Slavery apology?

Question

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.

seetheeworld i am black my brother

Answer 1

lol see the world lol your funny, what gets me about the black race is they got there as-ses in the air for us whites inslaving them,, most dont realize that it was the yellow race who first inslaved the black people. figure it this way ,, if we the white race didnt take you in as slaves, then set you free, teahh you, educate you and let you stay in this great country of ours , all of the black race would still be over in africa batteling hunger and still throwing rocks and sticks at your f-ing food just to survive, yet i dont see the black people even thionk about fu-king with the oreintal people like they do us, hm wonder why that is? could it be because we as white people seen our mistakes by making your race into slaves and feel like we still owe you somthing or is it just my imagination getting the better of me?? how many of you white folk feel the same??? this rasisim sh-t needs to stop..........

Answer 2

Modern day Germans did apologize for the Nazis. We didn't personally put the Japanese in internment camps either but the gov't had no problem apologizing for that. We didn't personally turn the ships of Jews away during WWII but the gov't had no problem apologizing for that. If it would facilitate better race relations, and by extension, a stronger nation, why not do it? Obviously, no one expects an engraved apology from every white American to arrive in the mail (the vast majority of white Americans don't have any ancestors that ever owned a single slave). A general, "Hey, that was pretty screwed up, sorry about that and yes, we understand that we profitted immeasurably as a nation from the institution of slavery and sorry for stealing your identities and robbing you of your names" by the gov't is all that it would take. People who are upset about the lack of apology would no longer have that to complain about and whites could honestly say that responsibility had been taken. Close the chapter on that book.

For the ones still making the same tired old argument about Africans selling their own into slavery - the slavery that existed in Africa and the rest of the world bears no resemblance to the slavery that existed here. Americans practiced chattel slavery well after the rest of the western world denounced slavery altogether so it wasn't just "the times."

Answer 3

Germany, not the German people has made apologies for their role in the second world war. Japan, not the Japanese people have done the same concerning the attack on Pearl Harbor. I personally do not feel I owe anyone an apology for what happened over a century ago. I was not here then. However, the government of the United States of America was here then. They condoned and assisted the barbaric business of selling and buying human beings. I have absolutely no problem at all with the Government of the United States of America apollogizing for this nations part in that great human tragedy.

Answer 4

I don't understand why someone would need to apologize to me and my family about slavery. I've never been a slave!Slavery is dead here, and there is no point in bringing that back up. The government needs to apologize, but not about slavery.
The thing that pisses me off is how people claim we have evolved since then, but people still have the same f ucked up attitudes as back in the slavery times.
It's also funny how white folks talk about how much black people complain when they're the main ones doing the complaining.
I feel the only reason why people are mad is because our ancestors didn't let white people run us off like they did the poor Native Americans. No matter how much s hit you throw at us, it only makes us stronger. We're STILL here.

Answer 5

As long as there has been civilization there have been strong/wealthy people controlling and enslaving weak/poor people. Look at ancient civilization...the Romans, the Greeks...people were put into servitude because of what family they were born into and then spent lifetimes, sometimes several lifetimes, trying to buy their freedom or attain it in some other way.

Look at the English and their actions towards the Scottish, the Irish, their colonies.....

There are very few groups that cannot somehow trace their heritage back to either being a slave owner or being a slave, in one way or another.

If we all had to apologize for actions and misdeads of our ancestors we would all be apologizing to and accepting apologies from everyone.

How about, instead of wasting our time for apologizing for something other people did centuries ago, we learn from our mistakes?

Answer 6

My family was actively Abolitionist during the period leading up to the War of Northern Aggression. We used our own money to buy slave families, set them free legally and moved them up North. The damnyankees burned our farm to the ground and stole everything that could be carried away. I don't have anything to apologize about and am offended by people that think I do because I'm white.

Answer 7

Exactly - nobody should be apologizing for something they had nothing to do with. A lot of black people (not all) are always gonna hold this over white people's heads and it makes me flippin' sick. This is just another reason why racism will continue to exist and we will never evolve as a species because some people cannot stop living in the past.

Answer 8

i agree.
If people started apologizing for what our ancestors did then all generations will spend their entire lives saying sorry.
Can you imagine, in a hundred years time, people demanding an apology for the way hoodies ruined the British country in 2007......and terrorist demanding apologies for the way the government harshly treated them.
It's completely mad....
The past is sometimes a horrible and unforgiving place but without it there would be no today.
People should not be made to apologies for something they had no control over.

Answer 9

It would be nice for the American Government (which exists now as it existed then) to apologize for the acts which it engaged in. The apology should be issued to those who have endured the negative effects of slavery, namely Black people. No individual who engaged in this barbarous activity is still alive, but the institution which made it legal is very much so alive. It would be stupid for individual people to apologize, but a recognition of wrong-doing is always healing. Especially if it is followed by acts which encourage unification, and a heart-felt desire to move in a positive direction.
What damage could a simple acknowledgment of this historical fact, and a subsequent apology do?

Answer 10

Ridiculous. Granted it wasn't a proud moment in history but it was the times, it happened and it doesn't exist in the US today.

Screw apologies...people need to get over it. Concentrate on freeing your brothers and sisters who still are slaves in Africa, where it flourishes quite nicely in Kenya and the Sudan to name a few. Apparently those folks never got the word that its morally wrong.

Answer 11

Some Germans remember the Nazis, no one is around any more that was or had a slave. Bit of a difference.

When are the Romans going to apologize for enslaving so many fellow Europeans. And how about some reparations.