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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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Obama: Slavery Monument 'Place of Profound Sadness'

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(Newser) – President Obama toured the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana today, a shipping-off point for African slaves to America, Reuters reports. He saw the monument as a reminder. “As painful as it is,” the president said, “I think that it helps to teach all of us that we have to do what we can to fight against the kinds of evils that sadly still exist in our world, not just on this continent but in every corner of the globe.”

Obama also spoke of the macabre contradiction inherent to the place. “There's a special sense that on the one hand this place was a place of profound sadness,” he said. “On the other hand, it is here where the journey of much of the African American experience began.” The whole Obama family toured the fort, including the “Door of No Return” where slaves boarded the ships.

The Obamas tour Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana.
The Obamas tour Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana.   (AP Photo)
President Barack Obama tours the Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana.
President Barack Obama tours the Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana.   (AP Photo)
President Barack Obama delivers a few words following a tour of the Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana.
President Barack Obama delivers a few words following a tour of the Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana.   (AP Photo)
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16 comments
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Karl
Jul 11, 09 2:57 PM CDT
Duh? The Democrats fought to their DEATH to maintain and attempt to spread slvery, people. Isn't your stupid Obama a Democrat? I think it may have had something to do with The Civil War. I could be wrong, I guess. But I'm certainly getting confusd. Reply
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-6
IN RESPONSE:
Mr.C
Jul 11, 09 4:59 PM CDT
Go back to sitting on your porch Karl.
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0
IN RESPONSE:
Doctor_Zaius
Jul 12, 09 8:16 AM CDT
That was 1865, when the Republicans were the liberal party and the Democrats were the conservative party. It all switched around after Teddy Roosevelt started going after large corporations. The Republicans were bought off by big business money. Teddy was the last decent one until Eisenhower.
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+1
IN RESPONSE:
drgonzo12321
Jul 12, 09 11:10 AM CDT
Take a history course, read a fucking book - try and get your facts straight before you comment.
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+1
IN RESPONSE:
Sabrina
Jul 11, 09 3:48 PM CDT
Oh not really, you take the past evidentally the only thing someone once read you and you distort it to your own end, much like WMD's. Yes, it did endorse slavery at a time the entire nation prospered slavery under a slightly different name and was not until AFTER ANDREW JACKSON was elected to office in 1828 the PARTY CHANGED IT's NAME to the Democratic Party as well as changed with the times, unlike the Republican Slave Masters of modern time. We kid's your business model has failed and crushed America with it thanksto the outstanding job performed by the bafoon GW Bush and his loyal followers. Now we all can sink together and perhaps you might learn the TRUE LESSONS of the past which is to study them so as to never repeat the same mistake again
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+5

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