cary at afone.as.arizona.edu (Cary Kittrell) wrote:
>< Do you realize that the definition of nigger is a piece of trash, while the slang
>< definition is "a <person who is a piece of trash". No mention of skin color at
>< all. So, if he had trash children, so what? Did you forget he willingly
>< freed his slaves?
>>Sadly, it's not even that benign. He freed only two during his lifetime
>and five more in his will. Three more ran away and were not pursued.
>Around 130 were sold in auction after his death. Sold with as much
>control of their own fates as the mice you buy to feed your pet snake.
>Jefferson could have had it otherwise; it would have required but a stroke
>of his pen.
He could have, but he would have bankrupted his estate. Jefferson
lived so far beyond his means during his life (albeit part of that
time in the service of his country when the country did not have money
to pay for the lavish entertainment budget expected of a European
ambassador) that he was deeply in debt and nearly penniless by the
time he died - except for his wealth in human beings (and I haven't
checked whether he borrowed using THEM as collateral as well).
lojbab
