Whoopi Thinks Slavery Still In Constitution?
Posted on September 13, 2008
-By Warner Todd Huston
On ABC’s “The View” on September 12, Whoopi Goldberg asked Senator John McCain if she should worry about being made a slave again once he becomes president. Newsflash, Whoopi: There was this little fracas we call the Civil War where six hundred thousand Americans died and that resulted in the elimination of slavery from existence. Oh, and Whoopi, it happened nearly 150 years ago! Just trying to help you with that whole “history” thing, Whoopster.
Apparently, Whoopi is unaware that slavery was removed from the Constitution, because during a discussion about the Law of the Land on the TV talk show, Whoopi wondered if she should “worry” about being cast into chattel slavery should John McCain get in office and institute his desires that strict construction of the Constitution be observed by his judicial picks.
The subject of how McCain would handle the Roe v Wade abortion situation is what prompted Whoopi to blurt out her uninformed view of the Constitution.
Transcript:
McCain: And I believe if Roe v Wade were overturned then the States would make these decisions.
Whoopi: Can you just, and I don’t want to misinterpret what you’re saying, did you say you wanted strict Constitutionalists because that, that…
McCain: No I want people who’ll interpret the Constitution of the United States the way our Founding Fathers envisioned for them to do…
Whoopi: Should I be worried about being a slave, returned to slavery, because certain things happened [in] the Constitution that you had to change.
McCain: No I understand your point.
Whoopi: OK, OK.
Take a chill pill, Whoopi. Slavery is against the law and our moral code. So, don’t “worry” about anyone wanting you for their slave. And a little peek into a history book or two might help you, as well.
Oh, and one other little small historical note, Whoopi. You can’t be “returned” to slavery. Neither you nor any other black American has ever been in slavery.
(Photo credit: Associated Press)
» Filed Under Abortion, Education, Elections, History, Liberal Media/Bias, News, Supreme Court, U.S. Constitution, Video
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19 Responses to “Whoopi Thinks Slavery Still In Constitution?”
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Why is anyone surprised that “The View” is a source of profound idiocy?
Barbara Walters has cast away her long, distinguished career as a journalist and is trying to become Michael Moore. She’s surrounded herself with idiots, and calls it a talk show. I don’t know anyone, Right or Left, who ever has anything good to say about the show. The only people I know who watch it do so because they think Barbara Walters should do better … but that seems to be blind hope winning out over experience.
Still, John McCain gave an ignorant answer to an ignorant question.
The 13th Amendment ended slavery, the 14th made the former slaves citizens, the 15th gave them the right to vote.
Instead of mentioning these amendments, McCain backed down.
Must agree with Jim here, it was a blown chance to educate some people on GOP history. The party of Lincoln anyone? HELLO! If not for Rebublicans in the last century, Jim Crow/segregation would never have ended. Instead he let some ignorant Hollywood lib run off at the mouth. I understand your point? Good grief.
Yeah, I don’t understand why he didn’t bring up that the Constitution has been amended to outlaw slavery. And that he considers the amendments to be part of the Constitution that is to be strictly interpreted. It was a really stupid remark from Whoopi but Barbara Walters “white folks” comment was just as bad. Ick.
“Yeah, I don’t understand why he didn’t bring up that the Constitution has been amended to outlaw slavery”
*He should have, but he couldn’t get a word in edgewise with those vultures swarming in on him.
Jim is right. McCain should have been more quick on the draw.
Ah well…I am mostly voting for Palin anyway. Of course living in SF it won’t make a lick of difference.
I doubt very much that America is going to return to slavery. However, Whoopi’s comment does show an understanding of at least one weakness in the strong Constitutional position (my own position). The antebellum amendments were passed in very undemocratic ways. They will have to be revisited if we are to return to Constitutional Federalism.
You’re fooling yourself if you think they will ever be “revisited,” and that there is a need that they BE revisited!
I suppose it depends on what one requires for “rule by law” or judges that will strictly adhere to the Constitution, the context of McCain’s statement. Federalism has a very limited future as long as they stand. The antebellum amendments were passed in a most dishonest and corrupt way. Their validity should increasingly be called into question as the US labors under the weight of an over-reaching overfed Federal government.
Even before the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, there was no endorsement for slavery in the Constitution. That “All men are created equal…” thing in the constitution means what it says. Passages explicitly prohibiting slavery were not able to be added because southern slaveowners would never have signed up.
