Mastodawn

@jsonarray Jun 20, 2023

Qasim Rashid, Esq.

Juneteenth should remind us that human trafficking was legal. Slavery was legal. Jim Crow was legal. The US Govt paying reparations to white enslavers who lost their “property” but not to the formerly enslaved who lost their lives, was legal. Indeed, prison slavery is still legal today.

Do not let legality & power be your measure of morality & justice.

Elengale Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid We ignore the lessons of history at our own (and others') peril, as we slide ever closer to so many specters of our past becoming legal once again.

As our recent Congresses and SCOTUS have shown us, something being legal one day does not mean it will be legal the next. Vigilance is a cornerstone of democracy.

Jargoggles Jun 19, 2023

@elengale
@QasimRashid
One of the biggest issues is that we never actually dealt with the issues of the past. We can trace a direct line from many of the problems we face today to a failed (sabotaged) Reconstruction.

If we had dealt with the architects and power players involved in the South's secession decisively, we would have saved ourselves a lot of trouble today. The failures of the past charge steep interest.

We compromise too much in the name of the illusion of peace and unity.

@krisnelson Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid Also lots of people *then* thought these things were wrong (including those enslaved!), so please don’t blithely excuse & ignore it all as just “the way it was” because “they didn’t know better” or some such nonsense

anubis2814 Jun 19, 2023

@krisnelson @QasimRashid Exactly. Ticks me off to no end. Ben Franklin grew up owning slaves and then became a strong abolitionist. It was always a controversial activity from day one but those with power kept working ceaselessly to legitimize their horrible practices.

Jargoggles Jun 19, 2023

@krisnelson
@QasimRashid
John Brown lived in the same era as the people who constantly have excuses made for them. He saw things for what they were and didn't stand idly by. If he could do it, they could do it. The fact that owning people and treating them as subhuman is evil wasn't some mystery back then.

Alexander The 1st Jun 20, 2023

@krisnelson @QasimRashid On the other hand, the Underground Railroad was "Underground" because...not everyone participated in the Underground Railroad.

Voron Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid cheering “the rule of law” instead of cheering “justice” is just a prelude to authoritarianism

Ursidinoj/The Bjornsdottirs Jun 19, 2023

@voron @QasimRashid rule of law becomes rule by law very quickly

mark Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid today also points put that those in political power who control information can choose to follow laws as they see fit. Sometimes the army has to show up to stop this behavior

Masto.poetry Jun 19, 2023

@ATLeagle @QasimRashid

And sometimes the army is the problem. Then it’s really scary how Civil War union army was a wonderful and progressive tool sometimes I’m not so sure today’s army is.

mark Jun 19, 2023

@Mastopoet @QasimRashid I'm truly worried about this

Masto.poetry Jun 19, 2023

@ATLeagle @QasimRashid
yes, in the USA, at least, in the 1950s-1970s, even if the soldiers were racist prowhite Christian Identity types, they knew they had to follow the constitution of they would be court martialed. since reagen, and especially now after trump, there are generals and other ranking officers who swear an oath to something other than liberty and justice for all...

Voron Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid I guess it’s how important “rule of law” is versus “justice” which is why I will NEVER shout about the rule of law, but I will shout about having justice, especially equal justice, which this country is very much lacking. Once there is justice the rule of law can become worth fighting for

British Tech Guru Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid Slavery has changed its form. Now there are literally people working for less than minimum wage and being made to work for less than minimum wage.

Oasus Plainsview

@QasimRashid In certain instances Slavery is STILL legal. In our prisons. Slavery won't truly be illegal until all of it is.

ZZ Bottom Jun 19, 2023

MyOpinion Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid Reparations to the white enslavers. Sickening. Today we need to start making this right. All black stolen property in California must be returned. Reparations to all black native Californians to the tune of 1.5 million or more needs to starting being made today.

Violetaflores Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid Absolutely!

Corn Jun 19, 2023

I think people should realize that history isn't that far away from today. Imagine your grandparents, now imagine your grandparent's parents talking to them about life when they were younger.

History is not a thing of the past, people are still alive throughout the times of Jim Crow, and still benefit from the wealth passed through slave owners.

My grandfather told me where he was when JFK was assassinated, history did not happen 50 years ago, it happened 5 seconds ago.

Nick Boss Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid Bravo, sir!

NoctisEqui 🇺🇦🇵🇸🇪🇹🏳️‍🌈Jun 19, 2023

I played Dungeons and Dragons in the Wayback. There were several categories of ‘Good’ and ‘Evil’ for players to choose. I submit that the entire GQP has chosen ‘Lawful Evil’.
The concept is self-explanatory but I’m sure Clarence Thomas or Brett Kavanaugh are well equipted to explain it.

Jeff Moe Jun 19, 2023

Juneteenth should remind us *SLAVERY IS STILL LEGAL* in the USA. They just toss people in jail first.

Text of USA 13th amendment:

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, EXCEPT AS A PUNISHMENT for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution - Wikipedia

Helgi Crookehorne Jun 19, 2023

@jebba @QasimRashid some crimes need millenia of involuntary servitude to repay for, like those Russian terrorists who blew up the dam, now 800k people are gonna have water issues. Unless the pipelines are finished in times and rivers don't evaporate somewhere. Unfortunately no canal digging is required, so those Russian captured terrorists ain't gonna work hard, in cuffs

Aviva Gary Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid Yeah... those are two separate things...

Patricia Lavatai Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid
Well said.

Jacob Buchanan Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid well said!

Gregor Kalinkat Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid very relevant after the Kalamata shipwreck 😢

dupree Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid this country wouldn’t be what it was had they not had slaves. They needed slaves more than the slaves needed them. The owners didn’t know the reasons for the Africans planting crops in rows. They didn’t even have basic hygiene in Europe. This is why they had the bubonic plague, cholera, and all those other diseases. They effectively destroyed a whole indigenous population in the Aztecs and the Mayans due to their diseases.Africa is the home of all people whether they like it or not.

Mick Jun 19, 2023

@QasimRashid The gop in America want to reinstate slavery, starvation wages, and no human rights whatsoever. Fascist criminals and christo-terrorists are their leaders.

Paul Koenig Jun 20, 2023

@QasimRashid @TruthOrFiction And also a reminder that correcting the law is not sufficient to change morality or repair harms.

@QasimRashid *nodds in agreement*

Walter Taylor Jones Jun 20, 2023

@QasimRashid Slavery is legal in United States of America. According to our Federal constitution: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
Any individual that is convinced of a crime such as having an illegal molecule in their possession can be forced by armed agents of the state to comply with labor orders in prison
Def moral 😩

Anne Norton Jun 20, 2023

@QasimRashid Yes, law is not justice. We need to have less deference for the Rule of Law and learn to Rule the Law.