William Wilberforce: the man behind Amazing Grace

[StTigray1]

As an American I had no idea that whites and Christians at that actually still honor men such as this or that even if you look closer that he was truly non-racist. I was amazed, for even Abraham Lincoln if you look closer would find him an abhorrent racist, even Ghandi was guilty of it. But from what I know of Wilberforce I am truly impressed.

[iBeep2009]

He supported the suspension of habeas corpus in 1795 and voted for Pitt's "Gagging Bills", which banned meetings of > 50 people, allowing speakers to be arrested and imposing harsh penalties on those who attacked the constitution. He was opposed to giving workers' rights to organise into unions, and called them "a general disease in our society".

A hero???

[vivascargill]

@iBeep2009 well said! but we must take the man as a whole neither angel nor devil--probably better than most compare him to Newton--the author of coining death penalty legislation--or Locke who wanted children in the work house as young as three years old!! I wonder how wilberforce and others reacted to the Irish attempt at liberation in 1798?

[psuedosurfer]

Well done! I grew up on high street in Hull where he lived on the river, it is a place of contemplation for my family...it is good to know his name is honored by people still, after all,emancipation was only possble because of him.

/(^\/^)\