentary about Hilter's not so distant family, which members try to hide their relationship with Adolf. They are so ashamed of what he did.

But I think you shouldn't be worried about your ancestor's deeds.

[LSJ]

I agree with Fiyenyaa and Thanatos on this. While supporting slavery is considered shameful today, it was commonplace merely 150 years ago. Even during the civil war, the southern Union states practiced it. A while farther back than the war, the whole continent practiced slavery.

Its like families in the 30s, where wives are stuck in the kitchen and can't hold a job. Today a man who doesn't allow his wife to work is a bad person, but back then it was the social norm.

If you go back far enough, you'll surely find people in your family history who did things you would consider horrible to some degree. Its not that they were bad people, but that it was the culture of the time and they had little reason to stray from it.

Finally, its never a one-or-the-other situation. You can like a person while disliking aspects of that person. Or vice versa, like many people's relationship with Napoleon or Caesar.

[Chlodwig I.]

great great grand father?
that guy was long dead before you where born so why care at all?

[KingCrr]

great great grand father?
that guy was long dead before you where born so why care at all?

I see your point, but I'm this guy's direct descendant. It matters, I want to know how I got here and ,my heritage. I'm not sure if I want to embrace that heritage though. To throw in another loop hole, I just found out my dad was adopted. I'm 23 years old and I've been thinking the people on his side were my biological relatives. I've been told I have different races mixed in come to find out I don't. I want to know who this slave master was and where he came from.

[nopasties]

I see your point, but I'm this guy's direct descendant. It matters, I want to know how I got here and ,my heritage. I'm not sure if I want to embrace that heritage though. To throw in another loop hole, I just found out my dad was adopted. I'm 23 years old and I've been thinking the people on his side were my biological relatives. I've been told I have different races mixed in come to find out I don't. I want to know who this slave master was and where he came from.

Dig far enough I'm sure everyone has stories like this. Supposedly on my mother's side, not sure how many generations back some English noble got with his maid and produced one of my ancestor's. I wouldn' respect respect the guy, even if his slave had some feelings. Your great great grandmother was still in a relatively weak position that he likely didn't respect properly. It makes your great great grandfather human definitely but respectable, no.

[Phier]

I've an inlaw who's grandfather was a member of the S.S.

happens, and its rather silly to hate or love someone you don't know.

[Helm]

"I'm half slave and half master"

Aren't we all?

[gambit]

"I'm half slave and half master"

Aren't we all?

[Mr. Pink]

You should go back in time and prevent him from ever becoming a slave master so you do not have this dilemma in the present day.

[Helm]

You should go back in time and prevent him from ever becoming a slave master so you do not have this dilemma in the present day.

But then he would never have been born at all. You have to think these things through.