Comments on: McCain’s family ties to slavery

By: bobbo, read often, seldom post

bobbo, read often, seldom post — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:48:18 +0000

I post again as my address didn’t connect on #8. James–the current PBS Special on Abraham Lincoln covers “motives” for the Civil War very much along the lines of our previous discussions but it too avoids the legacy of slavery in the North as one sided as you like to present it. Where did the abolition movement come from?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 21:43:31 +0000

I thought John McCain’s wealth was built on marrying well? Now, let’s see how HER family got filthy rich…….evidently from poor stock who made money selling booze in Arizona. No connection to slavery at all. How bout dat?

Class is mostly about money in America, but also family history and “position.” Did they really help all the multiple divorces and remarriages that occurred on both sides of the John McCains of Arizona rise to power? If we can’t agree on what caused the Civil War, that one will be tough to untwind as well.

No body alive today started slavery but the Republican Party today is all about re-establishing it. Indeed, we should all know our history.

By: veronica mccain-davis

veronica mccain-davis — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:59:54 +0000

thank you james for replying to me im one of the mccains which we have a long line of them. im also trying to do a family tree for myself and my children and grands so they will know some of where they came from. its hard that our people had to go through hard times but we cant change things i know some times we wish that we could. but god doesnt make mistakes but we learn and move on . i know that alot of people dont like john s. mccain but it wasnt him who started slavery.but to me it matters that we still as the black or mixed side of the mccains still have alot to be proud of. we ourselves have come a long way.

By: James

James — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:48:37 +0000

Thank you for commenting, Veronica. I agree with you that it isn’t in any way John McCain’s fault that his family owned slaves.

I do, however, think that this history has clearly impacted Senator McCain’s own opportunities in life, as well as those of people descended from the family’s slaves, in ways that our current national discourse often denies. McCain is where he is, in no small part, because of his family’s history of enslaving other human beings, and the same applies to those descended from his family’s slaves, as I believe you’re saying you are. This is what runs against the grain of our nation’s talk of individual merit, hard work, and equal opportunity, as well as suggestions that our nation’s long history of slavery no longer matters at all in contemporary society.

By: veronica mccain-davis

veronica mccain-davis — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:37:21 +0000

my name is veronica mccain -davis im a memeber of the mccain family and dont think it was john mccains fault that his grand father owned slaves yes maybe he grew up with the slaves . im one of the which you would consider onr of the black side of the family.

By: Obama and McCain’s slave-owning ancestors | The Living Consequences

Obama and McCain’s slave-owning ancestors | The Living Consequences — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:03:00 +0000

[...] I’ve mentioned previously, John McCain’s family owned 120 slaves on a 2,000-acre cotton plantation in Carroll County, [...]

By: Obama's aunt is illegal immigrant - Page 2 - SLUniverse Forums

Obama's aunt is illegal immigrant - Page 2 - SLUniverse Forums — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:00:03 +0000

[...] Originally Posted by Surreal Farber whoa….. got links? It was originally in the WSJ. Here is some background and the links to the stories: McCain’s family ties to slavery | The Living Consequences [...]

By: Louise

Louise — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:30:55 +0000

I saw CNN’s piece by Jason Carroll this past week. I was absolutely surprised by it! Who would have thought that John McCain’s family owned slaves. It really blew me away and made me want to know more … so, just like every other person, I went to the internet and found your piece. He (Senator John McCain) has some explaining to do! You just can’t sweep something like this under the rug and hope it will just go away (it’s not). John McCain is running for the highest office in the United States … address it and acknowledge it! Peace, love and blessings!

By: Traces of the Trade » Huffington Post on John McCain and Traces of the Trade

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:37:37 +0000

[...] For more on the parallels between the McCain and DeWolf family stories, see this blog entry. [...]