Should we apologise for slavery?

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Originally Posted by Gannex

For example, if the Turks were to apologise for the massacre of the Armenians in the early twentieth century, I think that would be very meaningful because it would indicate that the Turks finally acknowledge and stop denying the atrocious actions of their grandfathers.

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There's a difference between denying something happenned and not apologising, though. Nobody's ever tried to claim that there wasn't a slave trade.

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Originally Posted by BDunnell

I agree. The same goes for the Japanese in relation to the Second World War. However, as an individual, I don't feel in any way responsible for the slave trade, and thus no personal need to apologise, just as I don't think German people of the post-1945 generation need go around apologising for the Second World War any more.

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Absolutely. In fact, the post-war generation of Germans, unlike their Japanese counterparts, should in my opinion be extremely proud, rather than apologetic, about the way they have dealt with their recent history. If only other peoples could react to a historic wrong as the Germans have, there would be a lot less suffering in the world.

Have we not already apologised?

It must also be remembed it wasn't just the British that were the cause of the slave trade...

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Originally Posted by Brown, Jon Brow

What about mixed race people? Do they apologise to themselves?

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Jon, that's very funny! And surely the answer is yes.

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Originally Posted by Gannex

And surely the answer is yes.

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Not necessarily Gannex. The mixed race person in question might be half hispanic, half oriental and this issue won't affect them.

In that case, I think the person should offer himself a half-hearted apology, and possibly refuse to accept it.

if only it was just slavery that the british ought to appologize for......

Absolutely not! :mad:

However I do feel most strongly that my apprentice should apologise to me for fitting a clutch release bearing the wrong way round on a Honda Concerto this morning causing me to spend a precious 3 hours of my time disassembling the whole enchillda, during the course of which I got a sizeable quantity of gearbox oil in one of my shell like earoles. :(

Funnily enough I put the apology question to one of my workmates, Tony a black Cockney rudeboy with a line in Jamaican patois that would have Bob Marley reaching for the phrasebook and after about 10 minutes of sucking his teeth he said. Quote:

"Raaaas! Dem black people need to just get on wid it brudder"

Quite ;)

Yes, there should be an apology.

Does it hurt to simply say sorry? No. Does it cost anything? No. Are we all, in some small way, enjoying the benefit of a country's profits from the slave trade 200 years on? Yes.

So why not just say a very open sorry and get on with life in the knowledge that somebody somewhere might be a bit happier that they're called after the person who owned them rather than their own name. Not saying sorry simply means we're not interested in learning why we have so many grand civic buildings and the like - paid for by the trade in slaves - and why so many African people are called Smith, Jones or Watts.

Jeez, with the 'no' side mounting up on here I'm wondering how much a sorry really would hurt you all. And I'm a bit ashamed to be honest. You've probably all got a bit of black blood in your veins you know ....

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Originally Posted by Dave Brockman

We should be concentrating our efforts on ending "modern slavery", like the trade in people traffic, and the problem of young women being sold into the sex industry.

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Spot on. Slavery never really went away, it just got a different image over the years.