Slavery apology?

Question

I recently heard on the radio an expert on the slave trade call for all western countries involved in slavery to say sorry for these atrocious acts. Now, who beleives we should apologise for them? Bearing in mind that we weren't directly involved or responsible (meaning,us now, 173 years on). Like expecting all modern German people to say sorry for the Nazis.

Answer 1

I'm so tired for one of hearing about Slavery, it's over, been over, and people should be more focused on the present and help making a better future. Just like I hate it when some Black people(coming from a Black person) argue about racism and want to bring up slavery like it still exist or like they were even there when it did exist. The present hate crimes is what should be important to discuss and fix, because violence dealing with race still exist just not in the fashion of that hundreds of years ago.





Krazy Libra

Answer 2

I do not believe an apology is warranted unless the offense was directly between the two individuals or between the two peoples.

As far as the slave trade in America, not every white was invovled. There is a little thing called "Ellis Island" and even back in the slave trading days, not all whites were involved. It is silly even by the standards of the ones demanding an apology to ask for an apology from people whose ancestors were not involved.

I do not know of any white today that has enslaved a black. Now, it might be done in some perverted subculture, as are blacks enslaving whites (I have heard of this)... it is illegal and prosecuted by the Law. That merits an apology, and punishment, because that was done to a living individual BY a living individual.

For instance, I am Romani (Gypsy). However, I do not believe that I deserve an apology from any German or the German government for the Holocaust. Today's Germans did not fire the gas chambers and not all Germans did in the first place. The Nazis did.

I also would not expect an apology from the descendents of the Nazis. They did not do it. Of course, if they are Neo Nazis I would not be fond of them.

If apologies are expected for all atrocities between peoples throughout history, that would be quite a task and be, frankly, silly.

There is slavery today, there has always been slavery, and every race has, at some time, been enslaved. Oh, Gypsies have been enslaved numerous times and no, I do not think we need an apology.

Here is a little known fact: Blacks were not the only ones sold into slavery in America. The Scottish were as well. Nobody remembers that and that has been covered up by history. I have a close friend who is Scottish and has done extensive research.

I do not hear the Scots who were sold into slavery in America asking for an apology.

Answer 3

This is a great example of the superficial bullsh__ that permeates American life these days. It's political correctness run amok, and a few people patting themselves on the back for easy answers that make them feel noble, but accomplish nothing. Those who espouse this ridiculous idea are spineless weasels.

Nobody alive today was part of that society which owned slaves. What's more, nobody alive today *was* a slave in that society.

The argument could easily be made that many of today's black people have been indirectly hurt by what happened to their ancestors. As with many other ethnic and religious groups, there probably *are* challenges they face which those of us on the outside don't realize.

But that same argument applies to almost everyone! If I go back far enough, I could find a case where an ancestor was systematically treated unfairly by the society or government of the time. Do their descendants owe *me* anything, even verbally? Hell, no! I take responsibility for my life.

Why not take this reasoning back to its ridiculous extreme and say lions and crocodiles should be punished for killing many of our ancestors? Morality issues aside, it makes about as much sense.

This is a little like one parent asking an innocent child to apologize for spilling the glass of milk and upsetting the other parent. The child knows she didn't do it, but it's about appeasing the authorities, truth or feelings be damned. Your Nazi/German analogy is also appropriate.

Some have asked what the harm is in just apologizing. What does it hurt? It hurts integrity and meaning (again showing more respect for the superficial). If I were on the receiving end of an apology by an innocent party, it wouldn't be very satisfying! And it erodes the *meaning* of an apology -- let's just give them out left and right until it means nothing!

This despicable idea is right up there with "affirmative action," in which discrimination is ok (in fact encouraged) as long as it's not toward groups who were *previously* discriminated against. Another shining example of short-sighted, slimy politicians pretending to fix things and making them worse in the name of political correctness.

Understanding?... compassion?... fine. Great, in fact. Apologies by slave owners to slaves? That would have been nice, absolutely, but it's a little late. Apologies or reparations by anyone alive today to anyone else alive today? Absolutely not!

Answer 4

As a child I was evacuated away from my family into a totally strange home. While living London we were bombed I lost several of my family. I used to go to school and see pieces of bodies strewn along pavements. I am still afraid of loud bangs. I have had no apologies from the German people. This happened 60 years ago..not 200. I do not expect any as that was how it was then. I just moved on an forgot about it.
Lots of things have been wrong in history.. Our men were press ganged into the Navy. Little lads were pushed up chimneys. Little girls died when sold in the white slave trade.
For god sake! The Vikings invaded us and raped our women.I could go on. When does all this dwelling in the past stop. Lets just get on now and stop harbouring resentment that none of us had any part in.

Answer 5

NONE of us were able to choose our parents .

NONE of us had any control over what our ancestors did.

NONE of us could affect the Egyptians who enslaved fellow Africans to build their pyramids and temples.

NONE of us BEGAN the slave trade in Africa. It has been practised there since time immemorial by BLACK upon BLACK.

NONE of us could prevent Victorian children from working in mills, coal and lead mines, and being forced to climb chimneys to sweep them.

ALL of us could work together to end present day slavery involving young children and girls trafficked into the sex industry.

We LEARN from the past but we LIVE in the present.

GET A LIFE and move on.

Answer 6

People stop bringing the past to present! you perpetuate slavery mindset into our lives. Nobody these days can simply say they have been a victim of slavery. It happened years ago, none of us (as we speak in 2007) has been a slave! FYI, the arabs people were the first to start capturing, trading slaves from the African continent. Why aren't there any movements to reclaim reparation from the Arab community? is it just hypocrisy or a reverse form of racism (toward whites people)?

Answer 7

Only the companies that actually used slaves should apologise, no one else.
As in America only a very rich minority in Europe had slaves.
Stop trying to blame an entire race for the actions of a few individuals.

Answer 8

I would never expect young Germans to apologise because it had nothing to do with them, just in the same way slavery had nothing to do with me, from my research I found my family were too low down in the social order to have slaves anyway. Should I apologise to all the victims of crime for things I haven't done? It's more or less the same thing except with the victims of crime at least I might have had a chance at being born when the crime took place.

Answer 9

Personally I have never owned a slave neither did any of my ancestors - they were too busy working them selves to death down the mines, making nails by hand or ploughing fields and slowly drowning in abject poverty. Therefore i do not feel the need to apologise for anything. however, if anyone has owned a slave or one of their ancestors did and they feel the need to apologise then that is their decision.

Answer 10

Don't ya think Egypt should apologize to the pyramid builders also?
There is slavery in the world still today. A more fruitful cause might be to make better efforts to change the present rather than dwell on the past.
BTW, nice post