Ali Velshi shares a passage from an early version of the Declaration of Independence that potentially could have changed the trajectory of American freedom.
» Subscribe to MSNBC:
About: MSNBC is the premier destination for in-depth analysis of daily headlines, insightful political commentary and informed perspectives. Reaching more than 95 million households worldwide, MSNBC offers a full schedule of live news coverage, political opinions and award-winning documentary programming — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Connect with MSNBC Online
Visit msnbc.com:
Subscribe to MSNBC Newsletter: MSNBC.com/NewslettersYouTube
Find MSNBC on Facebook:
Follow MSNBC on Twitter:
Follow MSNBC on Instagram:
Slavery was when we first went wrong, then we made things worse by allowing religious fundamentalists into positions of power.
@Jeff Thompson at the time wars and slavery were all over the world. I don’t understand why democrats are making a huge deal out of it. That must be fitting their current agenda.
@Zaynab bint Al-Harith Yes I read that the native tribes, some fought with the north and some with the south, so they did not follow todays’ script very well
@Parris Price Was that before or after the natives attacked English settlements? I cannot remember. Oh, and NO other group in ALL of history has moved into a new region and taken over, right Ghengis, um, Alexander, um, Pope (pick a number), um, (ANY) African tribe, um, Spaniard, um, Viking, um….
@Zaynab bint Al-Harith what are you saying? Because they were fighting among each other,that excuses what the U.S. GOV did to them? Thats insane as slavery,chief
@Jeff Thompson another defender of evil,ive seen your name before,what happened? Give up the nazi magat dump supporter bit?
Greed overcame morality and humanity as usual.
And nothing has changed.
Boom ~you nailed it
Bribes from companies for votes. It’s unprofessional and second rate.
@Diana Beebe I second that!
@cosmosgato if anyone who believe it.
Power corrupts all.
The difference that could have made is we would not have this country: many states would not have signed on. 😣
@azharley It absolutely was.
@azharley Well, at least the South was. And of course, economic systems being what they are, it was woven into northern economies as well, even though they liked to look the other way.
The nation would have been better off if those states had remained out of the Union. We have NEVER needed the slave states at any time in our history. They were – and remain – a carbuncle on the nation’s rear end.
Exactly. Jefferson wanted that paragraph left in, even though he knew he was guilty of owning people. (Jefferson could somehow be fine with his own obvious contradictions.) But the delegation from the south (and probably some from the north) refused to sign on the independence if the paragraph was left in.
@Reason Although a lot of people in the north wanted to deny it, the “triangle trade” (Molasses to Rum to Slaves) involved the economies of all of the colonies to some extent. Ordinary people in the north who were uncomfortable with slavery could look away, just like we do today with many of our worst economic practices. We all want the cheap products in plentiful supply but we don’t like to think of the child labor in Asia that brings it to us.
The surprise here is that condemnation of slavery was ever penned at all
@Zaynab bint Al-Harith reparations wouldn’t be necessary if our government would take our voices—those descended from African-American slaves—more seriously, and as credible authorities on social justice and civil rights. The government has the power to enforce proper changes, they’re just unwilling. And as long as this is the legislative consensus, they wouldn’t dream of just handing over their immense wealth. You’d find an amputee more willing to part with a limb.
@Aaron Shorts Black People deal with racism everyday/ You don’t because you Not Black American.
@Mr E
YOU ARE ROBESPIERRE!
@Aaron Shorts
I agree. The government should do more.
But remember that “equity” and “equality” are two different things.
@Gwendolyn Williams
Really?
White people being told every day how awful they are is not racist?
“Slavery conjured up by the British king” …? Unfortunately, slavery predated George III, and continues to this day.
Slavery has enveloped our lives, since,the dawn of Time,A stroke of the pen, is merely at the hands of the Proprietor.Change is Forthcoming.🖐️
An’ar’ki,or perhaps,e’nil.🖐️
The earliest record we have of slavery Is in the first civilizations (such as Sumer in Mesopotamia, which dates back as far as 3500 BC
My guess is that you are correct and has existed pretty
Much since we have.
@Joboygbp Edwards Actually that is myth. They were border guards. The had been given permission to leave Egypt but as the were short of supplies they raided a a storage place which is where grain and livestock were kept. This is why the Egyptians followed them.
@Big Blue Sorry to disagree with you my friend. But I respectfully disagree. I believe the Bible over any other book. There is just too much detail about that. But good luck with that theory.
I think we would just have an earlier civil war
Not the South would have gone along with the anti-slavery idea as their economic structure was built on slave labour. And now all of America is dependent on low wage jobs + the working poor.
My thoughts and it can be expanded on.
Thats because red state racists, would rather elect a racist,who keeps them poor,while selling his vote to the highest billionaire, than vote for equality for all, so ALL MAY PROSPER.
@Parris Price SO SORRY WEIRDO BUT THAT WAS ALL DEMOCRAT INCLUDING STARTING THE KKK. READ A BOOK!!!!
@mike briganti
You really should find better material. Only idiots still fall for that one.
The saddest words of poem and pen; if only it could have been.
We are where we are because he was a slaver…as were the majority of the Framers.
We are the super power of the world!! You should celebrate that fact. No other country on earth can a person become wealthy and start with nothing as fast or as easy as in America. America is created for everyone to succeed. That’s why people every day flee here illegally or legally from authoritarian countries.
@Chris QuinnIt is clear that you have either:
1. Never traveled outside of the United States, or
2. You have, but did not take note of these other nations, but lastly
3. Look at the poverty within the United States…if this doesn’t give you pause to reflect, nothing will
@J WS lol
@Chris Quinn Exactly.
@J WS I see them beggars on the street corners in the city. When I drive by them I scream out “get a job ya no good bum”!!!
“In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.” – Douglas Adams
😅🤣
If I desired, knowledge,creation,sa’meria,👈 perhaps.
This is what makes the founding fathers so fascinating. They achieved great things, but their flaws were epic.
As is always so in history. It is so important to understand both the great and the horrible. That is history, whether ours, or that of any other nation.
Having read much of the works of the great thinkers of the world, there are few that are without flaws; sometimes modest, other times deep.
However, contrary to popular opinion, many, from antiquity onwards, did have a very progressive view of things, such as advocating for cosmopolitanism against narrow nationalism, equality/equal citizenship among the races, classes and sexes, abolishment of slavery and serfdom, for non-human animal rights and interests, against war and for world peace, freedom of and from religion, for a universal income/living wage, and even rights for the LGBT individuals of their time.
This is because the more intelligent one is, and the more he/she/they learn about the world, the less likely he/she/they are to be ignorant, fearful, narrow-minded, immature, selfish bigots. IOW: the more they will comport their views to reality and be tolerant, kind, helpful…magnanimous towards others.
Not certain if our Forefathers predicted a tyrant like Donald Trump.
It would not have made any difference if that writing was known.
So american founding fathers allegedly “condemned slavery as the many evils conjured up by the British king” only to turn around and do the exact same thing to said people and worse?! Make it make sense!
Hypocrisy never makes sense! That’s why this country has the identity crisis it has….
@Rhonda Wells very true
@Rhonda Wells Yep.
We truly had things go wrong when we allowed to Frankfurt Institute into America, as well as the Three Modernities.
Aye – don’t look back – look forward. You know now the right action to take – so take it. All Humans are created equally and you know that!!!
Yeah well it costs money to give up slaves and none of the Founders seemed interested in Lockean reality only doublespeak.
That was a big plot point in the Musical.. they had a song about it and everything!
Imagine if they had listened more to Thomas Paine while writing the founding documents.