A man with the ability to think and analyze.

The Civil War (not War between the States, War of Secession, War of Northern Aggression) was about slavery. 150 years later I still feel the pain from the crime of my ancestors. Bill Starr is an honorable man.

He is so thoughtful and eloquent. He deserves a wide audience. Glad to see him here on DU.

Imagine monuments to the black men and women whose horrible enslavement created vast wealth for others, to black people who fought for freedom, to the white man who was executed for trying to help a fleeing slave, to the black teachers who brought education to South Carolina!

This man, Bill Starr, creates that imagination: It can and should all be different! There is no need to cling to this crime and sin, to bolster your ego, if you are a poor white. The evils of that are apparent in this recent racist horror in the church. It can and should all be transformed--reversed, with the blacks and their friends as the heroes, and the war monuments to THEM, and the streets named after THEM, and a new Flag of the South that includes them and honors THEM. There is great nobility--true nobility-- in that imagined transformation. And this man has it! (He didn't mention the flag, but I was thinking of how to re-design it.)

I was thinking brilliant, amazing, genius, even saint--but I'll settle for lovely. This is a lovely man.

There was another man, a black man, editor of a newspaper in South Carolina, whom I heard on the radio (and didn't catch his name or the name of the newspaper), about a day or so after the church horror, who said that he was concerned about the poor white young men who feel no hope in our cruel economy, and who turn to guns and violence out of hopelessness. I was very startled by this comment from a black man, who had every right to be deeply angry yet came out with this thoughtful, compassionate statement. This, too, seemed transformative. And I thought the same thing: Lovely man!

Two lovely, big-hearted, brilliant men, who can help us all to a transformed future.

Knowledge in action.

What a beautiful thing to watch and hear.

and it's the free exchange of information that is making that happen, no longer do young people simply believe what they hear - they "google it" to fact check and find out the real information. the walls of bigotry are slowly coming down as our youth realize that there is no difference of character coupled to race. Mr Starr has stated the obvious, yet the obvious has been buried by the people who cling to exclusivity out of fear of loss, the loss of their privileged class. The people who have benefited from slavery continue to do so when all the symbols of one of the greatest crimes in history remain as "heritage", incredible really. Imagine a section of germany that still allowed the nazi flag to fly, same thing.

Well spoken.