Brickbat: Never Mind

Public Domain

Cumberland County, North Carolina, schools superintendent Tim Kinlaw has apologized for canceling a school environmental program that used the Marquis de Lafayette, for whom Fayetteville is named, for its mascot. Kinlaw says he canceled the program because some members of the community complained that Lafayette was a slave owner. He says he has since learned that Lafayette was actually an abolitionist who bought slaves only to free them.

Comments

[Telcontar the (Obama) Birther]

But was it an imminent, credible complaint that he was a slave owner?

[Adans smith]

Male? Check White? Check. Knew George Washington? Check. It all adds up.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

Don't know much...about,..his-tor-ee....

[Lord_at_War]

"Don't know much about biology."

[The rapist known Dunphy]

Outrageous. A Marquis as a mascot?

[Mickey Rat]

Kinlaw is only a superintendent, it is not like he 's an educator. This is what happens when you give decision making powers to the janitor.

[Sports Reporter Charles Manson]

No, the janitor would have looked it up. Or he would have already known, since he's in a place named after LaFayette.

[Fist of Etiquette]

He says he has since learned that Lafayette was actually an abolitionist who bought slaves only to free them.

In a just world educators would be making a million dollars and baseball players the mere $70,000 a year teachers take home.

[Longtobefree]

But he still owned the slaves from the time of purchase until the time of freeing.
A truly evil man.

In a just world educators would make a million dollars if they could fill a stadium with patrons willing to pay 20 to 200 dollars a ticket and buy 10 dollar hot dogs in order to watch the educators educate.

[mattcid]

I enjoy it when teachers complain about pay as they are entirely overpaid (and pensioned) and will be among the first to be replaced by robots / software.

[loveconstitution1789]

Danger! Danger! These people are responsible for teaching America's children. Danger!

[geo1113]

Now you have me thinking of the teachers I know and have me shaking my head.

[Rebel Scum]

complained that Lafayette was a slave owner. He says he has since learned that Lafayette was actually an abolitionist who bought slaves only to free them.

Neither of these things is relevant. People need to stop judging historical figures against modern standards and instead judge them against their time. Combine the logic of the history erasers (statue removers) with judging historical figures against modern standards and you will erase all of history.

[loveconstitution1789]

These people just don't care that the USA most likely would not be here if it weren't for some of those slave owners getting together and creating a Nation that was prepared to protect everyone freedoms, including slaves after 1808.

Literally, being able to have this discussion would probably not exist had it not been for some white men that owned slaves.

There was a relatively small window in the late 18th and early 19th Century for America to be formed. America's formation caused shakeups in the colonial powers that would eventually completely change the World from monarchs and theocracies to mostly self-ruling countries.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

Try telling that to BLM, Antifa, or Juggaloos.

[chemjeff]

Really? Is there any real evidence that the American revolution had any measurable impact on the politics in Europe? I think that is American hubris talking. Mainly I think the revolution made the British sad and the French happy, but no one else really gave a shit. Even if there was some measurable impact, I would argue that the Revolutions of 1848, which were inspired not insignificantly by Marx, had a much bigger impact long-term.

[loveconstitution1789]

America's democracy that did not fail caused quite a bit of changes in Europe.

[chemjeff]

Which changes, specifically?

[Telcontar the (Obama) Birther]

Ever notice how the French Tricolor is red, white and blue?

Not to mention revolution outside of Europe- lotsa RW&B in the Bolivarians too (not that that went terribly well).

[IceTrey]

The American Revolution lead directly to the French Revolution.

[SIV]

Best lunch in Fayetteville

[Jerryskids]

he canceled the program because some members of the community complained

Christ, what a pussy. You admit that you didn't even know anything about Lafayette's history with regards to slavery but you just go ahead and cancel the program the second any whiny-ass bitch complains? Does your mommy keep your testicles locked up in the cabinet?

[SIV]

White "interim" superintendent of a majority poor, urban, Black school district...

[Matrix]

But he's a ****ing white male!

[Old Mexican's Speedos]

He says he has since learned that Lafayette was actually an abolitionist who bought slaves only to free them.

Must have taken a herculean effort to mouse-click your way to that information, you leech.

[macsnafu]

Learning opportunity nearly cancelled. This is what tax dollars pay for. Sheesh.

[Cyto]

Straffinrun posted a nice article that puts the current push for erasing the confederate past into a different context in an insightful way.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

Thanks for that. I have some close friends in Germany and have thought the same about their fallen; was just there a couple of weeks ago and it's as though they never existed. Most were as the article described, and caught up in a war not of their making. In that sense no different from our soldiers.

[chemjeff]

Clearly this unfair criticism of Lafayette is just one more example of White Genocide. /eyeroll

[creech]

Nice quote from Lafayette: "I would never have drawn my sword in the cause of America, if I could have conceived that thereby I was founding a land of slavery."