I was browsing CNN, and came across an article:
“Senate approves resolution apologizing for slavery.”
The Senate, our senate, 100 men and women from 50 states, took time out of this important, important year and cycle to discuss a bill to apologize to African-Americans for slavery.
Now, I understand that slavery was horrible, and wrong. And I understand that the US government didn’t think so until after the Civil War, and even then, some people still didn’t see the problem. I know that people’s ancestors were slaves, and other people’s ancestors were slave owners. I understand this.
I just don’t understand why it matters right this minute. People are sorry, people apologize. I, personally, wasn’t there, and didn’t have slaves, and although I am sorry that people were ever enslaved, I get offended when anyone says “Well Americans” or “You people” had slaves.
I didn’t. You didn’t. No one we know did, in fact. And there are more important things that are happening right now — while we are all living, and breathing — than a past slavery. Slavery that none of us participated in. 100 men and women from 50 states are apologizing for something they didn’t do. Something that other men and other women did more than a hundred years ago.
I recognize that it is important. And that the US government apologizing is important. But I question if now is the time to be spending time on this. If we spend time on the past, we’ll miss the present, and have to apologize, again, in the future.
How do you all feel?