Nonetheless, the founding fathers did manage to avoid any language supporting slavery.
It was this constitution that was the legal precedent for the Emancipation Proclamation and the ensuing amendments were probably redundant.
Whoopi is an unfortunate and voluntary slave to ignorance. Her own nation thinks more highly of her than she thinks of herself.
Maybe someday, she will catch up with the rest of us who actually know our government.
Best regards,
Gail S
If Whoopi’s ancestors ever were slaves, she should get down on her knees every night and thank God that they were slaves - since that resulted in her having the priveledge to be born in America and become a millionaire off her wits. Would anyone argue that she’d be better off if she were born in Africa with all the others whose ancestors were not brought here?
She has never worried about being a fool, so why should she worry about anything else?
First off, slavery is not illegal in the US.
13th Amendment
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Second, mm,
How far back should McCain go? Back to the point when the constitution was more important than the opinion of some liberal judge who doesn’t like it.
And yes, the Constitution is not absolute, but there is a method for changing it that the liberals seem to want to ignore.
This blog opens with a sny remark which is mostly untrue. The Civil War was not fought over human slavery; it was fought over succession from the union. To get to that goal Lincoln made a decision to free some of the Americans held in bondage. His decision open the flood gates; the Americans held in bondage came out and joined the Union Army, which Lincoln then agreed to and that event in American history turned the tide and kept the states together. THAT, was a most important event and more important at the time than human enslavement because our flanks were open to invasion, our nation was at each other’s throat.
Therefore, human slavery is an issue that we must address as fellow Americans. We have to face it because we really didn’t fact it then. We kind of glazed over it.
And, slavery was not wiped out permanently in America. There are over 2 million enslaved individuals in America right now in 2008.
IDO NOT AGREE with what Whoopi said and how she said it and the antics that went with it. I think her stance is hurtful. However, I did not realize that it would be taken as a political whipping crane to beat McCain over his political head with.
Human slavery is a subject we just don’t want to talk about. It means we will have to leave our dream world and talk about what goes on in our real world and that will be nasty, ruthless thinking and behavior that occured in OUR American History and in our human history.
On one site a fellow mused, “You don’t need to worry about slavery if you stay out of Africa.” There is an international enslavement ring working out of Amsterdam. I want to do what I can to stop that. That’s a human being even if that human is another nationality and ethnicity.
Enslavement and slavery is a part of human history because it is a human behavior.
–Margaret Opine
“Margaret”
If you think the Civil War was not fought over slavery, you have not paid attention to its history.
Yes, there was more than one reason the Civil War was fought, but to say it WASN’T slavery is just plain uninformed.
what’s wrong Warner? You deleted my post about your errors in your original article. I don’t support Whoopi - she’s wrong in her statements. But so are you! Why don’t you allow people to show how wrong you are? Again, you CANNOT remove slavery from the constitution, as you stipulated in your article. Slavery WAS NEVER legal under the constitution. The founding fathers never had it in the constitution. Moreover, you cannot remove clauses from the constitution as you implied. Instead, you pass amendments, repealing other amendments. For example, the 21st amendment repeals the 18th amendment on prohibition. The 13th amendment makes slavery illegal, but it never repealed any other amendment. Thus, you are wrong in saying it was removed from the constitution, since you imply it was ever in the constitution. So before making fun of Whoopi for not knowing the constitution, please learn about the constitution yourself.
And… ummm, like, WHY did the southern states want to secede (not succeed)?
Slavery.
So I guess the Civil War REALLY WAS about slavery, huh?
As far as glazing over slavery, passing a constitutional amendment is kind of a BIG DEAL, hardly a glaze. Why does it need to be revisited? It was never condoned in the original drafting of The Constitution, so the only reason I can see that someone would want to “revisit” the issue would be…. reparations? Get that approved so people like me - whose family has been in this country for far less than 100 years - can pay money to people like you for something someone else did 150 years ago?
Too many people living in the past, worried about clawing their way to the top even if it’s at others’ expense, ready to play victim and whine and moan - it’s no wonder this country is in the shape it’s in.
It does do away with slavery unless there was crime which the person was convicted, hence, chain gangs in prisons. The Civil War was about slavery and to secede from the US, those states wanted their own nation state so they could have slavery.
I am sure she would like to see reparations
as well. I wonder why others are not
wanting reparations? It seems others have
moved on about their past, why can’t Whoopi
and her friends?