The House Apologizes for Slavery

[mimartin]

All I can say about it is....GET READY FOR REPARATIONS!

I fail to see how an apology equals reparations. I didn’t see us give back Hawaii in 1993 when the Senate passed a resolution apologizing for overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawaii. I didn’t see reparations given to Native Americans when the Senate apologized to them in April.

 

Even in 1988, when the U.S. government apologized to the Japanese-Americans held in detention camps only those still living received reparations. Personally, I am in favor of reparations to all living former slaves.

[Jae Onasi]

Web Rider, El Sitherino, take that to PMs please, for further discussion. It's way outside the 'friendly discussion' spirit of this forum. The snarkiness is getting infraction-worthy, and there will be no more warnings on this.

[jonathan7]

Lets chill a bit here peeps, Americans and Politics are a bad idea

 

[MdKnightR]

I fail to see how an apology equals reparations. I didn’t see us give back Hawaii in 1993 when the Senate passed a resolution apologizing for overthrowing the Kingdom of Hawaii. I didn’t see reparations given to Native Americans when the Senate apologized to them in April.

 

Even in 1988, when the U.S. government apologized to the Japanese-Americans held in detention camps only those still living received reparations. Personally, I am in favor of reparations to all living former slaves.

 

 

Lets just say that Hawaiians and Native Americans are not as vocal (nor are there as many of them) as the descendants of slaves.

[SW01]

Here comes a foreigner...

 

Slavery was a worldwide problem, which lasted for millenia. It falls upon us all to recognise the harm caused by it. My country has taken a lot of flak over the years for it as well. Perhaps it would be appropriate to remember those who strove to abolish such an abominable practice? An apology is a welcome gesture, if sincere, but little more.

 

That said, your government, and many of your people, should be apologising for segregation more than anything else. It took good people's lives to change that, and I'm sure there are plenty who still remember it and many who are still affected by it - consider the disgraceful conduct of the Federal Government after the hurricane that hit New Orleans.

 

In a 'land of the free', it is treating your citizens as second class based on skin tone in the 21st century that needs to be apologised for.

[mur'phon]

To me, it sounds pointless, however, it obvously matters to a lot of people, so I guess it's a good thing.

 

Slavery IS a worldwide problem, which have been going on for millenia. It falls upon us all to recognise the harm caused by it.

 

Fixed.

[mimartin]

Native Americans are not as vocal

 

I can tell you never meet my grandmother.

[SW01]

@mur'phon (#31) - A wise change and unfortunately accurate assessment. As you say, it is a continuing problem.

 

Perhaps the 'world police' should be turning its attention to the present situation, rather than dwelling on one that is, for all intents and purposes, resolved?

[MdKnightR]

I can tell you never meet my grandmother.

 

I meant the population, not individuals.

[mimartin]

I meant the population, not individuals.

 

I knew what you meant.

[HIGH ON PIE 14]

To me' date=' it sounds pointless, however, it obvously matters to a lot of people, so I guess it's a good thing.[/quote']

 

I agree. Its a nice gesture, but really, apologizing for something that our ancestors did? Slavery in the U.S. was a horrible institution, but isn´t it a bit late for apologies anyway? Do I feel bad for the descendents of slaves for what their ancestors had to go through? Of course I do, but I´m not going to go around apologizing for something that happened centuries ago. While its a nice gesture, shouldn´t the House focus on the many present problems before worrying about the past?

 

My ancestors are from Italy, many from Rome. Am I going to apologize to the descendents of the millions of people the Roman empire enslaved and mistreated? No, I´m not. I should not have to bear the responsibilty of my ancestors actions.

 

If anything, the House should apologize for segregation, as that is still going on in many areas of the U.S. To be blunt, since I´m white and my ancestors have never been enslaved, this does not mean to me, what it would mean to an African American. But if it makes people happy...I guess its good thing.

 

-HOP

[El Sitherino]

I love the amount of not reading that's going on.

[mimartin]

Of course I do, but I´m not going to go around apologizing for something that happened centuries ago. [/Quote] And no one is asking you too. I don’t understand why everyone is making this personal. This is the Federal Government of the United States apologizing for state sponsored laws that allowed slavery and later laws designed to keep a segment of the population down. This is not individual citizens apologizing this is a apology by the Federal Government.

 

I should not have to bear the responsibilty of my ancestors actions.[/Quote] Who is saying you should bear the responsibility?

If anything, the House should apologize for segregation

They did.

 

I love the amount of not reading that's going on.

I think people are confusing Jim Crow with

 

[HIGH ON PIE 14]

If I missed anything while reading (and it sound like I missed a lot) sorry. I´m in another country, and everybody is so nosy at this cafe its hard to concentrate...a bad excuse, I know. My apologies.

 

Yeah I know nobody is asking me to bear the responcibility, I was just making a comparison between slavery, the U.S. Government´s apology situation, and the cruelties undoubtedly committed by my ancestors. That and the U.S. government is ultimately bearing the responsibility of past actions.

 

Yeah, I know the House apologized for segregation, but what I had meant to say was segregation is the more predominant of the two in the U.S. today, and it just made more sense to apologize for it.The gov´t really should be working harder to quash it, rather than taking up time writing an apology, though. I know it is a consolation to those who have been targets of discrimination, but I think every one of them would rather segregation be decreased rather than the government just saying sorry.

 

-HOP

[SW01]

Yeah, I know the House apologized for segregation, but what I had meant to say was segregation is the more predominant of the two in the U.S. today, and it just made more sense to apologize for it.The gov´t really should be working harder to quash it, rather than taking up time writing an apology, though. I know it is a consolation to those who have been targets of discrimination, but I think every one of them would rather segregation be decreased rather than the government just saying sorry.

 

-HOP

 

 

Agreed.

 

Laws and whatnot to end segregation aren't enough though - the perceptions and attitudes of the people have to change. There is little a government can do to achieve that. Government action, such as the various 'affirmative action' policies may serve only to entrench divisions.