Response to classmate's blog

            I am writing this blog to reflect and offer feedback on my classmate Nico Colomer’s blog. She addressed several issues that I too found myself questioning throughout this reading. She had reservations about whether she agreed or disagreed with Tannenbaum because she felt his stand was sometimes unclear and he often contradicted himself. This is one particular argument that I found interesting “In the end no one denied being involved in the enslavement of humans they simply justified the means. So maybe until that is unveiled then slavery will truly be over” (Colomer).  Colomer argues that those responsible for slavery have at no point refused to admit they practiced slavery. Instead they used societal issues such a religion to justify their actions.  I strongly agree with her theory that although Tannenbaum provides facts that depict the different living conditions in the Anglo and Latin American societies they are both guilty of the same crime. Both regions are responsible for the initial practice of this inhumane enslavement and the middle passage. Therefore although later on slaves were given a better lifestyle and opportunities in Latin America that does not in turn completely erase all the horror they have caused. The Latin American used religion to ease their guilty conscience and continue reaping the benefits of slavery. Therefore simply because African Americans suffered different degrees of punishment in some regions it should not be enough to exempt or lessen the magnitude of each nation's contributions to slavery. I think my classmate should use this claim in her essay because she raises a valid point that challenges Tannenbaum’s claim about the different slave systems.  She can elaborate further on her theory and why she disagrees with Tannenbaum by providing evidence.