Bummer has stumbled into a quagmire of having to re-examine his heritage and current mindset. The question, “is Bummer a racist?” There is no issue of whether he would have fought for the Union, but what would his motivation have been. A strong belief in the founding father’s guide to freedom and independence surely would have steered Bummer in the right direction. The equality of man referenced in The Declaration is self-explanatory and the teachings of the protestant faith regarding servitude is beyond compelling. The geographical location of ancestors and peers would have had Bummer raised in Eastern Tennessee or Missouri by pro-union and anti-slavery relatives. The dilemma faced is, can one be anti-slavery, willing to die for Emancipation and still harbor racist thoughts?
The more Bummer studies modern historians and experiences the wealth of knowledge that has been shared by academics in the last 50 years, his stance on social issues is changing. When he is studying or researching an event of the Civil War and the author is African-American, a different perspective on an issue of history is presented and Bummer wonders why he couldn’t have perceived that before.
An opportunity for Bummer to be humbled and illuminated,
Thank You
Illumination!