should slave decendants get public apology?

Question

Does anyone think it's about time slave decendants receive an official public apology for their treatment at the hands of Westerners?

Japanese prisoners of war recently received an apology after 60 years, should black people be awarded the same dignity after hundreds of years?


(I always select a best answer! Please share your views, and rate this question....if you like it!!)

Answer 1

I watched a recent documentary where a group of black Americans went back to Africa to seek their roots.They all ended up deeply shaken in tears when they found out the slave trade in Africa was run by the blacks selling their own people to westerners.Perhaps when the black Africans apologise then we can move along the line to the westerners.

Answer 2

I pretty much disagree with all the answers so far. I look at it this way: if two friends or a husband and wife have an argument, the best way to heal things is for one of them to say "I'm sorry." After that, they can move on and get back to a healthy relationship.



I think it is the same with past wrongs. It is frustrating for people who have been wronged or whose famiy has been wronged to constantly hear "Oh, that was in the past; it's over now" or "Racism doesn't exist" or "I didn't do it personally, so what's the point?" What would be the harm in our president declaring that a wrong was done by our government in the past? Wouldn't that help people "move on," as others claim we should?



By the way, there has been a public apology and reparations for Native Americans. I know that for sure because my family got a small amount of money from it.



People who say that slavery was in the past are conveniently forgetting (perhaps because they have the luxury of being white) that the effects of slavery STILL CONTINUE TODAY. I don't know one black person who hasn't been stopped by the police for no reason, who hasn't been followed in a store or mistreated by a store clerk, who hasn't been judged unfairly because of skin color. Those things are happening TODAY, and they stem from the fact that people of color were not considered full human beings during slavery and even in the Constitution.



I think our society would have a better chance of healing racism--which it sorely needs--if a public declaration and apology were given by the government that slavery was wrong, that slaves were badly mistreated, that families were split apart, that huge white family wealth and national wealth was built on the backs of free slave labor, and that the effects continue to this day.



THEN we could "move on." Until then, it's just like telling your friend to "get over it" when you haven't apologized yet.

Answer 3

To confused man. do not forget that UVF UDA LVF RHC and other assorted murder squads never needed funding from america to wipe out catholics in Ireland back in the day they had the british army and british parliament to help them, if they wanted guns they just had to ask. Not that I have any preferance for any political group and hate the lot for taking away many happy childhoods but the full truth should always be told. Throughout history apologies for the way humans have acted disgracefully should be given in a genuine fashion not one where one is embarrassed into one it should always come from the heart, that is why england where allowed forgiveness by the Irish people for the 16 innocent people they killed on the stands of Croke park and for the first time this year the english national anthem was played to a very emotional public as for the first time ever a foreign game to Ireland was played at the home of irish sports. So yes apologies are good things to do as Ireland and England pave the way to show that bitter enemies can become friends, it sets an example to the rest of the world.

Answer 4

It depends on how their Lawyers can make the most money

This, of course ,is a typical "liberal" and "PCers" attempt to gain support!

See my other "Fascist rants"

This is a typical Marxist/Socialist/"liberal" agenda.

They don't care what happens or who was enslaved.

I say "Fascist rants"

To save you the trouble

Your first objection will be that we are not talking about Marxism.

I will give you some advice:

the name has changed:but you have not.

Reagan stopped Russian Communism.Supported byMaggie. And the inexorable spread of Communism which you assumed would give you power. was halted.

You then went into the Closet (as it were)

And re-appeared as "liberals" Or PCers

And began again!

You hoped to do even BETTER this time because you had a wonderful new weapon:



POLITICAL CORRECTNESS!

This would smother all debate, by making words meanigless unless shouted in the correct, prescribed ,fashion.



It is now impossible to have a reasoned argument.

Someone just shouts:

RACIST ! or FASCIST ! or ELITIST and

ALL OBJECTION STOPS!



There is, of course, a problem with this:

Some one might actually have a skill

or KNOW Something

THIS DOES NOT MATTER!

Any illiterate layabout can shout the words

And thus be in a superior position.

Any MEANING is defined by these layabouts

Themselves

Read George Orwell (1984 and Animal Farm)

If you think I'm kidding ?

Is it true that you can be marked down

in exams or course work if you don't put quotes

round the word Reality.



Now Listen I'm NOT mocking you!



I'm CONCERNED that you don't seem to

realise exactly how VICIOUS and UNFEELING

These people are.

Gotta go to another question and see how clever these people really are.

Don't bother about the flash words.

Just send a few funnies.



I'll be back!

With people like me around

Don't you understand why they want to control

EVERYTHING

Answer 5

I think it would be a good gesture on the part of president Bush to make a public statement of sorts explaining that what was done by a few Americans long ago was wrong and that America will not allow such a thing to happen again.

That way we might have a better chance of avoiding the internment camps being built to house anyone who protests the government.

Unfortunately, none of the actual offenders are still living today. In fact close to a million Northern soldiers died in the process of repealing slavery and preserving the Union. I think that constitutes a great sacrifice on the part of our countrymen.

Also, many of the poor people in the north worked in horrible conditions to process the cotton and tobacco produced in the south. Even though they weren't "slaves" they had a very difficult life too.

Most of this hardship was fueled by greed.

There are some other people who deserve mention as well. Don't forget them when you are writing the speech for our "fearless leader".

Answer 6

At the end of the day slavery was outlawed by westerners a long time ago, slavery has been ingrained in human history going back god only knows how many years, even before we started writing probably.

Slavery still goes on in a lot of coutries today mainly in Africa itself.

If people still feel they need an official to say sorry then they obviosly have nothing better in there lives.

Get over it and continue living why waste your life feeling bitter, you can't blame everything on someone else.

Every step of your life you are given choices, if you make the wrong one it is no-one else's mistake but you own. Stand up and take some responsibility for your actions.

Answer 7

Nope, I dont think so. I think they should just let it go. I mean people where wrong to have them as slaves but come on. An apology to me would be worth peanuts. Special since they are still being racist or unfair to people as we speak. It's always a minority race that gets bombed. If not black people, then hispanics, Asians and Japanese have been somewhat lucky as well as Irish (a friend said besides their accents you wouldnt differentiate them from caucasions) etc. Mexicans I can see why they are a threat, they work hard for the most part and like Asians and Japanese are willing to learn a new language to fit in. Have you seen how hard it is for US to get students interested in a second language. At least minority races do it (because they have to and they want to be successful.) I say forget the apology and just show some respect and let go of racism as well as fear that someone other than caucasion will be in charge of the US. There are always a few bad apples everywhere remember not all white people believe in slaves either. If black people keep holding on to that it will just heart them inside as well as mexicans just respect the law, do your work, and make sure that YOU are doing whats right. I don't want an apology, I know that they were wrong and still are but poor people, they cant see it. It's not like they would mean it anyways. I say keep your head high and do what you do. They'll be judged ......at some point. IT IS FUNNY HOW THEY BRING THE BLACK PEOPLE OVER TO WORK ON COTTON ETC. WHEN THEY NEED THEM, SAME WITH ILLEGALS (THEY WORK FOR LITTLE MONEY) AND WHEN THEIR DONE USING THEM....UGHH LEAVE PLEASE. respect people respect!!

Answer 8

Hi,

My descendants were Scottish and badly treated by the English hundreds of years ago, It was unfortunate for them and a crime just like any form of population abuse.

It was a different time and I don't think an apology could make any difference. There may be those who cannot get on with their own life because of something that happened 200 years or more ago, but if that is the case I do not think any apology can help them.

I have met a couple of ill treated prisoners of WW2 and I think it was one of them whilst describing what they had seen said the above "It was a different time".

Should the descendants of the Romans apologise for enslaving the English 2000 years ago? If they do not I will not lose any sleep, I am more worried about the problems of today.

This is all only my opinion of course!

Thank you for reading the above.

Answer 9

Slavery didn't begin in this country. Who would give the apology? Why now is there an apology needed? Slavery was a very horrible thing. I agree. If we stopped to give an apology to every ethnic group that has been treated badly or unfairly or even individuals then we wouldn't have time to be kind to those we meet, be compassionate tpo others, to Love one Another, respect one another. We ALL should be doing that NOW. I think that's what we should focus on. Our behavior now. I'm not trying to make light of slavery. Lots of things have happened throughout the beginning of time. We can't change that but now we can become better people. No matter what our ethnicity, color, religion, etc.

Answer 10

Not so fast. The women that the Japanese used as sex slaves have not been apologized to. In fact the current men in the govt. in Japan are saying it either didn't happen or not very much. Those women need an apology much more , to my way of thinking,than the decedents of slaves.Perhaps they should ask the countries in Africa that HUNTED, CAUGHT AND SOLD them for an apology. There are many other people in the world who treat people worse than we do. Look at some So. American countries, they kidnap children and put them in their armies. Castro is not exactly a sweetheart, nor his brother. So NO. Let the real meanies stand up and do their apologizing first.

Answer 11

I'm reading a book about 17th century Islam. There were thousands of Europeans from as far afield as Iceland who were used as slaves in North Africa and Turkey. Should we get an apology too? What about the Vikings raping and pillaging everywhere they went? Surely Norway and Sweden should be grovelling to us into eternity.

The Japanese apologising to still living former POWs is a different thing altogether from apologising to descendants of people who were mistreated.

When mistakes are made the best thing we can do is learn from it and move on.

Answer 12

No, because no one a live today was a slave. That's the difference between the them and the Japanese during WW2. A public proclamation acknowledging that the US was wrong to maintain the system of slavery would be appropriate. Just like you can't blame the son for the sins of the father, you can't apologize to the son for sins perpetrated against the father.

Answer 13

Please note Slave owners for the most part were not Americans, they were people with money from aother countrys and bought all the good property next to the river bottoms the good land, as well as the slaves. Most Americans were poor many lived by eating clay or dirt. Many in the north worked 14+ hours a day in unheated factures to make cloth from the cotton of the south. The average person of the north and the south were abused by the what was called the blue bloods.

Answer 14

The enslavement of Africans brought to the "New World" is one of the great crimes of human history. Somewhere around 20 million Africans were kidnapped from their homes to fuel the slave trade. Roughly one-quarter didn’t even make it to the "New World" in the Western Hemisphere--because the conditions during the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean were so barbaric.



Once here, Black slaves became the engine of the American economy--both North and South. The cotton industry that relied exclusively on slave labor became "king" in the South. King Cotton became the leading industry in the U.S. It provided the raw materials that fueled the industrial revolution in England--which in turn transformed other parts of the world.



Obviously, slaves saw none of this vast wealth. Instead, they lived in terror and under siege, never knowing if family members would be auctioned off, beaten or killed.



I can't imagine that an apology would matter much. I certainly think one should be made regardless.



The U.S. government is also guilty of sanctioning slavery--and profiting off it. From the Constitution, which declared that African slaves were three-fifths of a human being, to the U.S. Capitol, which was built by slaves, the U.S. government has blood dripping from its hands.



There has been success of campaigns for reparations for other victims of historical atrocities--such as survivors of the Nazi Holocaust in Europe and Japanese Americans interned by the U.S. during the Second World War.





I am for reparations and apologies based on that fact alone.



Why should Germany apologize for the Holocaust and America not apologize for slavery?

Answer 15

I think that it is not necessary after all words are cheap and I think that the majority of African descendants are too busy earning a living to think about apologies.

There are numerous countries who deserve an apology.

India the British took everything and when they had nothing left deserted them.

Scotland the Highland clearances.

Just as bad if not worse, they left these people with no food,shelter or hope

Answer 16

The law and the constitution were changed to free, and then protect the ex-slaves. They were given reparations. No, there is no need for further action - the improper treatment was stopped and remedied. The current generation know nothing of what it was like to be a slave, and don't have anything preventing them from being as successful as they want to be in our modern society.

Answer 17

March 11, 2007

hi,

No, definitely no. Blacks are not the only group to have lived through slavery. many German and Dutch immigrants were sold "tickets to nowhere" after selling their farms and businesses in exchange for these tickets on ships to America.

They and their families did have to endure long, cold winters in rotted ships unfit for sailing, living from the charity of coastal towns, until they bargained for passage to America, often New Orleans and Louisianna. Once they arrived in America, they were given into slavery/servitude for their passage on a safe ship, and their lifesavings payment earlier in Europe was never acknowledged. Should the family have lost a parent, say the father died enroute, the mother and children were often given 15-20 years of slavery to work off their voyage to America. We never consider these white slaves, and all they endured in the French quarters as unpaid maids, slaves, and anything else they were sold for and used. Nor do these white Americans ever, ever complain about their heritage, or require an apology. The spectacle made by "some" African Americans is beyond human belief. Many nations have suffered yet they never have the decency to live and let live, and move on.

Their movies, their attitudes, and their reflections on all history in America is without gratitude for getting here alive, and some served generations, as did many white slaves. The abuse was similar, they just aren't used to the degradation, and don't have the defenses, nor have bothered to learn to cope in America with no complaints. I am sick and tired of the "Roots" generation. Seeing a black person in gold is a Godsend, and I am all for their "bling". Keep it clean, optimistic, enthusiastic, and free of resentment, thank you.

Answer 18

Being a slave decendent I dont believe that an apology is necessary, I believe that America has continued to make our country minority friendly with equal opportunity employment and civil rights, and firm punishments for hate crimes, the best apology would be to launch investigations on those involved in "unsolved hate crimes" that happened in the last 30-40 years and serve punishment. An apology from those who didnt directly encourage and enforce slavery would only bring up a topic that is better in history books at this day in age

Answer 19

No apologize for what it didn't happen during our generation, and if it did i was young so i didn't have a say so in anything but i can tell you that my family had no slaves,and do you think that the Black People should apologize to the white people for the way they act toward whites, The white people get fewer jobs because the blacks are always yelling discrimination. And by the way I AM A YANKEE... And who was it that freed the slaves Abraham Lincoln and he was also a Yankee...

Answer 20

No, I think you have to move on and not look back. As someone who grew up during the troubles in Northern Ireland, If any apologies are forthcoming it should be from Americans who raised funds for the IRA for over 35 years. But I can't see that happening.

Answer 21

slavery was a long time tradition in other cultures , all the european countries were slaves of the Roman empire , many spanish were use as slaves during the muslim domination in Spain and Portugal , should the italians apologize or that? What about the arabs? the past it's the past and it's better close those black chapters of the "human" history, and I say close not forget them

Answer 22

what about black people seized as slaves by Arab slave traders (15 million, as opposed to 11 million in the Atlantic trade). Or Europeans seized as slaves by the Roman Empire ( come on Italy - give us an apology!), or Britons, and even American seamen in the 17/18th century seized by North African slave traders, numbering over a million.(http://www.epado.bravehost.com/whiteslaves07.htm). I'm not making light of the victims, but how long do we count back? Do we demand apologies frm every ethnic group, to every other ethnic group?

Answer 23

No one can deny the awful treatment of slaves in the past, but I don't feel that an apology from us for the actions of some members of previous generations would be appropriate or serve any purpose. Better to make sure that our youngsters know the facts and can learn from the mistakes of some of our antecedents.

Answer 24

World Wars are over by 60+ years. for some of you that are still thinking about a 60+ year old past. LET IT REST no opology is necessary for the past. as for black slavery 98% of white people did'nt have anything to do with it, but a civil war satisfied the quarry. So why should anyone apology to YOU=YOU WERE'NT THEIR.

Answer 25

What about the Native Americans? What about indentured servants? What about the Jews during the Egyptian empire? I mean, we could spend centuries apologizing to all those who were enslaved by some society. Besides, apologies have been made. Virgina did recently.

Answer 26

My grandfather and great grandfather were both ministers. Why should I apologize for something I had no part in?



Will the blacks apologize for the United Negro Fund not giving a white child a scholarship? When are we going to have white history month? American Indian History month?



Halle Berry won a Grammy because she is black (her words on TV) and got special treatment during the awards ceremony because she was black. Will Holle Berry and/or the black community apologize to the non-black actors?

Answer 27

No - we can't be responsible for what happened all that time ago. Life is very cruel for some people now.

It was barbarous the way the slaves were treated but some descendants did benefit and become political leaders amongst other notable positions.

Would their descendants be starving in Africa now if the slave trade hadn't happened?

Answer 28

Virginia did a couple of weeks ago. Satisfied? No I guess not. But with people like you there is never enough apologies to get you to be satisfied.



I know you do not know this, but no one in this country has ever owned a slave, and most of their families were not even in this country when slavery was going on.



Liberals would be better served to research and find the families of the descendants of the slave owners and demand an apology from them. Leave the rest of us, who never owned slaves, alone.

Answer 29

The fact which is constantly overlooked is that it was fellow Africans who originally sold the slaves. While Arabs and Europeans have much to be ashamed about in this whole matter, they were the next stage in the process. The first stage was sale of these wretched people by fellow Africans from other tribes.

Answer 30

South Africa is still waiting for an apology for the English concentration camps and the genocidal mistreatment of men, women, and children, our queen refuses.[ see web] After nearly 200 years of Tyrannic TORY Transportation to Australia, hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children [all white] torn from their families, and sent to a living hell in appalling conditions were wiped from the face this earth. APOLOGIES NEVER. NEVER, NEVER.

Answer 31

you know what gets me about all this appology drivel for crimes that happened so far back no one can really remember that well unless they read it in a book is this.

What if America does not say sorry, does that mean a load of upset black people are going to leave, are they hell, they know that although their fore fathers suffered in unacceptable ways they are better off in USA than back in Africa, and that dictum works for any country that had slaves and then freed them, in the end the desendants enjoy a better life in whatever country than they ever would back in the native land

the past is the past can't we all just get on with it as just Americans or British or whatever

Answer 32

But who would apologize to them? None of the people who did this to them are alive. I'm white , but I don't feel I have any reason to apologize I wasn't there and I deffinately don't agree with the awfull things that were done to slaves. I don't really know. Hard question.

Answer 33

I think we have done enough we have taken care of them for ever they still get public aid, houses,food,medical etc.every time something happens they play the race card if things don't go their way. what if white people started playing the race card? I think the white people need help too never see it.I think the race that deserves the appology is the Native Americans look at what was done to them.

Answer 34

Definitely and when they do it, you should make them go down on their knees.

All African descendants should be given compensation. I am Scottish but just in case any of my ancestors were in the slave trade I am apologising

for them.

Good Luck

Answer 35

From who? Bush? I think his constituents would lynch him if he did that. But if a new President were to do it I think that would be good. Add native American Indians/Hawaiians to that public apology & the families off all US troops killed in Iraq and I think you'd have everything covered.

Answer 36

I think all governments should apologise to their people and those of other nations. They get into power and stop listening and then decide they know how to live better than other states.

Answer 37

Who should be apologizing to whom?



Unless you plan to dig up and reanimate the dead then there is no one to make the apology or anyone to apologize to!



How about we stop living in the past and move on!

Answer 38

American Indians were wronged first, more often and more violently than blacks. We deserve the first apology. In act, YOU are living on MY land!



You should apologize to me because your evil grandfather shot my grandfather. Wake up! the whole thing is dead wrong.

Answer 39

i really don't understand the point. i mean none of us were around in those times. nobody alive here today ever enslaved anyone so why should they apologize for something someone else did? i never understood the point of apologizing for something so many years after it was done. whats done is done and its history and although it wasn't a great part of it, i think people should leave it there.

Answer 40

The way i look at this is, I did not enslave the blacks and no one living today was enslaved. I do not feel guilty over my forefather's mistakes. The same goes for taking the Native American's land. Let's all stop beating that dead horse and move on!

Answer 41

Just as soon as the Italians apologise to us for Julius Caeser and the French apologise for William the Conquerer.

Answer 42

its totally pointless....i mean...can i have an apology from the German government for bombing my grannies street in 1942, or how about a apology from Al-Queda for killing all those poor people in london on 7/7.....grow up

Answer 43

yes. its only fair to appologise but I do think that people should get over the mistakes of the past, but I believe that the mistakes of the past should also never be forgotten because history has a tendency to be repeated. also remember that slavery has not yet been abolished in the world and slavery of the past is no excuse for actions of today. people should try to keep in mind that it is not they who were inslaved but their ansestors!

Answer 44

Yeah, but don't forget that africans enslaved each other for ages too, they'll have to apologize all around as well.

Answer 45

the people that did it are all dead, so i dont see how that is possible, but they must have prefered living in the lands that captured them because they never went home.

though it would be realy nice to do something, how about the whites throwing a welcom party.

Answer 46

They have recieved more apologies from all over.....Time for them to get up and get moving. They have felt sorry for themselves long enough.

Answer 47

WHY ???



Please don`t construe this as by any means prejudicial,

but aren`t a lot of them living for free ???



Is not society inadvertantly paying for its history in other ways ???

Answer 48

I think given those that suffered from slavery their freedom is apology enough.

Answer 49

no the people at fault are dead and the people it happened to are dead so whats the point?

Answer 50

no definatly not,,,,were will it stop

Answer 51

no