Dang, I'm part british and part Algonquin - wanna talk offline?

I'm also part ukranian and german jewish - so pretty much everyone owes me an apology.

__________________
And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it." --George W. Bush, Jan. 29, 2007

German Jewish? Man, you owe yourself an apology!

The cost I referred to was in response to the posts on this thread decrying the financial costs and also to Rotten's reference to sending a million dollars to each of us. Of course there is a cost in ego, I said that in one of my first posts.

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

This, I think, is my main problem.

Why not just acknowledge the wrongs? Why not just say "What those people did was very, very wrong. We utterly condemn those actions and want no part in them".

Why add the apology on-top of the acknowledgement? Why add "I'm sorry" to "What they did was wrong"?

Well, that metaphysical perspective does make the notion of apologizing for your ancesters make more sense.

But I don't think its a perspective the state of Georgia should base its legislation on. In the eyes of the state, we KNOW that none of its current residents are the "victimizers" of these crimes.

Two questions then:
1) How does it cost in ego to apologize for something if, in doing so, you neither admit guilt or responsibility for it? I apologize for Hitler's actions during WWII. I apologize for O.J. Simpson murdering his wife (just in case he did). I apologize for everyone who cut someone off in traffic today.
These apologies don't "cost" me anything, not even in ego, because I am utterly uninvolved with the events. I wish that none of them had happened and I think they were all bad. And it might be important that I admit that I wish they hadn't happened and I think they were bad. But why, ON TOP OF THAT, should I apologize for them?

And 2) If we accept that the apologies did cost something, that they were not infact worthless, then why should the innocent citizens of Georgia be forced to pay this cost (via their representatives)? Even if it is just an ego hit, it's an ego hit that these citizens DID NOTHING TO DESERVE!

Announcing that you did something wrong, and apologizing for it, go hand in hand.

Is there anyone in the State of Georgia who has been so good in their life that they owe no one an apology? I think that the people who make up an official entity like a nation or a state are responsible for it's actions--past or present--and it is incubent on them to do what they can to redress the wrongs of their nation or state. Tens of thousands of lives were torn apart by the legal practice of slavery in the State of Georgia, the devastating effects of that activity are still being felt today. How do we start to heal the wounds? An apology honestly given and honestly accepted would be a good first step, in my opinion.

This is not something that can be coerced, nor should it be. If the people of Georgia feel that they are willing to take the hit to their egos and apologize to the victims--white and black--of slavery, then they should do it. But if they are content in their own innocence and feel that they owe nobody anything, then they should decline to apologize. You can't force people to want to do what's right.

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

Said someone who consistently argues in favor of gay marriage laws...

__________________
Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!- Obama, 9/17/2008

Blacks want Georgia to apologize for slavery

March 9, 2007
Tyrone Brooks, a Democrat said this?

Well, I'm shocked, shocked I tell you.

There was a time, many years ago, before the Watts riots, before Rodney King, before Jessie Jackson, when you could of counted me on the side of the equal rights movement.

Not now, the equal rights movement is an anchor stuck in the mud, and causing the people that it says it represents to sink further into the muck, and slime of the socialist life style.

There will come a day, when the truly strong, and independent that have been held back by the socialist, will rise up, and bust the chains of oppression.

Untill THAT happens, the leaders, and those that are looking for a "free ride", can suck my dick.

__________________
What you don't know, won't hurt you nearly as bad, as what you think you know that ain't true.

Yeah American racism, definitly on the decline....

__________________
Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!- Obama, 9/17/2008

Excuse me!

You make that statement, based on what?

You better reread my post, there wasn't a racists remark in it.

YOU, if anyone are playing the racist card.

Careful........

__________________
What you don't know, won't hurt you nearly as bad, as what you think you know that ain't true.

The Watts riots and Rodney King riots make you deinvest from social movements around racial equality and you want me to thiink you're not a racist, hilarious.

__________________
Yesterday, John McCain actually said that if he’s president he’ll take on, and I quote, 'the old boys’ network in Washington.' I’m not making this up. This is somebody been in Congress for 26 years, who put seven of the most powerful Washington lobbyists in charge of his campaign. And now he tells us that he’s the one who’s gonna take on the old boys' network,” he said. “In the McCain campaign that’s called a staff meeting!- Obama, 9/17/2008

An apology will not stop racial disharmony in this country. So long as people can think freely, there will be racial disharmony. There will be sex-based disharmony. There will be ideology based disharmony. It seems to me that it comes with the territory of being free thinking humans.

How about this? Start with racial harmony with yourself and your own attitude. Educate others on your own time and utilize your own energy for your efforts towards racial harmony. You treat everyone with respect and others may follow suit by your excellent example. Don't make people feel obligated to apologize via government legislation for something a bunch of ignorant folk did years and years ago. That is likely to make more repressed anger and pent-up hostility (that is, I would say, due to that you can't make people think and feel what is right. It comes from education and upbringing, not feel-good legislation) when we have to apologize here and there in each state for the actions of the distant past.

Wrong again.

Do you have a reading comprehension problem?

I don't GIVE A SHIT what you believe, how's THAT for hilarious?

If you read racist in my posts, then YOUR the one that has problems, not me.

Did your daddy own slaves?

__________________
What you don't know, won't hurt you nearly as bad, as what you think you know that ain't true.

But that isn't what he said. He said -

Why say "I'm sorry" instead of "what they did was wrong?"

The people announcing didn't do anything wrong. They don't own slaves. Perhaps their ancestors did, but then again in a different light, I could say hypothetically that my brother had done some pretty foolish things and in the eyes of other people, and those things hurt other people emotionally. Then let's say he dies of a heart attack. Must I apologize for all of those foolish things, even though I didn't do them? I can acknowledge they are foolish, but it is not the same as apologizing for them. I did nothing wrong. An apology and an acknowledgement of someone elses wrong doings are not the same, and in this case it seems like wasted breath to give a forced apology when it is someone else who did something wrong.

When someone dies you often say "I'm sorry," to them, it shows compassion and a recognition of their pain--not an admission of guilt. How else do people express empathy?

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