Why did John McCain say “his family never owned Slaves” during the 2000 campaign?
In the rural Teoc community of Carroll County, Miss., where the ancestors of Sen. John McCain owned enslaved Africans on a plantation, black, white and mixed-race family members unite every two years for their Coming Home Reunion, on the land where the plantation operated.
Some of McCain’s black family members say they are not sure exactly where they fall on the family tree, but they do know this: They are either descendants of the McCain family slaves, or of children the McCains fathered with their slaves.
White and black members of the McCain family have met on the plantation several times over the last 15 years, but one invited guest has been conspicuously absent: Sen. John Sidney McCain.
“Why he hasn’t come is anybody’s guess,” said Charles McCain Jr., 60, a distant cousin of John McCain who is black. “I think the best I can come up with, is that he doesn’t have time, or he has just distanced himself, or it doesn’t mean that much to him.”
Other relatives are not as generous.
Lillie McCain, 56, another distant cousin of John McCain who is black, said the Republican presidential nominee is trying to hide his past, and refuses to accept the family’s history.
“After hearing him in 2000 claim his family never owned slaves, I sent him an email,” she recalled. “I told him no matter how much he denies it, it will not make it untrue, and he should accept this and embrace it.”
She said the senator never responded to her email.
http://www.sfltimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2041&Itemid=42
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If you want to hide your past as McCain does what does this say about the individual?
If this man can’t even recognize his own black family members, how in the world is he to recognize the nation and its diversity of all races?
Posted on July 4th, 2010 in Elections |
July 6th, 2010 at 4:15 am
Why is it his past? I don’t quite understand why it is his fault if his great great great grandfather owned slaves.
That’s probably why I’ve never understood why we’re supposed to feel slavery guilt.
July 10th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Who gives a crap about that? Get over it. Slavery ended a long time ago. I’m for Obama, but whether McCain’s ancestors owned slaves or not is completely irrelevant as far as I’m concerned. eez, when are black people going to stop beating this dead horse?
July 12th, 2010 at 2:27 am
He is a liar!! that is why, me, An Independent will not vote for him!
July 13th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
If you want to hide your past as OBAMA does what does this say about the individual? Btw, what you posted is hogwash.
July 16th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
May be because he doesn’t want to alienate the black vote, or may be because he just doesn’t believe that his family did…or maybe he doesn’t believe his family go back that far…who knows…who cares. As long as he doesn’t own any now it really doesn’t matter.
July 19th, 2010 at 2:14 am
People have not owned slaves in nearly 150 years. Perhaps he was talking about his more recent family, as none of us alive today can be held responsible for what our ancestors may or may not have done in the 19th century.
It is much more important to concentrate on the issues of this day and age.
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:43 am
maybe things will even out just a teeny bit when, on November 4th, Obama will OWN HIS BUTT
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:48 pm
It doesn’t say much about the individual, no.
July 27th, 2010 at 12:03 am
I have no idea if this is a fact or drivel but I will say this.
It has no affect on me if McCain’s ancestors had slaves. What matters to me is that McCain in todays society would have no part of it. What happened decades ago with our ancestors is not where our world is today and how that has any bearing is beyond me.
It is odd that the same people that think what Obama did with Ayers 20 years ago is absolutely of no consequence would even consider that what relatives did a 100 years ago important.
In case any of you missed it re - read what Surak said. Hmmm sounds like a plan for our world huh?
July 29th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Obama’s father was not a American, so should we hold that against him.
August 1st, 2010 at 3:42 am
Black people owned slaves in the U.S. especially in the Carolinas and in New Orleans….and so did Indians.
Yes there are two Americas. North America and South America.
If you don’t like it here go to Africa. Why be miserable?
You are free to leave.
Adios. Good riddance.
“Why did John McCain say “his family never owned Slaves” during the 2000 campaign?” who cares? Not I.
As others said…if Ayers 20 years ago does not matter why hypothetically would 150 years ago matter?
Who cares..maybe we have two Black candidates..
Great.
I’m Voting Republican.
Race doesn’t matter.
August 2nd, 2010 at 9:05 am
I’d have to say first off that I’ve never even heard of any of this before. Secondly, to answer the question, its a very arguable question. I think the answer could go anyway. It could be because McCain is a ****** or it could be he was trying to make a joke or it could even be because he was just trying to tell the truth to the best of his ability.
August 5th, 2010 at 6:03 am
McCain is dishonest and an opportunist. That is totally clear from today’s election.
But, it is about useless, to try and point that reality out to anyone, when they are scrambling to find non existent birth certificates in Kenya.
it also is about useless to point out that your post has nothing to do with issues over slavery.. but issues over being honest/ dishonest.
August 6th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Very interesting-Thanks-McCain looks like a guy, in his demeanor, that has a lot issues- I guess this is one he hasn’t dealt with if he is denying it- I don’t see why he can’t just say the truth- it is no reflection on him- thats what happened long ago-but it’s the denial part that is funny
August 8th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Interesting. Those McCain’s aren’t too wild about confronting their past are they? Cindy has cut off her half sister and has denied her any inheritance.
August 9th, 2010 at 2:20 am
Hey, I discovered my great great great great great grandfather owned about 10 slaves in Alabama prior to the civil war. It’s just a historical fact. What your ancestors might have done doesn’t reflect on you. I also had an ancestor who was a murderer. It was 150 years ago. No need to deny the truth.
August 11th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
damn right right we live in two americas.
what does this prove?
he doesn’t hang out with all of his so-called family members, so he lacks the knowledge of his lineage. so what?
he’s not just a maverick, he’s the black sheep too. more power to him.
(( the europeans were introduced to the arab form of slavery. the arabs keep their slaves for life or sold them off or traded them. the european way was that the slaves are to be set free after their service and retain the slave owners name if wished. the now ex-slave owner must provide land for his now ex-slave. the romans practice this form of slavery and it was the customary form for the rest of europe until europeans started trading with arabs later. the arab concept of owning and keeping slavery seemed much more productive because at the end you didn’t need to give the slave any inheritance. that’s why there were hardly any blacks slave in europe and only in the americas. the law of eurpean slave ownership did not apply here. it was africans and arabs who sold and traded slaves to americans and europeans. blacks are still considered slaves in saudi arabia today. but blacks in america only point to whites for something that has been abolished for generations past. ))
August 12th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Christ, almighty. Would you get over it already?! Would you rather that you still lived in Africa? Every race on earth, whether white or black or orange or yellow or purple had to deal with slavory at some time or another in history. BTW, Africans SOLD their fellow Africans to the mean old whites, so if I were you I would go yell at them first! You have no idea how sick and tired people are of hearing about all that slavory BS. God knows, whites have paid through the a** for the mistakes their ancestors made and it looks like they will keep on paying for awhile. Why can’t you just be an American?!