Deeper Than Skin

The issue that I would like to raise is one that I find quite fascinating! While doing my reading I found out that the Irish and the blacks were somewhat on the same boat back in history. It was even said that they shared some of the same characteristics such as '' their subservience, their flattering, their lying, and their pilfering..." (page 149) both groups of people were considered ''outcasts", and sometimes the immigrants were described as ''Irish niggers'' (page 150) the point imp trying to get at is that the Irish and the blacks were so much alike in so many different ways. I feel like with the population and work force consisting of mainly blacks and Irish that they could have stuck together and fought for their rights that were not properly being given to them and overcame the harsh and unruly treatment that they both were receiving from the whites. once upon a time the Irish and the blacks treated one another with sympathy and saw each other as equal but that was only to last a short time. The whites did what they did best and that’s brainwashed the Irish and basically turned them against the blacks and into one of them! It was quite sad for me to read that the Irish turned on the blacks (page 152) only to be neglected, mislead, and manipulated! After the Irish turned on the blacks it was like they were never even equal or shared sympathy for them at all. It was like they forgot where they came from and I think it was a poor shame. Its one thing to grow and overcome an obstacle but it’s another to forget where you came from. It was once a time in history where the Irish were hired to do dirty hazardous jobs because the slave masters didn’t want to risk the lives of their slaves. '' Its dangerous work", "a Negroes life is too valuable to be risked at it, if a Negro dies it is a considerable loss....."  But yet and still the Irish turned completely against the blacks with hoping that the transformation from their ethnicity to another would place them in a better situation. Fact is they were wrong! And in some instances the Irish even regretted their situations!   If the two groups of people were so similar to one another what was it that the blacks didnt have for them to be accepted as well! To conclude I’m raising the question why couldn’t they come together instead of give in to the "white" people?

Entry #2

An issue discussed in the reading that i decided to blog about was one that captured my attention from the beginning. i discussed this briefly in class in response to reading the chapter but Ive decided to elaborate upon it more. For starters the chapter clearly explains that slavery was established well before we were all made to believe so, and the story in great depth explained and elaborated and clarified s much for me. the thing that bothered me the most is that the black slaves were treated like the scum of the earth. Not only were they belittled from the start but it fascinated me that there ere also white slaves and even while slaves they were still treated differently from black slaves. the black slaves cost less, and had to work the most. In the book when blacks and whites attempted to escape but were captured it was the black slave who was actually penalized. the blacks were treated as if they were animals, i in fact believe that in the minds of their masters and the other white people they were animals. "A colonist in Massachusetts attempted to breed his two African slaves" pg 58 I guess what I'm trying to say is that blacks were never thought to have their freedom or be treated equal no matter what the circumstances were! I also discovered not only were the Africans treated without dignity or respect but so were the Indians. In chapter 4 "Toward the Stony Mountains" the Indians were forced to leave the land that was meant more than the world to them. " To do what they (whites) called civilizing us, getting rid of our old ways and  language and names would make us like white men. But why should we want to be like them, cheaters and greedy?...." pg 104  I find it very disturbing that the whites pretty much tried to take over everything while not realizing or considering the lives and generations they are punishing, and not even giving credit to the Indians or the Africans at all!  My question to you is What made them so much better than everybody else?