Brownback to pitch proposal apologizing for slavery

The Boston Globe ^ | October 16, 2007 | Jenn Abelson

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Senator Sam Brownback, a Republican trying to inject new life into his beleaguered presidential campaign, plans to offer a resolution this week for Congress to apologize for slavery and segregation.

Brownback, of Kansas, told The Boston Globe's editorial board yesterday he will join an unnamed Democrat in sponsoring the proposal. He said he expects a tough fight on the resolution, even though it will not include any call for reparations.

"They were federal policies," he said. "They were wrong. The only way for us to move forward . . . is at the end of day acknowledging those, taking ownership for it, and asking for forgiveness."

[Secret Agent Man]

Over 500,000 white Americans died regarding slavery. Did we ever get a thank you? Are we still feeling bad we didn’t get one?

Thanks Sam for helping us to not move forward. We’ve offered apologies for this already. Why do we have to keep looking back?

Why do people who had nothing to do with slavery have to apologize to people that have never been slaves? Can’t we friggin’ get past this?

Sam, you KNOW it won’t be enough. Many people already think they deserve reparations.

My family wasn’t even in America until well after slavery was gone. Why should we apologize?

This is so stupid. Thinks he’s going to get some votes out of it from minorities. Pandering. Flailing. Drowning. Bye Sam.

You don’t keep apologizing for something, especially when you didn’t do anything to apologize for. The people who need to apologize, are dead. The people who rightly deserve the apologies, are dead.

You want someone to apologize to the blacks? How bout all the liberal democrats who for 45 years have squandered trillions of dollars on social programs that have destroyed the black family. Sponsored abortions. Set up aid programs to only help single moms and help make most black men not grow up and be real fathers. Haven’t hardly helped any blacks actually escape poverty but remain firmly entrenched in it so they could control them.

Sam, why don’t you make the apology to the blacks on behalf of the liberal democrats from “The Great Society” onward? That would be a better and more accurate apology.

It would also make you look like you had some balls to pinpoint the group of people in this country who should apologize to blacks.

Idiot.

[Redcloak]

I thought that we apologized about 625,000 times already.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

The late great Sam Francis

Sam Francis has passed away? I worked with him on the Obenshain for Senate campaign back in the 70's!!

[billmor]

Sam...just take 4 ex max’ and call us in the morning

yes, you’ll feel much better

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

in 1994 he became involved with The Fellowship

I don't know, that has a certain 'Ring' to it!

[rdl6989]

Nice tagline.

[dennisw]

Where the hell do we keep getting these out of touch, scumbag senators?

Yes Dorothy even Republican senators are mostly scum these days because America has moved to the left over the last 25 years. I remember distinctly when Charles Grassley got elected Senator in 1976. He was very right wing. Today he is squishy

Ronald Reagan could not get elected president these days and no way would he ever be elected governor of California

[prov1813man]

My family came here under bondage in 1683. Somewhere along the line, I’m sure, we qualified as both payers and recipients of reparations. I’m pretty sure my cousins in Maine owe the money while the rest of us could probably prove a bloodline somewhere that would entitle us to receive reparations from ourselves. I took the time to apologize to myself as I wrote this.

I mean, let’s get crazy with it, if we’re gonna do it.

ps. Brownback = t o a s t.

[Diego1618]

This is for Sam's benefit.....but maybe some other Republican might read it and stop feeling guilty. Someone show this to Sam, please.

From: "The Historical Atlas of The United States" published by the National Geographic Society in 1988.

Total number of African slaves brought to Colonial America (U.S.) was 399,000. (Page 40 under "African Immigration in Chains") This total figure of imported slaves grew to a maximum population of 2,000,000 and peaked in 1830.

Imported to Spanish America...(Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America)...1,552,100. No estimates as to what this population topped out at.....or when.

Imported to British Caribbean...(Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Jamaica and Honduras)...1,665,000. No final estimate of peak population.

Imported to Danish Caribbean...(Leeward Islands)...28,000. No estimate.

