Question

what does this mean:
You hurl your anathemas at the crowned headed tyrants of Russia and Austria, and pride yourselves on your Democratic institutions, while you yourselves consent to be the mere tools and body-guards of the tyrants of Virginia and Carolina.

Answer 1

If I'm right the passage comes from Fredrick Douglas. It simply means that as a democracy. America is hypocritical. It has been built on hypocrisy. We hate tyranny in Old Europe while we ourselves consent to tyranny in our country where we pride ourselves on being free. It refers to the establishment of slavery while also proclaiming ourselves to be a democratic nation, when we are just a free nation that is also an enslaved nation.

Answer 2

thank you so much

Answer 3

No problem, anytime.

Answer 4

i was kinda thinking they were saying how they the americans were paying more attention to eur. and not themselves while they have their own issues.

Answer 5

Just out of curiosity, where is this reading from?

Answer 6

i only thought that cuz of the next sentence after that line
You invite to your shores fugitives of oppression from abroad, honor them with banquets, greet them with ovations, cheer them, toast them, salute them, protect them, and pour out your money to them like water; but the fugitives from your own land you advertise, hunt, arrest, shoot and kill.

Answer 7

its from What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? by Frederick Douglass

Answer 8

Oh okay, yeah I read that a few years back, powerful work.

Answer 9

Is this for class or for leisure?

Answer 10

yeah i have to write a paper on it. its for class

Answer 11

Summer School?

Answer 12

yeah summer classes. :/

Answer 13

its going really fast

Answer 14

Is it for college? And what is the topic?

Answer 15

yeah college. i have to explain the speech, how he sees the founding father, relationship between slavery and church in america and england, the arguments he make about the constitution, and "tyrants" in both europe and america( political fugitives from europe and the bid for freedom of various european countries)

Answer 16

Okay, we got the tyrant part down. Good luck with the rest of your essay. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Answer 17

all i have left is the tyrants and the constitution. well write about it

Answer 18

was i right with what i said about it though.

Answer 19

i though that and that they were abusing their power and willing to help others gain liberty while they didnt want to help the slaves.

Answer 20

would any of that be right

Answer 21

Yes, yes it indeed is. It's hypocritical for our country to call ourselves free, but enslaving others. We at the time build our national identity as the land of the free, and did so (kinda) with the immigrant waves during 1800s, but at the same time, "the land of the free" oppressed the black slaves in contrast to the white immigrants.

Answer 22

It's still a part of America very to contemporary times, we are hypocritical.

Answer 23

thank you so much. i know what im going to write exactly.
its really helps and clarified things.

Answer 24

your amazing.

Answer 25

Thank You, Feel free to ask me more questions if need be.

Answer 26

i will thanks sweety