Congress considering slavery apology

UPI ^ | Feb. 28, 2008

[kingattax]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Congress is considering an apology for slavery, something five states have done in the past year.

While it has apologized before, Congress never apologized for slavery, USA Today reported Thursday.

"We've seen states step forward on this," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, noting resolutions in Alabama, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia. "I'm really shocked, just shocked" that the federal government hasn't apologized. "It's time to do so."

Harkin said he and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., will propose an apology for slavery and subsequent "Jim Crow" laws that furthered racial segregation. Among the bill's backers are Democratic Sens, Hillary Clinton of New York, the party's first female presidential candidate, and Barack Obama of Illinois, the party's first African-American candidate.

A similar House measure introduced in 2007 has 120 co-sponsors.

Congress apologized to Japanese-Americans in 1988 for imprisoning them in camps during World War II, giving each survivor $20,000. In 1993, Congress apologized to native Hawaiians for the overthrow of their kingdom a century earlier. In 2005, the Senate apologized for failing to enact anti-lynching laws.

[Happy Rain]

Time to make the Italians apologize for the Roman enslavment of about half the known Western world’s population.
Chances are every caucasion living is descended,however remotely,from Roman slaves.
I demand an apology and lotsa lire!

[gridlock]

I had no idea Congress was keeping slaves!

Except Barney Frank, of course. We all knew about that...

[gridlock]

Finally. Now I can sleep at night knowing that I’ll be forgiven for being a White man.

They are talking about an apology, here. Nobody said a damn thing about forgiveness.

[gridlock]

Well, I want the Church of England to apologize for kicking my Catholic ancestors out of Scotland, and the Pope to apologize for kicking my Protestant ancestors out of Switzerland, and all you Honkies owe me, for shipping other ancestors of mine off to Oklahoma.

And Catherine the Great has some 'splainin' to do over how she kicked my German-speaking ancestors out of the Volga region...

[Right Wing Assault]

"We've seen states step forward on this," said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, noting resolutions in Alabama, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia. "I'm really shocked, just shocked" that the federal government hasn't apologized. "It's time to do so."

Gee, Tom, I'm really shocked that you haven't made sure Iowa apologized yet, either.

[KungFuBrad]

We did apologize, We apologized with the deaths of all those men who died to bring the Union back together and end slavery. The very government that is going to apologize is the very government who ended. The Democrats should apologize though. It was their party that held on to slavery. It was their party that passed Jim Crow laws. It was their party that fought integration. It was their party that fought equal rights. I am a republican. I come from a long line of Republicans. My family has nothing to apologize for. In fact. I DEMAND A THANK YOU NOTE from all blacks who are ancestors of slaves. I demand some reparation for lost wages my dead ancestors would have made but couldn’t because they died on the battlefield fighting for you. Perhaps I would not have grown up as poor as I did if my great great uncles had not died to free you. Where is it? Where is my THANK YOU.

[Right Wing Assault]

Wait no further! Click here for your formal forgiveness:

http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/gift.html

[gitmo]

I thought LBJ took care of those reparations.

[Vet_6780]

So where's NY in the list since that's where slavery was first introduced by the Dutch in the early 1600's ?

[jabbermog]

I demand :-

Reparations from Italy for enslaving us in 55 BC .

Reparations from Denmark for overunning my village in the 10th Century .

Reparations from France for introducing our world famous feudal system in 1066 .

Last but not least , damages from the USA for turfing us out of your gaff in 1776* .

*A crate of that California wine , some East Coast beer , and the USA ladies’ soccer team will do , instead of sending me US taxpayer’s money .

[Glenn]

I’m gonna snap. It’s just a matter of time.

[SueRae]

Oh give me a break already. I’ve heard nothing BUT apologies in various forms for the last 40+ years. Enough already.

[ToastedHead]

My ancestors were in Poland when that was going on. I’ll send some money to Poland if that makes everyone happy.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

If congress wants to do something about slavery, they should reduce the financial burden of federal taxes working people are FORCED to pay. We working people are slaves to the federal government, working on their plantation.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

I demand Congress apologize and offer reparations for allowing the use of indentured servants.

[catfish1957]

I want reparations for the 1066 invasion. Damn Normans!!

[catfish1957]

Yep...and I also apologize for every slave I’ve ever owned... uhhh nevermind

[don-o]

I’ll go for it if and only if the apology includes for the invasion of the CSA.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/whtslav.htm

WHEN EUROPEANS WERE SLAVES: RESEARCH SUGGESTS WHITE SLAVERY WAS MUCH MORE COMMON THAN PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study suggests that a million or more European Christians were enslaved by Muslims in North Africa between 1530 and 1780 – a far greater number than had ever been estimated before.

(snip)

I want the Muslims to apologize.

[Lord Basil]

Barack's Mom is white, and his dad was African (not slave descent), so Barack needs to apologize for at least half of his family.

Hold on now, his ancestors on his father's side may have been involved in the slave trade, too.

Isn't this effort by Congress worth it now that the federal budget has been balanced, Social Security and Medicare will not go bankrupt, the U.S. border is secured, the military has the necessary equipment to protect us, etc.