My Year of Darwin 6/21/2014: E ai Darwin? Chuck dissed in Brazil

"I must here commemorate what happened for the first time during our nearly five years' wandering, namely, having met with a want of politeness; I was refused in a sullen manner at two different houses, and obtained with difficulty from a third, permission to pass through their gardens to an uncultivated hill, for the purpose of viewing the country. I feel glad that this happened in the land of the Brazilians, for I bear them no good will - a land of slavery, and therefore of more debasement." Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle

Ouch! Yet I found nothing of the sort when I was there. Unnecessary bureaucratic? My God yes. Rude? Never. Perhaps England had just eliminated Brazil from the World Cup???  Highly unlikely (even if there was a World Cup at the time). 

My Year of Darwin (2/19/2014)

"I may mention one very trifling anecdote, which at the time struck me more forcibly than any story of cruelty. I was crossing a ferry with a negro who was uncommonly stupid. In endeavouring to make him understand, I talked loud, and made signs, in doing which I passed my hand near his face. He, I suppose, thought I was in a passion, and was going to strike him; for instantly, with a frightened look and half-shut eyes, he dropped his hands. I shall never forget my feelings of surprise, disgust, and shame, at seeing a great powerful man afraid even to ward off a blow, directed, as he thought, at his face. This man had been trained to a degradation lower than the slavery of the most helpless animal." Charles Darwin - Voyage of the Beagle 

Let us never forget the indignity and injustice of slavery. 

My Year of Darwin (2/10/2014)

"This spot is notorious from having been, for a long time, the residence of some runaway slaves, who, by cultivating a little ground near the top, contrived to eke out a subsistence, At length they were discovered, and a party of soldiers being sent, the whole were seized with the exception of one old woman, who, sooner than again be led into slavery, dashed herself to pieces from the summit of the mountain" -Charles Darwin, Journal of Researches (Voyage of the Beagle)

Darwin is recounting a story of slavery in Brazil, which was much larger in scope and went on much longer than slavery in the United States. Darwin abhorred slavery and his uncle Josiah Wedgewood was a financier of the abolitionist movement.  

MY YEAR OF DARWIN (#YEAROFDARWIN)

18 Jan 2014: "[Fitzroy] defended and praised slavery, which I abominated" Darwin autobiography

Darwin is recounting Fitzroy's personality. A great schism is being formed in European and American societies: those that defend slavery and the abolitionists. Interesting that Darwin gets blamed for so many offenses against humanity yet there's nothing in natural selection, nothing in evolution, and nothing in a materialistic world view that can be used to defend slavery, which is sanctioned in the Bible. 

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Snowing this morning and very pretty out. Temperatures have been in the 30's yet the increasing day length is inspiring cardinals, song sparrows, and chickadees to sing. Today is laundry-palooza. Catching up on chores.