While this debate has raged for some time now, I have sat back and read the
responses, most of which have been quite correct in various degrees. To me,
the salient factor is this; the past cannot and should not be changed or
glossed over. It was as it existed, and from it came our present. While it
is a difficult concept for many to grasp and relate to in our "modern"
society, slavery was a fact of life for some of our ancestors, regardless
of which "side" of the fence they were on. Their lives, all had meaning and
purpose from which we in the present,not only historians, but as human
beings, can learn a great deal. The individual spirits that existed should
be explored and in a sense celebrated (not always a positive connotation).
Quite often, it is the lesson of the grim past that leads to a stronger
sense of self and resolution. I am reminded of my early years in Sunday
school, hearing stories of  the Holocaust, and countless other atrocities
against the Jewish people. Yes the stories were grim, depressing, and
difficult, but they needed to be shared and remembered, for they all
conveyed a strong sense of perseverance.
It must be remembered that to interpret the past accurately and truthfully
is the task of all historians, and to subjugate or distort the facts is
illusional and a crime. To call things as they were, should not be
preceived as a blanket indictment of all involved. Remember, a rose by any
other name....

Hope this makes sense to someone...

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Ron Baraff
1331 Fallowfield Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15216
(412) 563-5282 Home/Fax

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http://www.teleport.com/~rbaraff/
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