The people that ran that state are long dead, as are the slaves. An apology for others' actions is empty.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

But they don't owe anyone an apology.

What you're suggesting is this: The Governor of Georgia, a person whose grandparents weren't alive during slavery, should apologize for slavery.

That's stupid on its' face.

You want someone who never owned slaves to apologize to people who have never been slaves.

There's an absolute vacuum of logic in that.

Do you think blacks should be paid reparations for slavery?

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Obama's New "57 State Patriotic Pin":

I realize that individual crimes are different, I was just trying to come up with a premise as idiotic as an apology for slavery.
Personally, I don't apologize for the misdeeds of others and I don't think that the state goverment of Georgia should either.
Is it not enough that Americans fought a bitter war which resulted in the end of slavery?
618,000 dead Americans weren't enough, now we need an apology as well? Fuck that.

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I sure am glad I was born in America.

Excellent point. Action is always better than empty words.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

I could have sworn, a few weeks back, that you said you hated all these new people coming to Slidell. I've gotta assume a lot of these "new" people are black folks displaced from New Orleans. Correct me if I'm wrong. . .

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"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither breaks my leg, nor picks my pocket."

Thomas Jefferson

I agree with you on this one, Mrs M.

Slavery was wrong, but it's over now. The best thing and also IMO the most practical one (and one which would benefit the black race more) is to MOVE FORWARD.

Actually, the less blacks (or even coloreds) ask the white man to apologize for anything, the better it is IMO. If it's really a matter which requires an apology, sooner or later some white people will themselves apologize (note I said IF).

Anyway, practically speaking this sort of thing does nothing to further the black (or colored) perspective. It's far better to get oneself educated, work hard, and make a good living for onself rather than this nonsensical screaming about needing whites to apologize for slavery. In fact, this would implicitly show the idea of slavery to be even stupider. But if people keep screaming about it, it could be construed as something that the black race "can't let go of" and negative parallels could be drawn.

And last, but certainly not least, most whites I personally know hate slavery. That their ancestors did it is not their fault, much as I don't hold the current crop of Britishers to be responsible for all the atrocities the colonial British committed. Makes nil sense.

Ah, but here I completely and totally disagree. OK, there may not be RIOTS in the South, but there is plenty of racial discord/tension in the Southern United States - this is a fact.

*note: I do not mean to categorize all blacks here - just referring to those that complain about this. In fact, I've known blacks that just cooly look past racial issues, even when it directly impacts them. These are also the most succesful black folks I've known. *

LOL New people means people from New Orleans, Chalmette, Metairie, New York, Missouri, Minnesota, Georgia, Alabama, etc. New people means the refugees and the contractors. Color has nothing to do with it.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride!"

Hundreds of thousands of Americans died trying to bring freedom to the slaves, and hundreds of thousands of Americans died trying to perpetuate slavery...........it would seem to me that this would be the best of both worlds to blacks who insist on holding on to the past......so is this not good enough for some blacks? WTF? should we put whipped cream and a cherry on top?

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I sure am glad I was born in America.

I personally think this should be a non - issue.

Other than what I've already posted, even if this apology were made, what would it change? Nothing at all ... One can't change history - one can learn from it, but that's all.

IMO, if it wasn't this, it would be something else to complain about ...

Just my opinion.

Agreed.

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I sure am glad I was born in America.

The fact that so many died freeing the slaves simply adds to the awfulness of that whole chapter in American history. The Official entities who sanctioned the slavery and required the slaughter of so many people to bring it to an end should publicly acknowledge their error and aplolgize to ALL the people who were harmed. You say that all the responsible people are dead? Exactly! Those people would NEVER have apologized, it's up to us with our greater perspective to realize the gravity of their error and PUBLICLY acknowledge it.

There is an excellent movie called IN MY COUNTRY about the truth and reconcilliation hearings held in South Africa after apartheid ended. The people who had done the most terrible things were forgiven by the victims or the victims families if they would publicly face the people they had wronged and admit all the things that they had done. It's a very painful movie but it shows the incredible power of forgiveness--which can only come with a public apology and the acknowledgement of wrong having been done. The black people forgave their persecutors in a show of Christian compassion the like of which I have never seen before.

People have posted on this thread that Black people don't want to forgive. How do we know that if we don't apologize? An honest apology costs nothing but a little ego and it can be that all-important first step towards reconciliation. Even if your apology isn't accepted, you have done the right thing by recognizing the wrong and giving the apology. It's not about THEM, it's about US.

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The apocalypse is coming... we're gonna need more ammo.

I would like to officially apologize for my ancestors living in the tenth century regularly raided, raped and enslaved people in England, Scotland, France, and Ireland. I would also like to apologize for any indians that might have been killed during Leiv Eriksson's expedition to America. Through my danish ancestorial line I'd like to apologize for plundering Spain, north africa, etc.

If you have any descendant from any of these nations, please tell me your bank account and I'd transfer $1,000,000 to relieve me of my terrible guilt.



Now, I'm just waiting for excuses from germans, swedes, every person of religious faith to do the same to me...

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To fill a world with ... religions of the Abrahamic kind, is like littering the streets with loaded guns. Do not be surprised if they are used. - Richard Dawkins

Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned

MY CAPSLOCK KEY IS BROKEN LOL - Will be stumbled upon several times on the web.

Clash

An excellent start, thank you. But it's not about money, it's about forgiveness. I forgive you and all the other people who have hurt me down through the years. In turn I would ask for the forgiveness of all the people I have hurt or who were hurt by my forebears, I promise to do my best not to repeat their mistakes. Today everyone on Earth starts with a clean slate in my eyes--even Kinetic.

An eye for an eye and soon the whole world is blind. Forgiveness has to start somewhere, why not here and now? Rotten has asked for forgiveness and I have given mine to him, I have asked for everyone's forgiveness and I have extended mine to everyone. A genuine apology is a gift that costs nothing.

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The apocalypse is coming... we're gonna need more ammo.

EDITED:

Nevermind, I had a comment on this but I decided it was better addressed by the post below. Sorry.

Very noble. If you had hurt me I would certainly offer you forgiveness.

This I cannot do. And I'll tell you why:

If I forgive you for the actions of your ancesters, then I am saying that you are somehow responsible for the actions of your ancesters: that YOU, somehow, owe me an apology for what THEY did.

I don't believe that you are responsible for what your forebears did, so I can't forgive you for their actions.
I CAN forgive them and I CAN promise you that I bear you no ill will because of their actions, but since I don't hold you responsible I can't forgive you.

You see, forgiveness and responsibility are necessarily linked. Otherwise, why stop with your forebears? If you should ask forgiveness for things you aren't responsible for, why not ask for forgiveness for the wrongs by everyone who ever was? What makes your ancestors different, if it isn't that you feel responsible for them?

The only way I could offer you forgivess for their deeds was if I held you responsible for those deeds. And if we admit that, then we must also admit that if I DON'T forgive you, then you are STILL responsible for those deeds and should repay me for all their evils. And that is a very dangerous road to start down.

Again, very noble. I hope others also take this position.

This I disagree with. A genuine apology costs you the admission of guilt and of responsibility.

If it doesn't do at least that, if it REALLY costs nothing, then it is also means nothing: it becomes utterly worthless.