Statues 2

 (cont'd from yesterday's post)

A statue of George Washington was toppled last summer too, more of what the French call "out-of-control woke leftism." A flawed human being, he too owned slaves. Slavery was practiced all over the world and outlawed nowhere in his time. 

But like growing numbers of conscientious people in England and in America, he was troubled by it. He says in a letter in 1786, "I hope it will not be conceived . . that it is my wish to hold the unhappy people who are the subject of this letter in slavery. I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it."

His will gave orders to free all his slaves after his wife Martha's death. He also left orders to his heirs that they care for sick or old slaves, educate their children, and not sell a single one of them or take them out of state.

None of us can live outside the world into which we were born. George Washington's statues and birthday (this week) can and should be honored.

from Stream