Was Abe Lincoln a Racist? Are We All Racists?

"All persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free..." Did this quote from Abraham Lincoln prove that he was a racist? Probably yes, according to another Republican, Sen. Jeff Sessions from Alabama who is describing Judge Sonia Sotomayor as a racist for her belief that her Hispanic heritage added depth and better understanding to her application of our Constitution and laws.

It seems that Sen. Session considers that any statement favoring or enabling any group is a statement of racism. What would have Sen. Sessions have said had he been a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln when Lincoln not only favored the slaves but also a possible rebellion carried out by them to free themselves. Seems safe to say that Sen. Sessions would have gone into a raging fit of anger against Abraham Lincoln.

We all are products of our heritage whatever that may be. We are all shaped by our early life and the influence of parents and others who were around us. Thus we all have prejudices of one sort or another that are ingrained just as did Abe Lincoln and as has Sen. Sessions who was exposed to the racial antagonisms in Alabama where he lived as a child.

Our individual life experiences have shaped us in ways that we cannot fully understand, and we all harbor some remnants of prejudice and distrust. The first step in understanding our deep rooted prejudices is to confront them and become aware.

Abraham Lincoln did that as he prepared the nation to end slavery even if it meant war and rebellion by those who were enslaved. Sen. Sessions has not faced his own deep seated and racial prejudices and therefore he attempts to demean a women who has lived and faced racial prejudices as a child and young adult. Sen. Sessions is a product of the deep South when outright exclusion of non-whites was practiced openly and proudly by many whose skin color was near white. If he was truly color blind he would recognize his prejudice and stop the harangue against Judge Sotomayor.

Perhaps Old Abe will arise from his grave and shake some reality into Sen. Session's brain and soul. We could all benefit by a good shake by Abe.