I'm unwilling to separate out "they were defending their values" from "their values included chattel slavery". I find nothing noble in holding values dear that are so wrong.
Well, no, and the point isn't to excuse them or call them noble for that, the point is that it's an exercise of our values to say that all men have dignity, and that even if we're fighting them it's not much better to dehumanize people for their values than it is for their race.
I mean, what do you think of people who claim we should blow up all the Muslims because they have inferior values? Little bit monstrous of them, right? Or take the Reformation writ large, nations alternately executing Papists and Protestants.
I'm ok with acknowledging the humanity of, but not the dignity of, a group of people who willingly, emphatically, repeatedly worked to deny others of their basic human rights.
We see words like "heritage" thrown around a lot with respect to the south. I like to remember what that heritage is:
I mean, what do you think of people who claim we should blow up all the Muslims because they have inferior values? Little bit monstrous of them, right? Or take the Reformation writ large, nations alternately executing Papists and Protestants.