By Dr. P. L. Wright Ph.D.
During 1839 there were 53 African men Kidnapped from Africa and placed on a slave ship called the Amistad. Their destination was to Cuba. They were crampped up together like crabs in a barrel. During the 1980’s in Miami, Florida there was a replica of the Amistad slave ship exhibited for the public to come visit and experience , and enter to feel how it must have felt for the 53 African men who had to endure that trip during 1839, and horror. I was startled to find that the United States has created a dilemma of children having to live in slave like horrific conditions as the African men experienced during 1839 in the Amistad slave ship on the way to Cuba. I would have never believed that here in the United States of America, our government , would allow policies of similar experiences like the Amistad slave ship to exist, creating inhumane conditions for any human beings that we have at this current time in the United States. We seem not to be able to find a permanent resolution to change the terrible and horrible conditions caused by U. S. policies that these Hispanic children, and in some cases their immigrant parents are having to experience. They are being subjected to slavery type conditions which is actually illegal in the United States according to the Declaration of Independence. John Quincy Adams had a legal right as a Lawyer to handle in clearing the 39 African men because they were not slaves but they were free men at that time protecting themselves from Kidnappers who were committing a crime. The kidnappers were trying to enslave these 53 African free men. No new slaves could be enslaved legally at that time in the United States. On the Amistad slave ship the 53 Africans revolted and killed all of the men who were part of kidnapping them except two of them.
The 53 free African men asked those two men of whom they did not kill to turn the ship around and take them back to their Home Land country of East Africa. Instead, they tricked the African men and guided them to the East coast of the United States where they landed in New Haven Connetticut as it was told by those who lived in Connetticut. they were arrested and placed in holding until their fate would be determined by the United States Supreme Court Justice. There is also the question that they landed in Long Island New York, and that is where their trial was held. The Supreme Court Justice with
The legal counselor for those 53 free African men, was Lawyer, and previously a United States President John Quincy Adams, who served from 1825-1829. He realized at some point he was nearly completely blind and need to make a decision about taking the case. he eventually took the case and made his statement before the U. S. supreme Court Justice, stating that no man should ever be enslaved by another man according to the U. S. Declaration of Independence. It states that All men (including women) are equal and free, so we must adhere to those written words in the United States Declaration of Independence. We, as the United States of America had to take them back to their country of Africa on another ship.
John Quincy Adams statement still stands today in our Generous and Democratic Free Society in the United States of America which seems to be slipping away from all of us as American citizens. We must keep and adhere to the true meaning of our United States Constitution and the Declaration Of Independence alive, and unchanged. Also most important, that all men are created equal and Free. Now we must treat the illegal immigrant men, women and children with humanity and care and compassion with support and respect. These children need our help at this time in their lives. We must change the unfair policies to protect all illegal immigrants while they are on our land. We have to change these conditions to be humane fair and safe as we would expect for all free men. Until we find permanent solutions to end these horrific and inhumane conditions occurring, We will continue to have a serious dilemma to resolve. We must remember that to overcrowd any city with a population explosion, it may not be sustainable economically and may create a state of disunity and more serious confusion. It may also be more difficult to find how to solve the dilemma as our representatives in congress are experiencing at this current time in America.
If we do not immediately address this dilemma, We may have already created a generation of criminals with PTSD and other medical serious conditions in need of medical attention. we are creating criminal type humans. In the future. We may find them lost and searching for a direction on our streets, schools, and probably at our front doors. They will probably be looking for all kinds of help they need in any way they can get it. Think, are we ready for that? How would we handle that?
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