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Politics : Al Gore vs George Bush: the moderate's perspective -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (3194)	10/19/2000 5:24:18 PM
From: cosmicforce	Respond to of 10042

I was just pointing out that many people think that the US is fundamentally different. There were 10 million indigenous Californians killed by their contact with Mexico from many causes. This continued under the rule of the US in California and another 1 million probably died in the period between the emergence of Ishi and the formation of the Republic of California in 1850. Whether this amounts to the same or not is not is certainly debatable and a matter more of opinion than fact. I hike in the mountains of California and have seen first hand evidence of large scale decimation in the period around 1850 (based upon the age of the oaks which bore witness). Much of the evidence before that period is simply erased because of the impacts of later settlers on the land. I too am a moral relativist and think that a lot of people are mistaken in their belief that moral absolutes exist. I've repeatedly cited example throughout the world and in our own history where we have acted in a morally relative way. There is really not very much evidence for such natural rights except as the product of the beliefs of the founding fathers based upon those whose works they read and implemented. Even Deists, as non-denominational as they are, ultimately put something imaginary between them and their morality. For them to SAY that this is universally true is tantamount to self-delusion and the very minimum, is an unprovable position from which to start. Certainly it seems more palatable to me to treat people with compassion and tolerance. But in Roman times compassion was considered a vice or personal weakness. Things change. We should realized that most of what we consider "moral" is only done at our convenience and for those we care about.