12 years a slave

[Danzig]

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/c...ize_those.html

i plan to see this movie. the story is awful, but no doubt occurred pretty often back in those days. this article made me think about our current political issues as well.

now, back then, many, north and south, didn't understand the slave issue. many northerners didn't realize just how horrendous conditions were for slaves in the south until they saw it directly during the civil war.
many in the south believed it was their right to own slaves, that slaves weren't on the same level as they, that the slaves were grateful to be a slave-that they were better off.
even as the war raged, and slaves fled at the first opportunity, slave owners were actually stunned and surprised that their slaves 'abandoned' them. they really didn't think it would happen. but it did, in droves.
now, many southern apologists who are fans of the confederacy, without actually knowing what it is they are so 'proud' of, like to point out that many who fought in the war on the souths side, weren't actually slave owners. true. they point to that fact as tho it is some sort of 'aha' moment, that the war wasn't about slavery.
well, the mindset of the non-slave owners then, is the same mindset as those in the middle and lower classes economically now, who vote republican. they fail to understand, that altho they are working their asses off to succeed, they have far more in common with those in their income and lower levels, then they do with those above them-far above them. not many will attain the status of bill gates or the koch brothers for instance.

[Danzig]

dear hollywood, for a future film:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Smalls

love this guys story. first came across the tale when we walked by a historical marker in downtown charleston (and yes, tony dutifully drives down side streets if we see 'historical marker, this way ) so of course i had to do more looking into mr. smalls.