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?
I agree that it’s silly to spend time on this. I am glad, however, that it was just an apology and no reparations. I find it strange that there are people that think “well, your ancestors enslaved my ancestors so you owe me 5 million dollars for my suffering” Money’s not going to change anything – especially not money being given to people who weren’t being enslaved! There is still slavery happening in the world – why don’t we work to help stop that rather than apologize for something that happened long ago?
I think its tough, especially as whites living in today’s society, to voice an opinion on this – especially a dissenting one. I’m against affirmative action, but I rarely say so, because it can be seen as “racist” even though I’m just against someone who has the same (or worse) qualifications as me getting an opportunity that I could have gotten simply because of their skin color.
To whom are they apologizing? The descendents of slaves? Why? They weren’t slaves. It’s absurd. The leader of the free world is black. Isn’t that the sweetest reparation in itself?
I would please like some clarification on how the African-Americans in todays society are still “suffering” from slavery. The ignorance of it all is astonishing. The black communitys all over the country have hand outs every where you look. Anyone has the power to change they’re lives…so if your sick of being poor and living with your boyfriend who sells crack because he can’t get a real job due to his “troubled youth”… do something about it, and telling the government your still suffering from the suffering your great great great grand parents suffered from is not the answer. Remember stereo types are based on facts. I don’t feel sorry for people who have the power to better them selves but would rather point their finger.
Thanks for your comments, everyone. You are touching on some of my thoughts, and brought up some new ones. I am not saying that there is no hardship, I’m just saying in this day it is a socioeconomic hardship, not a ethnic or race hardship.
I agree with you. Though if it will stop people from whining…fine. I mean, everyone involved knows that it’s not a REAL apology because it’s not coming from the offenders, and hopefully realize that the people who really needed to be apologized to are long gone…
But if it will shut people up about it, I suppose that’s a good enough reason. (A good enough reason to do it right NOW? Probably not.)