resolved; black history month ought to be abolished in America.

First I would like to mention that I believe my opponent is under the assumption that I am only African American. I would like to say that I am of Caucasian (approx. 25%), Black (approx. 40%), Native American (approx. 25%) and Jewish descent (approx. 10%). My opponent has decided to make his point in comparing the struggles of African Americans to the struggles of other races in American history. As I previously stated, blacks endured struggles on the largest scale. At no point did I hint that blacks were the only ones to struggle. “What the North Koreans who still to this day have their families enslaved and roasted 3 generations long for simply saying I don't like Kim il sueng who died a very long time ago. Why does America not give them a month?”I believe this is irrelevant.“Why does America not give a month to the Europeans that came to Ellis island and broke their backs to build America? What about those who founded New York and California through long trips and offered themselves to cannibalism to build this place.” I don’t believe you know how Black History Month was started. America didn’t create Black History Month. Black History Month was started in 1926 as “Negro History Week”. It was recognized by the U.S. in 1976 as “Black History Month”. So the fact that those groups of people do not have a “month” would be because those groups of people don’t have some unofficial week dedicated to teaching about their own history. Another reason would be because Black History Month is not solely about the struggles of blacks in America. It is about their accomplishments as well. Blacks have a much longer history in America being here long before those Europeans arrived in Ellis Island and before the founding of California. As to the “long trips and offered themselves to cannibalism”, slave ships were not hospitable. A quote from Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography describes this:“The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many died — thus falling victims to the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, now become insupportable, and the filth of the necessary tubs, into which the children often fell, and were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene of horror almost inconceivable.” http://historymatters.gmu.edu... Equiano also states that he would have preferred jumping overboard and drowning to serving a life in slavery, as many blacks actually did. The ships were packed with over a hundred slaves with no room to move. Sickness would spread and the slaves were malnourished. Many would die on the trips and those who lived wouldn’t meet a joyous fate. As compared to the others, the blacks had no choice in the matter. This is an image depicting an slave ship http://0.tqn.com...“why is it that African Americans believe so adamantly that they have suffered more than any other race? I can confidently say atleast 75% of African Americans believe this. It is truly ridiculous that African Americans force America to see them as separate yet want so desperately to be considered Americans and equal BHM is completely contradictory to peace and social relations. Every one of Americas Ancestors had their struggles.” Obviously all of America’s ancestors has their struggles, that is not in question; however, in American history there were more African slaves peaking at almost four million before abolition. Black History Month is not asking for separation, but recognition; Recognition that blacks are not worthless as America viewed them for so long. If anything, Black History Month says: “Hey, we took all you threw at us, we endured those struggles and we’re still here.” It’s asking for the due respect and equality blacks deserve. “Im still angered by the fact that you and a large majority of African Americans have the audacity to say we have suffered more than anyone else in America. Where do you get this since of entitlement.” I would like to point out that subjectivity is causing you to overlook the facts. I said blacks suffered on the largest scale, not the most. No other group of people suffered more than blacks than Native Americans. Native Americans suffered longer than blacks and were nearly annihilated completely. I am surprised my opponent did not mention that many Native American tribes were destroyed completely and that they also were taken into slavery; however, many Native Americans evaded Europeans and there were many attempts to assimilate Native Americans into Americans society before blacks were even given their freedom. It is not a sense of “entitlement”, it is understanding facts. “Let me educate the masses of something. Because African Americans don't like to admit it. Many African Americans say we were kidnapped from Africa well about 98 percent say so. However the Africans sold you to the Europeans, the Spaniards, and the French etc... those who the tribes no longer wanted or war criminals were given to them and shipped out also to pay large debts.” Thank you for educating the masses. I believe saying: “98% of African American say that we were kidnapped” is completely subjective. From most of the African Americans I know, they have taken US History in high school and understand that Africans were sold into slavery by other Africans; however it was not purely “those who the tribes no longer wanted or war criminals”. The first African slaves were kidnapped of course, people don’t arrive to a new continent with a slave trade system already predetermined. However, African tribes would fight each other and the defeated would be sold into slavery. Africans would also kidnap other Africans and sell them into slavery. Mostly innocents were sold into slavery rather than “unwanteds” or “criminals”; but does it matter if Africans sold them or not? They were still purchased and mistreated, and what if the Africans stopped selling them slaves. Then they would be kidnapped by Europeans once again. Regardless of how the slaves were received, they were still taken from their home. “Let us also realize that Muslims, and Arabs were enslaved as well. Why can't they get a month? Awnser me that. I eagerly await your response.”I’m glad you are eager to hear my response. Concerning American history, the Arab slave trade was not pressing. In relation to Black History Month, as I have said before, it is not all about slavery. It is about influential blacks in American history. The struggles of slavery produced many black “heroes” and “heroines” as well as those of other races. To answer your question, Black History Month is not Slave History Month.My opponent seems to be stuck under the impression that Black History Month has only to do with slavery. The fact that slavery and prejudice is the main subject of Black History Month is because blacks in America were slaves until the mid 19th century and then received much prejudice until very recent. Again I would like to say that Black History Month is only meant to emphasize the accomplishments of blacks in American history, not separate them. Blacks, throughout most of American history, have been looked down upon and seen as lower class. 200 years ago, a poor white man was still ten times the worth of a wealthy, free black man. That black man wouldn’t even be considered a person at that time.