06-28-2015, 08:40 AM
(06-27-2015, 09:15 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: I'm not going to read the bickering, but when I read Thomas' dissent, I assumed he said that line about dignity because he thought that dginity was something that no one can take away from someone, they can only take away from themselves.
Now, I'm not sure I agree with that. You can complete dehumanize someone and destroy their dignity, but I think Thomas was trying to suggest that any person can always hold onto their self worth in the face of atrocities and hardships.
That is what Thomas' dissent seems to be stating, and like you I disagree with him. Yes, there are those that are made of stiffer stuff and can maintain their dignity through thick and thin, but that is not most people, and slavery was of course not a normal circumstance. The methods used by slave traders and owners were intended to break down those men and women, and more often than not they succeeded. Dignity doesn't have to be given away, it can be taken by force. And just like it can be taken it can be given back or at the very least elevated.
