Should we apologise for slavery?

[Mark in Oshawa]

Turn that on it's head and ask who loses

The gain bit is easy - some people will feel better. I frankly don't know who they are, but as this is a hot topic I guess somebody somewhere suggested an apology and somebody else said it would be a good thing. Therefore, even if it only serves those two people it must be good. No apology serves no people at all, but is making the news in a rather bad way.

As I said earlier, it hurts nobody to say sorry. It costs nothing. Why not then?

Hazell, I admire your belief that someone might benefit from this, but if it is a White guy who feels less guilty for it, it is just pablum, rubbish and just nice thoughts. That and 25 cents wont buy a cup of coffee. There is not a politician in the western world where slavery was part of the past that would advocate that slavery WASNT wrong. Even in the deep south of the US, no one in their right mind would state that Slavery was right. Not now and maybe not in the last 50 years.

Martin Luther King Jr. changed a lot of people's opinions in the US and Canada, and the civil rights amendments of the 60's in the US did much to fix many of the wrongs against black America. In nations of the Commonwealth, black slavery was outlawed essentially by Wilberforce and Lord Simcoe's efforts; and no one in the UK or Canada or any other nation in the Commonwealth had anything to do but encourage the end of slavery. Did we end it everywhere? No, in the far dark corners of Africa and the Arab world, slavery is still around, but I wont apologize for their evil towards their fellow man, and I cant feel guilt for it either. I think we should do more, but worthless platitudes wont cut it.

What in GOD's name does apolgizing for what the slave traders in the 1700's did would be accomplished? Black American and to a lesser extent, blacks in the UK and Canada may appreciate the apology, but I don't see some groundswell of desire to hear the apology. Oh they would take it, but then some minority of this group would go right back to blaming white society for many of their ills. The point is, some black activists who use this guilt we may have for slavery to attone for often take today's issues and attach it to the ill's of the society of large to attone for slavery. They use our "guilt" to try to con society at large to fix perceived problems. Fine, fix the problem, but spare me the guilt trip. I have never felt any guilt but I do feel that what my ancestors 5 generations before me did has little to do with me either. Let's address what is going on with society and fix it, not waste everyone's mental energy arguing about whether someone should feel guilt for things we have no control over.

Slavery sucked, it was outlawed, over 200 years has gone by since it was practiced in the UK and/or its colonies. Canada was a haven for freed slaves at the end of the underground railroad, and I don't feel any guilt that needs to be assauged by some blanket lame ass apology to people who were never held in any way as slaves. Guilt by people in western nations for their high standard of living is useless and misguided. You want a better world, do something to help, not talk about it.

[Mark in Oshawa]

One more point. Would a black man in America say he is better off because his ancestors were taken from Africa as slaves? He likely wouldn't, but blacks in Western society do have the all the rights whites do, and I doubt highly any black in western society would give up what they have now to move back to Africa. Should we as a society think slavery was a good thing? No, but sometimes, people have to look at where they would be if something DIDN'T happen also. I think we as a society, whether it be the US, Canada, the UK or Australia are better off for the racial diversity we have, and we wouldn't have had it to the extent we do if slavery wasn't part of society in the 1700's either. It doesn't make it right, but I do think we as a society have progressed past worthless platitudes and making real steps to making our societies work for all people. By enforcing the rights of the individual, you will do more than just talking about how sorry you are for something that happened 200 years ago.

[futuretiger9]

Whilst it seems unfair to force the modern generation to carry the can for the misdemeanours of its ancestors, that doesn't stop us from expressing remorse and regret for what happened.

[BDunnell]

Hazell, I admire your belief that someone might benefit from this, but if it is a White guy who feels less guilty for it, it is just pablum, rubbish and just nice thoughts. That and 25 cents wont buy a cup of coffee. There is not a politician in the western world where slavery was part of the past that would advocate that slavery WASNT wrong. Even in the deep south of the US, no one in their right mind would state that Slavery was right. Not now and maybe not in the last 50 years.

