> > I too am ashamed of some of America's history. ------------------ While I am too, I believe that it is important to remember that those things were the ways of the world for a long, long time. So, our ancestors were doing what history had deemed normal. Thank goodness that at least part of mankind has learned better ways to handle things. Leslie

Dear Folks, Regarding the discussion of being ashamed of some of America's history, frankly I've been having difficulty deeling with that feeling also. First off, how can we condone what Americans did regarding slavery and their treatment of the blacks? Yes I it bothered me for a number of years but when the present blacks demanded money from the government to reimburse them for how they had been treated as slaves, I instantly disagreed with them. Yes they had been treated horribly but that was back in the 1850s, well over 100 years ago. The members of our present government may be sympathetic toward their demands but none of us us who are now living in the 1990s and 2000s, have anything to do with what our ancestors might have done. Regarding the Indians, in the past few years a local tribe here has gathered together and has demanded that the government went back on a treaty and that they were robbed of the land they had originally owned about 200 years ago. Again, I can agree that on many occasions the Indians had been treated badly regarding their lands, but on the whole in both cases of the slaves and the Indians, I agree wholeheartedly with what Leslie said, "I believe that it is important to remember that those things were the ways of the world for a long, long time. So, our ancestors were doing what history had deemed normal." vee