PPOD October 16, 2010: Politically correct, my eye...

My Sweet Baboo and I recently spent a week in Virginia, where we had the opportunity to visit the home of three early presidents: Jefferson (Monticello), Madison (Montpelier) and Monroe (Ashlawn-Highlands). While we enjoyed our tour of all three places, one thing really bugged me. 

Each of the presidents at one point owned slaves, and at each of their homes the guides, the materials, the signage all referred to the slaves as African-Americans. Seriously. African-American slaves.  Here's just an example, at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

To pretend that the slaves, who were owned, bought and sold by whites (statesmen and non-statesmen alike), were ‘Americans’ doesn’t soften the blow of slavery, doesn’t make it any less a painful part of our history. And it doesn’t fool anyone. Frankly it’s ridiculous. And it’s my PPOD for today.