Lack of historical perspective

Those who would condemn any of America’s Founders for being slave owners demonstrate a gross lack of a longer historical perspective or malicious historical revisionism. Those who would teach it are also twice guilty of historical corruption.

Condemning any of our Founders by today’s moral standards is an “ex post facto” moral judgment. In legal code, “Ex post facto” means “after the fact” and refers to any law that criminalizes and punishes a previously legal act after it was committed. Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution prohibits such laws.

By the same reasoning, ex post facto moral judgments should not apply to past generations for previously normal practices of human civilizations throughout history, specifically slavery.

To quote Bernard Lewis, the eminent scholar of Islam and Middle East history, “The institution of slavery had indeed been practiced from time immemorial. It existed in all the ancient civilizations of Asia, Africa, Europe, and pre-Columbian America.” (From “Race and Slavery in the Middle East”). In fact, not even Jesus outright condemned it. But he did say: “Do to others what you would have them do to you,” (Luke 6:31), and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” (Mt 22:36-40), and left it for humanity to understand the full meaning.

Those who would make ex post facto moral judgments should beware of being so besotted with such a smug sense of their own superior intellects and sanctimonious morality that they betray their own ignorance or prejudice.

Bob Strong

Spokane