Update: My statement on the Irish is a little off. According to some posts below, the Irish immigrants I refer to are not the same as the Scots-Irish that Senator Webb discusses. I will definately do more homework on the subject and perhaps even pick up Senator Webb's book! Thank you for the informative posts.
There is a recent video on Huffingtonpost.com about Senator Webb's comments on the Scots-Irish voting bloc. After watching the clip, I was impressed by Senator Webb's nuanced analysis of this segment of the country. However, many of the comments to this article were negative. These posts exclaimed how insensitive the Senator's comments were. However, I do not believe Senator Webb was attempting to trivialize slavery, but simply offering an explanation for their votes and a solution for reconciliation.
We all agree that slavery was an abomination. This is an undeniable fact. However, the Irish did suffer incredible prejudice during the 19th century. They were characterized as lazy, uncivilized, even barbaric. They were openly denied employment and forced to live in impoverished and crowded ghettos. Many attempts were made to limit their involvement in politics, including the right to vote. Propaganda depicted the Irish as drunkards and brawlers, with the same vitriol that was directed towards blacks (even in the same cartoon).
No the Irish weren't subjected to the horrors of slavery, but they weren't exactly welcomed with open arms. To acknowledge their suffering by no means diminishes the atrocities that blacks endured during slavery, Jim Crow, and even today.
However, their experience echoes some of the same obstacles and hatred that blacks encountered. I believe Senator Webb was attempting to say that the Scots-Irish and black communities are now experiencing the effects of this prejudice, namely the legacy of poverty that continues to plague both communities. He also suggests that these shared experiences form the foundation on which an alliance should be formed. In turn, this new powerful voting bloc could change Washington and address the issues that are facing both communities.