PugJesus , 10 days ago

Someone who cannot recognize the sins of their country doesn’t love their country. They just want to worship it.

President Truman, who was himself somewhat racist (though less than many contemporary southerners), received a report post-WW2 on the treatment of Black veterans. He reportedly said, “My God, I had no idea it was as terrible as that. We’ve got to do something.” And so he did. Came out swinging on civil rights. Truman was deeply, DEEPLY imperfect, but even he recognized that a common, basic standard of decency and humanity was being violated by the racist behavior of the nation.

When the racial conditions of a country shock a man who is willing to use the n-word in private and acquiesce to his wife’s desire to keep Jews out of the house, something is well and truly FUCKED.

Our history is great not because it is perfect. It is ugly. It is, oftentimes, evil. Our history is great because we can learn from the sins of the past, and learn from those who fought those sins even at the time.