Yes, Charleston does have a Slave Mart, granted today it’s a museum even if some of Charleston’s vendors would like to deny it ever existed, Believe its because there is no money in it for them. We found it just a couple of blocks away where the lady with the babble decorated glasses adamantly declared that we were just out to besmirch South Carolina’s famous seaport’s good name.
My thoughts went right away to the enslaved poor and illiterate who populate our land of the free and the brave today.
No, we don’t shackle them in irons; we’ve gotten so much more civilized. We shackle them to living hand to mouth or worse beg to mouth with lack of opportunity, lack of money, lack of education, lack of political power and a host of other ball and chains.
It’s amazing how after all these years the scars from the beatings and irons are still visible on the psyche of so many, yet so many can't figure out why, after all they're free now and we did pass the bill of rights. I guess they figure its no different than the etchings of approval and the landmarks of the landed gentry is on the backs of their decedents.
But I digress. What caught my eye was the AA unity symbol (the circle within the triangle) carved into the façade of the building above the larger of the two windows on the second floor.
Poetic in that freedom from the slavery to our addictions has been and always is right above us.
Really Grateful. Joyous and Free.
Jim
Man oh man, Jim! You DO write well, descriptive, yet not 'flowery'...and yes, it would have been good to run into you. I sat next to a Jim last night--but he could not have been you. Kayaking, flying kites and the like, would not fit his age--nor MINE--grin!
ReplyDeleteWe are still in Charleston, leaving Wednesday. IF you're in the area still, let's try and hook up for a meeting today. We're going downtown and find that triangle-in-a-circle on the old 'slave-sale' building.
Since I'm a violin player, I DID get a photo of that old guy playing on the street corner, did you see him?
Thanks for blog visit.
NOTE: Word verify..."pedless" HA! that was US!!!