I am white and my family come from poverty and were servants for the British rich. They never owned a slave nor have ever hired a non-white person to clean the house etc.
2007-03-18 23:45:20 · 28 answers · asked by Bob M 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
even if your family had owed slaves the guilt should not be yours.
2007-03-18 23:48:37 · answer #1 · answered by Im Listening 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
My great grandfather, as a child, was sold (traded--given in lieu of money) into a wealthy family, to be fed, clothed and learn a trade. He eventually was the horseman for President Sherman. Other members of my family fought to eliminate a portion of the white slavery trade that existed in the Northeastern US before Vermont State existed. Slavery is not racially, spiritually, culturally, religiously, etc., biased.
Its not that I don't feel guilty about slavery, in general, its just that I respect that it existed (that it still does exist), understand that it was and IS wrong, and that a person shouldn't be subjected to the atrocities that are and have been associated with it.
2007-03-19 06:58:33 · answer #2 · answered by What, what, what?? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think anybody of the current generations would feel a sense of personal guilt About any actions of their forefathers. Slavery would be condemned by everybody today and while we might regret that it ever happened or was not abolished sooner than it actually was we do not feel a personal responsibility for it.Why should you feel guilty over something that you had no control over?l.
2007-03-19 06:57:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Slavery happened before any of us were born, why should we feel guilty for something that happened before we were born. Every country has something in its past that they wish they could erase. What about the Norwegians, should they apologise for the Viking raids? How about the Italians and the Roman Empire? The Normans ran riot over here but I haven't seen Chirac's heart bleeding, have you?
2007-03-19 20:01:32 · answer #4 · answered by elflaeda 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
why should anyone feel guilty? Heck, it wasn't us who did it and slavery was accepted 200 years ago. Having said that, the worst slave-masters were black tribes who raided other tribes and took prisoners to sell as slaves for the Europeans. Black militants won't tell you that because it's unpopular but the blacks were involved in slavery too and contributed just as much to the misery of that time.
It's history, in the past, forget it. And certainly, DON'T let's apologise!
2007-03-19 09:02:37 · answer #5 · answered by gorgeousfluffpot 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You could say that the rich are related to you in a very distant linage though. Lets face it, we're all connected to slavery in a very distant sense. I feel no guilt for what any of my family have done in the past though as I feel you should only feel guilt for your own actions not your friends, relatives or lack of action.
2007-03-19 07:07:50 · answer #6 · answered by SR13 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You're absolutely right. Most people I know are sick of having black people lay a guilt trip on them about something they had nothing to do with.
The slave trade was run by a cartel of rich people, the majority of the white race had nothing to do with it and are entirely blameless.
2007-03-19 06:49:17 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
I think you are right not to feel guilty, the same as I don't feel any guilt about my German ancestors' treatment of the Jews.
I don't think anybody should be made responsible for the sins of their ancestors unless they are still living on their ill-gotten gains.
2007-03-19 06:51:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I dont feel guilty a bit, had nothing to do with me, that's just the way it was done back then, its History so I dont see the purpose of blacks today bi tching about it because its over and by the way , most of the blacks were happy to be slaves because they had a roof over their head and food to eat.
2007-03-19 08:21:36 · answer #9 · answered by sherri p#6 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
slavery was abolished long before all of us were born so we had no hand in it so why feel guilty. but if you come from a family made rich by slave trade or still support it then you should feel guilty.
2007-03-19 06:52:07 · answer #10 · answered by ben c 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Uhm so what why would you feel guilt, but I hope that just because you dont' have any feelings about it you don't think that a black person should not have any feelings about it
2007-03-19 14:57:59 · answer #11 · answered by micheleh29 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