Should I, as a white man, walk up to a black man and say I'm sorry for the wrongs of the past?

Question

The state House and Senate approved separate resolutions apologizing for slavery Tuesday — one day after Confederate Memorial Day, an official state holiday.

"An apology goes a long way," said Sen. Hank Sanders, a Democrat from Selma who sponsored his chamber's resolution. "Some of us can't begin to heal until we have an apology. Some of us can't move into reconciliation until we have an apology."

Neither resolution will become official unless approved by the other chamber and signed by the governor. The House passed its resolution with an unrecorded voice vote; the Senate's vote was 22-7.

Answer 1

I agree with reform. We did not invade their country and snatch them up by force. We simply traded for them. Their own people sold them to us in exchange for liquor! That is a sore fact they do not want to admit. Instead it is easier to blame the white man. After all, we are the reason for everything wrong in the world today, right? And also, don't mention the fact that centuries before back to the biblical times, the white man was a slave to the black, yellow, brown. In the history of man, all races have been slaves at some point. Should I demand that the muslim, asian to apologize to me since they enslaved my ancestors centuries ago as well? I hope you can sense my sarcasm. It makes me sick to continue hearing all of this nonsense that has nothing to do with what is going on today in our country. Worry about our monetary policy and our foreign policy. That is the cause of a lot that is going on today.

Answer 2

Well my family came to the US in the early 1900's from England and Norway. I guess I should apologize for the vikings and the revolutionary war first since we must all be responsible for what an ancestor did or did not do. So when do the blacks apologize to themselves for selling each other to the white man to begin with?

Answer 3

Have you as an individual done anything wrong toward a black man? If not then there is no need to. It doesn't matter what other white men have done before you. A black person shouldn't have any hard feelings toward you and stereotype all white men with slavery to black men and you shouldn't have guilt of a wrong that you had no control over. They can't get mad at you and you can't feel bad.

Answer 4

I am sorry for the wrongs of the past.You should be too.No man is innocent.I am truly sorry that slavery existed for many century's before America openly freed them.I am sorry that America thwarted the Kings plans.You and I should set aside a day to thank our ancestors who tried to erase this scourge from the earth and join hands to face the job ahead.

Answer 5

uhh what about the tens of thousands of white union solders that lost their lives in war to stop slavery!!!! when do they get a "thank-you"
i am so sick and tired, fed up with all this liberal PC bullsh*t!!
i don't owe them anything, and we as a country don't either! everyone in this country is offered and education, and an opportunity to succeed! if you do not choose to reach your full potential, jokes on you! stop blaming history! blacks have just as much opportunity as the rest of us!
NO WAY NO APOLOGY NEEDED!

and why is it that its never pointed out that large % of slaves were sold from none other than black men from Africa themselves!

close to 70% of our population in American heritage arrived in the 1900's from Europe, Asia, and south America, people living today have no direct connection to slavery pre 1900 WHAT SO EVER!
why the hell should our county bend over so far backwards (and forwards) and accept this "white guilt"? is crazy!!

i would give my shirt of my back to a black man!! a white man or even a green man!!! but i owe no apology to anyone!

and neither do you!

Answer 6

When does this nonsense ends do blacks as well as whites have to go to all the Indians tribes and apologize for what happen to them, do Spanish people have to apologize to native Indians in Mexico about what was done to them, how about the English apologizing to the Canadian Indians about what was done to them when does it end, does anyone see how silly and non productive this apologizing is getting and it is all just feel good proposal.

Answer 7

No.. enough apologies have been made...it is time everyone to get on with life and stop all the guilt trips.

Tell me, just what good did it do for this government to apologize to black people who were not even alive at the time of slavery. I didn't do it, you didn't do it and neither did this government... I am sick of being asked to atone for injustices that happened before my time. I will not apologize for being white... and that is that.

Answer 8

Unless you feel personally responsible for the wrongs of the past, I can't imagine why you would feel compelled to apologize for them. Why would you?

It accomplishes nothing except possibly making you feel good (although it's beyond me why it should) and it sounds insincere, if not phony.

In the immortal words of John Wayne as Captain Nathan Brittles in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949), "Never apologize; it's a sign of weakness."

Answer 9

"Some of us can't begin to heal until we have an apology. Some of us can't move into reconciliation until we have an apology."


Oh please! If I were speaking to him I would agree it was a bad time in our history but I DO NOT owe him an apology. I had several ancestors who fought for the Union. WHY doesn't the Black community THANK THEM?

Answer 10

Um no. There were slaves everywhere, not just black ones and not only in the US.
Americans are the only suckers for fall for sh*t about apologizing for the worlds problems.