Martin Luther King Jr. changed a lot of people's opinions in the US and Canada, and the civil rights amendments of the 60's in the US did much to fix many of the wrongs against black America. In nations of the Commonwealth, black slavery was outlawed essentially by Wilberforce and Lord Simcoe's efforts; and no one in the UK or Canada or any other nation in the Commonwealth had anything to do but encourage the end of slavery. Did we end it everywhere? No, in the far dark corners of Africa and the Arab world, slavery is still around, but I wont apologize for their evil towards their fellow man, and I cant feel guilt for it either. I think we should do more, but worthless platitudes wont cut it.

What in GOD's name does apolgizing for what the slave traders in the 1700's did would be accomplished? Black American and to a lesser extent, blacks in the UK and Canada may appreciate the apology, but I don't see some groundswell of desire to hear the apology. Oh they would take it, but then some minority of this group would go right back to blaming white society for many of their ills. The point is, some black activists who use this guilt we may have for slavery to attone for often take today's issues and attach it to the ill's of the society of large to attone for slavery. They use our "guilt" to try to con society at large to fix perceived problems. Fine, fix the problem, but spare me the guilt trip. I have never felt any guilt but I do feel that what my ancestors 5 generations before me did has little to do with me either. Let's address what is going on with society and fix it, not waste everyone's mental energy arguing about whether someone should feel guilt for things we have no control over.

Slavery sucked, it was outlawed, over 200 years has gone by since it was practiced in the UK and/or its colonies. Canada was a haven for freed slaves at the end of the underground railroad, and I don't feel any guilt that needs to be assauged by some blanket lame ass apology to people who were never held in any way as slaves. Guilt by people in western nations for their high standard of living is useless and misguided. You want a better world, do something to help, not talk about it.

While I agree that apologising for slavery seems like a rather token gesture, many of the same points as you make could also apply to things like Veterans' Day, which commemorates many actions that are so far in the past that they are now irrelevant to many, and the effects of which no longer have a bearing on peoples' lives.

[viper_man]

Frankly I find the notion of apologising for something that ended 200 years ago totally ridiculous.

We should never forget, and we should look back with regret, but apologise? Sorry, but no.

It would serve no purpose, how would the black communities of the world benefit from it? It would simply be to give those countries who were at one time responsible for slavery an excuse to feel better about themselves, mainly my country.

Are we suggesting that every descendant or countryman of someone who was at one time involved in something bad should apologise? I wouldnt expect a German to come up to me and apologise for the war. I would appreciate regret and remembrance, as we already do, but an apology? No.
Who would apologise? The Queen? For what, something someone did 200 years ago and for which she obviously has nothing to do with? Who should she apologise to? Should she shout it from the rooftops?

Maybe the do gooders would instead like to focus their attention on the vastly more important modern day slavery that is occuring all over the world, rather than something that ceased 200 years ago?

[Hazell B]

While I agree that apologising for slavery seems like a rather token gesture, many of the same points as you make could also apply to things like Veterans' Day, which commemorates many actions that are so far in the past that they are now irrelevant to many, and the effects of which no longer have a bearing on peoples' lives.

My own thoughs too. However, I'm also starting to partly see Mark's points.

All the same, I remember a photo in The Express in 1999's 'Photos that changed the World' top 50 of black men who had been purchased having a roll call in Southampton docks .... in 1902. Slaves, though known by another name at that point, where still allowed to change ships and carry on their voyage here in the UK within living memory. It moved me far more than the little running girl screaming in a Napalm attack and the Asian prisoner being shot in the head, both far newer and more well known photos.

[airshifter]

The state of the US I live in just last month passed legislation making apologies for slavery.

I personally think it was wrong to make an apology. To recognize that it shouldn't have happened, thank those that opposed it and created change, or to condemn the act makes sense and I feel isn't wrong. But to aplogize for acts that current generations had no hand in isn't right.

I don't feel any current person should feel guilty of what those before them did, regardless of what it was, unless they still support it.

[jso1985]

I guess Bolivian socialists read this forum

today I heard on the radio, the chancellor(from the socialist party and a native) propossed that all whites in the country should put their signatures in the "sorry act" to apologize for coming to America and taking their lands...

why should I apologize for something I didn't do? last time I checked I was born in Bolivia and never took any land from any native