Slavery: Bush won't say sorry

News24 (South Africa) ^ | July 2, 2003 | Deon Lamprecht

[Recovering_Democrat]

he shouldn't. that is my point. :)

[jmc813]

``

[TigersEye]

Also, aren't they killing each other as we speak?

Shhhhhh. Those aren't American Democrat votin' blacks. Je$$e can't be bothered with no account types.

[billbears]

Slavery in Britain yes but not her colonies. The 1830s law was necessary for that

[pttttt]

President George W Bush will not apologise for America's historical role in the slave trade during his Africa visit, White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer said on Wednesday.

Nor should he. Slavery hasn't ended - it still exists, in Africa of all places. How about Africa's present role in the slave trade?

[Mfkmmof4]

Good!! I like a man who does not pander to the press and public. Leave it to Clinton to do that.

[cookcounty]

Has Mr. Mandela visited a Civil War Union veterans' cemetary yet to express appreciation for the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands in the war against slavery?----NOPE.

[cookcounty]

The US international SLAVE TRADE was abolished by the US Constitution ( which made it effective 20 tears after ratification --- therefore the "1808" date).

[JoeSchem]

Goree Island

"While in Congress, I took the initiative in inventing off-coast African islands . . . . "

[Snuffington]

Thousands of West Africans were taken off the island and sold as slaves to the New World, including the United States. His itinerary will include a visit to the island's slave fort.

And he's supposed to apologize to the decendents of those who sold them? The decendents of the slaves themselves are back hom in the U. S.

[cyborg]

No you are mistaken. US slavery was the most separatist slavery there was. Under law, a slave owner could not separate families, esp. mother and children,etc. I can go more deeply into it but the difference had a lot to do with the Roman Catholic missionaries charity and influence on slavery in other countries.

Britain ended their slavery well before the US and also provided education and preparation for many to be self sufficient. Something our government promised but never did.

[sweetliberty]

Funny, I never knew that President Bush had slaves.

[Drew68]

Didn't we take care of this with the last administration?

IIRC, Clinton, for all his faults, also refused to formally apologize for slavery during his many visits to Africa. He did not want to give ammunition to the reparations crowd.

I do recall him offering some mealy-mouthed expression of sorrow or something another that fell short of an official apology for slavery.

I could be wrong but this is what I remember.

[cyborg]

I have the solution!!!!

Let's all turn to our neighbour and say a heartful I'm sorry for enslaving you and hand that person a twenty dollar bill then end this whole thing.

Seriously, who started this 'apologize for everyone sins' deal?

[cyborg]

Under law, a slave owner could not separate families, esp. mother and children,etc. I can go more deeply into it but the difference had a lot to do with the Roman Catholic missionaries charity and influence on slavery in other countries

*I meant the laws governing slavery in Latin American countries. This is neither here nor there though. We should not be apologizing and asking forgiveness on behalf of people who are dead and have not asked for it.

[RobbyS]

I don't think that the subsequent history of Jamaica is a commendation of British policy.

[cyborg]

Well at the risk of offense, Jamaica seems to be ahem...a bit uncivilized than other West Indian countries these days. I work in a Jamaican rastafarian establishment and I find myself often thinking, 'wow did any of these people go to school and learn some english culture?' come to learn none of them did. The farther away Jamaica gets from english colonial influence the worse it gets in some respects. My mother's country Trinidad is a bit better off, and my mother is living proof of the benefits of exposure to English colonial culture. Some West Indians (esp.younger black WI ones looking to identify with Americans) will not see it the way I see it, but too bad. My mom brainwashed me with english blood pudding and tea with milk.