BLOG FOR ENGLISH 101

            The Declaraion of Independence states "We hold these truths to be self-

evident, that all men are to be treated equal, that they are endowed by their Creater with

certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of

Happiness.."  The government was to secure these rights and if it is somehow

contradicted, the people who are protected by these rights have the right to institute a

new government. If this was in fact the case, then why was there slavery in the first

place.  Why was it alright for a man to own another. I believe that no man who were

owned by another was protected by these rights.  They could not have possible been

happy to be beaten, starved and told what to do.  The average life span of a slave was

no more than thirty years olds because of this.  They were literelly worked to death. 

How is that protecting their saftey as the Decleration of Independence states it does.

Slaves sufferd a long time...years and years of abuse-  Generation to generation. Slaves

didn't even have the right to defend themselves.  The Declaration of Independance only

protected the men and woman who owned the slaves....that means that slaves were

NOT created equal because they were not concidered man or woman.  They were like

animals, but even animanls have rights...don't they.  This is when the contradiction

comes in.
      
       In Banneker's letter to Mr. T Jefferson, he makes it his bussiness to try and get his

point accross when talking about equallity and justice.  All man was born with the same

fives senses and emotions and that's what makes us all equal.  We were all creatred the

same by a Creator who's intentions was not of thoes of the white man in these times. 

There was even black on black slavery.  In order to not get killed and or owned, they

decided to work for the enemey, but that was just another form of slavery....wasn't it?

I'm sure that Equiano thought the same way when he was kidnapped as an eleven year

old, by blacks, and then traded to another black family and then to another until he

found himself on a boat as cargo.  It had to have been hell.  To rather drown then to

deal with the cruelty and barbarism in the hands of another men who are suppose to

share the same rights as you.