Abraham Lincoln Smites Trump From The Grave For Defending Slavery

Donald Trump seemed to defend slavery in a social media post criticizing the Smithsonian Museum for the way the institution presents American history. Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president, has some words for him.

“The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump wrote in a rage earlier this week suggesting that slavery in the United States wasn’t so bad.

Trump announced his intention to review the exhibits at the Smithsonian, which will presumably be altered based on his interpretation of history. It’s right out of the authoritarian playbook.

Slavery is this country’s original sin, and Americans should be able to learn about it thoroughly in museums, especially the Smithsonian, which has been our national museum since 1846. While there has been widespread criticism of Trump’s remarks, Abraham Lincoln himself had something to say about those who dare to defend slavery in a March 1865 speech to the 140th Indiana Regiment:

“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally,” Lincoln said.

Indeed, Trump and any of his supporters who agree with him should have to experience slavery first if they suggest it’s not so bad. They should have to toil from dawn to dusk with inadequate clothing, inadequate food, and no wages. And if they complain, they get the lash. The brutality and inhumanity of slavery, of course, went beyond those details.

Slaves had no rights. They couldn’t vote. Women were routinely raped. Families were torn apart when slave owners sold slaves like livestock. It’s only been 160 years since the end of slavery in this country, and there are elements of this country who wish to revive it because they are racists, pure and simple. Only by learning our history can we avoid repeating it. No one should be allowed to rewrite this dark chapter of our history, especially a corrupt, intellectually inept traitor like Donald Trump.

Featured Image: Jeff Kubina/Flickr