You should probably read what I write if you want to have a debate. I've already stated that the quote used by West was apocryphal.. which is why I then used a different quote that made essentially the same point.
It is both apocryphal
and does not reflect her views. Nor does the other quote in any way suggest that she believes that "slavery was a choice."
He was an escaped slave. Clearly the life of a former slave in the north was not exactly as you want to make it. Clearly Harriet Tubman also believed the slaves had a better life in the north.
That's nice, but it proves nothing.
Perhaps you have examples of free black people who chose to become slaves?
escape was possible because it happened.
Escape was possible - but again, it
rarely succeeded -- and everyone knew it. Less than 0.05% of slaves escaped in a given year. Are you willing to risk YOUR life for a 0.05% success rate?
And no, the UR wasn't a choice for the overwhelming majority of slaves. It's not like the UR had sales people roaming the countryside, selling tickets. It looms much larger in your imagination than it did in the actual lives of slaves.
All you are arguing is that escape was fraught with so much danger that a slave would CHOOSE not to attempt it.
I'm saying that from the perspective of most slaves, escape attempts had such a low rate of failure that it wasn't a choice at all.
If we follow your logic, then:
- Every citizen of North Korea who does not rise up or try to escape chooses to be in North Korea
- Every citizen in China during the Cultural Revolution made a deliberate choice to be Maoists
- Every citizen sent by Stalin to Siberia went there by choice
- If you are in prison, every day you have the choice whether or not to escape
- If you are drafted into the army, you have the choice whether or not to serve
The problem here is that you are
utterly and deliberately ignoring the systemic forces arrayed against slaves and supporting slavery. Federal laws, state laws, bounty hunters, millions of whites suspicious of any blacks walking around, utter lack of resources, isolation, minimal communication, routine use of violence to discipline slaves, loss of family and religion, low literacy rates...
Sure, you can "choose" to escape, but your odds were incredibly low -- 1 out of 2000 at best -- and if you failed, you would be mercilessly abused. And yeah, the slave owners made sure everyone knew it. That's how coercion works. I have no idea why this is so difficult for you to understand.
You can't actually argue against his logic so you attack his mental health. But since you can't actually defeat his logic you are really just degrading yourself in the process.
:roll:
It's pretty clear that I am successfully demolishing his argument. In fact, I'm saying that his argument is so pathetic that it's another indicator of his mental state.
You make sure to keep them uppity negros in their place. :roll:
Well,
that's not super messed up :roll: