Posted on 02/29/2008 12:18:06 AM PST by kingattax
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Congress is considering an apology for slavery, something five states have done in the past year.
While it has apologized before, Congress never apologized for slavery, USA Today reported Thursday.
"We've seen states step forward on this," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, noting resolutions in Alabama, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia. "I'm really shocked, just shocked" that the federal government hasn't apologized. "It's time to do so."
Harkin said he and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., will propose an apology for slavery and subsequent "Jim Crow" laws that furthered racial segregation. Among the bill's backers are Democratic Sens, Hillary Clinton of New York, the party's first female presidential candidate, and Barack Obama of Illinois, the party's first African-American candidate.
A similar House measure introduced in 2007 has 120 co-sponsors.
Congress apologized to Japanese-Americans in 1988 for imprisoning them in camps during World War II, giving each survivor $20,000. In 1993, Congress apologized to native Hawaiians for the overthrow of their kingdom a century earlier. In 2005, the Senate apologized for failing to enact anti-lynching laws.
I want to know if all black Americans will get some funds, even if their ancestors were not slaves. There are decendants of black free men and black immigrants who have come over and never been enslaved. Also, will my children (who are bi-racial) get half of the money? If you are light-skinned do you get any money? Is there going to be a sliding scale? Can I get my money in Euros?
Enough! Apology adds to White Guilt. There is too much of it already. This country has already been divided into groups with special privileges. The right thing to do is drop all special privileges and make everyone equal.
GREAT post!
BOHICA
I thought they already “apologized”.
These sorry as* sumsabitches need to get their heads out of their arses.
When will we grow bal*s and tell everyone to get over it and move on?
Can we just recall or start over with this bunch of goons?
CONGRESSFOLK: I'll make a deal. I'll sign off on your pathetic, misguided slavery apology on the condition that you sign off for 75 years of pathetic, misguided, even dangerous POLICIES and LOSS OF SOVEREIGNTY that your asinine lawmaking has imposed upon American citizens.Regards . . . PennyI have one other condition: Reverse course on spending us into oblivion. Close the borders; jail employers of illegal aliens. Refuse your unearned salaries. The list is sadly endless, isn't it?
Besides I have no "white Guilt", I've earned everything I have.
Shouldn’t the Democrat Party apologize for slavery? After all, it was Democrats who were against fighting the Civil War, Reconstruction and they were the ones who instituted Jim Crow laws while fighting desegregation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
For incarcerating the Japanese, survivors were paid $20,000 each. There are no “survivors” from slavery. But that won’t stop the reparations train.
why don’t these losers apologize for their own incompetence?
Now we have Kenyans hacking and burning over 1000 people in the past month or so over elections and tribal rivalry. Maybe we should suggest "Panga" or "Machete" as an alternate middle name for BhO. I know, Barack didn't have anything to do with his father's or his country's business, but his family history is not spoken.
Well if they can find one Ex-slave living to apoligize too....then by all means let’s get it over with, I am all for it. But don’t do it before people that 3 times removed from the act. There is no reason for it. After all, you don’t see one slave ancestor making any atempt to publicly thank Abe Lincoln for freeing their great great grand daddy. If not for him, they would all be thumping drums, drinking cows blood, and host Osama/bama when he visit’s.
Liberia
So Harkin will apologize for the racist democrat party that engaged in slavery, lynchings, Jim Crow and segregation?
I am so sick of this crap, if ANY apologizes are warranted, it should come from Africa, it was THERE that slavery was allowed by their own leaders, it was there that Africans men were sold for booze and trinkets. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO SLAVES BROUGHT TO THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT THE FULL SUPPORT OF AFRICAN CHIEFTONS.
Where is the outrage of from the likes Jesse Jackson and Rev. Sharpton that that their own ancestors were responsible for slavery in this country?
Excellent point.
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