[Vision2020] Live and Let Live?

[Dan Carscallen]

Hey, I agree that slavery is bad, don't get me wrong.  But, just because
someone thinks something else about it does not mean we are going to
allow it to happen again?  That would be just plain silly.  If it
existed today, I'd be all for trying to do away with it, but as far as
Moscow, ID, I don't think we have that problem.

Keep on keepin' on . . .

DC

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Sara Anderson
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 12:41 PM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Live and Let Live?


Dan,

"Slavery this,
topless that, does any of it really matter in the big scheme of things?"

I don't know about you, but I think slavery does matter in the big
scheme of things.  Slavery in the Southern US may have been a
"complicated" issue, but it is not a complicated moral issue: slavery is
wrong.  There is no moral excuse for one person (of whatever faith or
non-faith) to own another.  Racial diversity may exist amongst Christ
Church members.  This does not excuse a dismissive attitude towards the
unspeakable cruelty that slavery necessarily creates - and does not
erase the context of racism so inextricable with the US' history with
slavery.  

A few weeks ago, there was a letter to the editor of the Argonaut where
(and I'm paraphrasing) it was stated that if a man beats his wife, this
does not make the institution of marriage a bad thing.  This may be
true, but if the institution of marriage creates a relationship between
a husband and wife that gives absolute power to the husband, and
abolishes the autonomy of the wife, the power differential necessarily
leads to abuses.  This makes the institution itself wrong.  

The comparison to slavery is obvious.

- Sara Anderson