Why is it that us white people get told about all the bad things we did 100 or more years ago?

Question

We are suffering racist attacks every day. i never kept a slave or invaded a country or killed anyone. Those that did, many years ago, were mostly forced to do so by the ruling classes of the time. My ancestors were in indentured slavery, like most of the prolitariate. To refuse to fight meant death. I never go on at the Romans or the Vikings, and nobody is allowed to go on at the Germans. Is anyone else peed of with accussations from antiquity. Mankind has moved on, some of them, not all. We are socially evolving every year. Why is it that the British are not praised for ending slavery, Arabs are still trading in human flesh, as are many others. Present day whites have no control over what happened 200 years ago, and certanly no responsibilty. Does any one ever praise Europe for their efforts in feeding Africans? I for one have no guilt, I have helped developing nations all my life, yet still i am reminded by some of the cruelty of my nation, Britan. Is it time to shout back? INNOCENT

Answer 1

Dont let them get you down Caroline - your absolutely right in everything you say.
Black people just cannot come to grips with the fact that while Europe moved forward, Africa stood still. They make the excuse that we held up their progress.
Dont get me wrong, i think Africa has been a tragedy with the hunger and suffering of its people and some of the blood thirsty tyrants that have run the Continent over the years.
But if anyone ever trys to wind you up again about what the White Man did and didnt do in years past, just remind them of all the wonderful inventions and discoveries, art and culture etc etc that those bad White people have brought upon us in todays World.
If i was a black person i am sure i would accept things for how they evolved and just get on with life.
You could sum it all up in just one word really Caroline............JEALOUSY.

Answer 2

I am with you, I have never attacked anyone or owned a slave. Nor do I believe in owning anyone. My grandparents and great grandparents owned no slaves either. I believe that others constantly push the slave days in our faces as if we owe them something instead of them just working and striving forward on their own. I am so over hearing the slave days. The persons that owned slaves and mistreated them in my opinion were one hundred and fifty percent wrong. I do not agree with what happened to the innocent people. However that is not what they need to continue pumping into their youngsters minds. If they do not like what whites did decades ago with slavery why are they keeping themselves still inslaved today with constantly talking about it? Is this what they think should be the ticket to their free ride? They know we did not own slaves so they need to now free the white people of the slavery days we are sick of hearing about it!!!!!!! My parents were German should they be hung cuz of Hitler? Heck No!!!!!!!! We should not be hung because of slavery. It was wrong we all agree so get on with your today life

Answer 3

Those born into abject poverty have always had a hard time pulling themselves out. Generations ago society stacked the deck against blacks as well as native Americans. Generations later, the deck is still stacked against them. It isn't so much that we need to be punished because our ancestors wronged their ancestors. It is more that the damage done then has lasting repercussions now and will continue to have repercussions into the future unless we, as a society, find a way to level the playing field.

Answer 4

Because people of other races and colors still suffer for being who they are.

It's been proven that most of the people in poverty are minorities (mostly black people) because it's hard for them to go up against a white man with the same experience.

Muslims are currently victims of public persecution because of the war, and almost all of them (99.9% of them) are amazing people, but come to think of it 99.9% of white people are amazing, as well as mexicans and indians, and even christians.

We are all people and if we make more an effort to treat everyone equally then hopefully we will make a better world for our children.

By the way I'm a white woman, who knows that even white people have had a share of persecution, but we've not suffered as much as we've made other races suffer in the past, and I firmly believe that.

Answer 5

I completely agree. I am disgusted at the slave trade and all the other things but I have no responsibility for it just because I'm white. People need to look at how individuals act in the present not how countries acted in the past.

Answer 6

So are you proposing that we should ignore history? I don't blame anyone living today for slavery. I hear this complaint when people are upset about the proposal of reparations.

And as for Britan getting credit for ending an atrocity it produced that is ridiculous. Its like me ruining someones life intentionally, and then expecting credit for trying to fix my actions.

The British people or American people in my case don't have to apologize or make amends. But the govt. who supported, enforced, and profited from the exploitation and slavery of Africans do. And for the record the British govt. continued their promotion of disenfranchisement of Africans into the 90's. Do you remember apartheid South Africa?

Answer 7

It's about time we all cut each other some slack. To go over past grievances again and again does no-one any favours. Learn the lessons and move on.
How about a World Forgiveness Day - a day set aside where all of us practice forgiveness towards each other.

Answer 8

I'm not proud of what white people did in the past, but like you I stand by the fact that that is where it all belongs.........in the past.
At the end of the day, I believe that a man or woman should be judged, not by who they are, but be what they have done. Race aside, you're either a good person, or you're not.....end of story.

Answer 9

There are many that will blame anything for their own lack of responsibility and initiative. I don't think mankind has moved on much except in the realm of technology. I understand your frustration.You can choose to educate the ignorant or ignore them. Thanks for posting.

Answer 10

cause you are now enjoying the benefits of all your evil deeds.... The real question is why won't people let white people enjoy themselves without trying to make them feel guilty for benefiting from all their historical misdeeds....