I don't understand the "Flame away!" comment at the end of your posting. Are you inviting or encouraging a harsh and contentious discussion?

I'm sure you know that the statement "Slavery was..." or "Slavery was not..." THE cause of the Civil War is an endless and might I say, fruitless, debate.

I was concerned when we started this thread that it might devolve into something entirely inappropriate to the ARCWMB and apparently, that's exactly where we're going.

Jim