Imported to French Caribbean...(Suriname and Guyana)...1,600,000. No estimate.

Imported to Dutch Caribbean...(Aruba and Leeward Islands)...500,000. No estimate.

And finally...Brazil imported a total 3,646,800 African slaves into their country. There is no final estimate as to what the total population reached or when it occurred.

About 6% of the Africans brought to the New World as slaves ended up in what would be the United States of America. Slavery was also carried on in the Eastern Hemisphere by Africans themselves during this unfortunate period of history but when reminded of this terrible scourge we are, for some reason......only reminded of our own (U.S.) participation.

Hopefully, this information will also dispel the notion that the economic success of this country was due to forced human bondage. I haven't seen the stats lately....but I don't recall Brazil ever being an economic dynamo....or Aruba... or....you get my meaning.

On second thought.....don't bother Sam..........

[antinomian]

"Sam Francis has passed away?"

In 2005.

He was one of the good guys.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Interesting list, but you don’t include Haiti (unless it is within ‘French Caribbean’)

[billmor]

Cheney and Obama are distant cousins: Mrs. Cheney
Reuters ^ | 10/16/2007
Posted on 10/16/2007 6:30:42 PM EDT by Phlap

There’s no sign of a family reunion planned, but U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama are distant cousins.

So says the vice president’s wife, Lynne Cheney, who said she discovered that her husband of 43 years is eighth cousins with the senator from Illinois.
*****************************
So lessee here Kingphish,if i’m an 8th cousin to uh, ya know, that Al feller, that means that i can ask for reparations too ?....hoolly mackeral !

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Certainly was, haven’t seen him and some of my other old associates for decades now.

[aruanan]

Senator Sam Brownback, a Republican trying to inject new life into his beleaguered presidential campaign, plans to offer a resolution this week for Congress to apologize for slavery and segregation.

Then he only underscores his idiocy. Why not call on the liquor industry to apologize for turning a bunch of Indians into alcoholics? Why not call on farmers to apologize for obesity?

[TigersEye]

I think he’s trying to move to the left of Giuliani.

[SoConPubbie]

"NOTHING intelligent comes out of the mouth of anyone who presently holds the claim to the title of Senator."

Don't look now, but I think you should include yourself in that assertion of yours!

[SoConPubbie]

"I think being a Senator should actually disqualify someone for running for President."

No, I don't think so. Our best candidate, Fred Thompson was a Senator.

Not everything coming out of the Senate is spoiled.

[M203M4]

Is this epic MSM-flirt stupidity, or merely the sincere final act of a campaign going downhill - is he using the momentum of what is likely his campaign high-water mark in order to provoke some issue close to his heart?

Brownback, IMO, is the archetypal bleeding-heart "compassionate conservative". Illegal immigration, third-world poverty, slavery, torture, the death penalty, and other "high moral ground" issues, in addition to his admirable stance on life issues (which falls into the same category), define Brownback. Looking over his voting record, yes he is also a surprisingly strong friend of the taxpayer, but, like Ron Paul, he hasn't chosen to make his conservative credentials the focal points of his campaign (other than abortion-related issues).

I'm much more of a cold, dispassionate, hard-assed, American firster who wants to defund UNICEF - I view emotion in politics as weakness, as a liability - so Brownback, to me, is a huge turn-off in style, and for a large part in principles.

But, unlike the triangulators, Brownback at least HAS principles. I could envision Giuliani, who defines his goals as best to attain power (not seeking power to fulfill particular goals), personally performing 1000 partial-birth abortions, pledging to double taxes, and providing sexual favors for every prince in the House of Saud if he thought it would help him secure the presidency. Sadly, that seems to be the direction of the mainstream of both parties now.

[yellowhammer]

When are the Democraps going to apologize for enslaving the poor with their welfare policies?

[Diego1618]

Interesting list, but you don’t include Haiti (unless it is within ‘French Caribbean’)

Yup....you're right. I forgot to include Haiti and it was part of the French Caribbean.