This Nation
Two academics argue about the founding of America.
The cat, Zalina, purred under the window sill. The room had two other occupants in it. Professor Thomas Detter and Dr. Felix Gaxer sat across from each other playing digital chess at New Sweden University in Wilmington, Delaware. The lights around them did their black skin no justice.
“I’m telling you again…the white man wiped out the Native Americans. That’s all there is to it,” Dr. Gaxer reminded the younger teacher.
“Okay, there are few natives in the world, firstly. Maybe in a village in East Africa. That’s about it. Everyone else is either an immigrant or descendent from immigrants.”
“That doesn’t satisfy my point….”
“Of course. I was getting to that. Now, Indians had already slaughtered each other for centuries on this continent. The white man just brought more than smallpox, they laid the ground for a civilized society.”
“Civilized? Burgers and mini-malls and deep fried gumballs?” Dr. Gaxer shot back.
“I’m talking about our founding documents, namely the Declaration. I’m talking about the ability for entrepreneurs and thinkers to explore whatever they ideated to do so in their minds and actualize those thoughts.”
“No, you don’t see. This nation was built on murder and enslavement. All we have now is the ghosts of those who were slaughtered or put in bondage.”
“Slavery may be the Original Sin of this country, but not everyone was for it. Plenty of abolitionists from the start wanted to end the horror,” Detter explained.
Zalina cozied up to the doctor. “With your argument, I would say you definitely need to check your notes before you shill that trash before your students.”
“What you need to realize, Felix, is that all of the different thoughts that you express are thea reality that they must be grounded in fact.”
“They’re not?”
“Ha!” exclaimed Professor Detter.
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Skyler Saunders
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