Everyone on the television networks seems to be tossing around this idea that Bush should or should not apologize for slavery. Let me say one thing, and let me make it clear so that the race pimps don’t come flying out of the closet accusing me of being racist. I will ABSOLUTELY not vote for Bush in 2004 if he apologizes to anyone for slavery. Period.
Bush, as the United States President, serves as my representative to the rest of the world. I feel bad about slavery- I think slavery was and is an awful practice, but if Bush apologizes, he has effectively placed a burden of guilt upon my shoulders- one which I do not deserve and will not carry. I am not responsible for slavery. I have not profitted from slavery. None of my ancestors (Quakers, mind you) profitted or gained from slavery. I have never advocated, practiced, or condoned slavery. I am as innocent as those taken into slavery hundreds of years ago- and I refuse to let Bush apologize for something I am not responsible for- I refuse to carry around some sort of ridiculous post hoc guilt for events I took no part in. People long before me must carry that burden- not me, not you, and not anyone living today.
Dodd
What a disgusting attempt to gin up a racial issue where none exists. Bubba already apologized on our behalf, placing the very Original Sin you speak of on our shoulders. The *only* reason these people would suggest that Bush should do it is to set a trap: If he apologizes, he alienates some of his base; if he doesn’t, they’ll use that fact as the pretext for some nasty attack ads next year (though beating the one that blamed James Byrd’s death on hum will be a tough assignment).
The whole thing would be reprehensible if it weren’t so pathetic.
FDL
One of the dumber things you’ve ever written. Of course you profit from slavery. The economic structure of this country did not magically reform the day after Appomatox, nor after the death of Jim Crow.
The ripple effects of slavery and Reconstruction are seen in the ghettos of Chicago, in the racial makeup of farmers across the South, etc.
You may not want to profit from slavery; you may wish you didn’t profit from slavery. but the current economic structure of this country from which you profit is as surely tied into its past as you are tied to your own mother.
M. Scott Eiland
“One of the dumber things you’ve ever written. Of course you profit from slavery.”
Sure. We’re all *so* much better off because half the country remained in a plantation economy run by slave labor for decades when the other part was busily industrializing itself. Oh, and the four years of war that killed a large chunk of a generation of young men and devastated both sides was just peachy for the United States.
Tell me another one.
Sweet Lou
Yeah, what FDL said! DARNED RIGHT you profit from slavery, John. Don’t try to wiggle out of it.
While we are on the subject, John, YOU also profited from the enslavement of Slavs, the oppression of the Irish by the British, and the ummm…well, whatever it was that made those Swedes and Norwegians move over to the new world.
All these things contributed to the economic structure of the country you live in John, and all of these things happened to MY ancestors. The ripple effects of these terrible events can be seen today in my failure to achieve wealth and fame.
I await an apology, John. preferably accompanied by a large sum of money.
cyn
Best you start thinking about who you will vote for in ’04…front page of Boston Globe this morning….”Bush condemns slavery as…”
sblafren
An interesting note…
http://www.fourthturning.com/html/fourth_turning.html
S&H wrote a book detailing generational archtypes and world historical events. They go back all the way to England and trace the generations forward to the present day (with their book Millennials Rising). They had to leave a gap for the generation lost in the Civil War. They did not need to do this for the Revolution, WWI, WWII, or Vietnam.
Something to consider.
Another thing to consider is that the US is the only nation to have ever voluntarily begun a movement, created a political party, and faught a civil war to end its own slave practice.
And not only Africans were used as slaves in the Americas… white people, as either indentured servants or political prisonsers were also used thusly, especialy the Irish. In one interesting case profiled on the Discovery Channel recently a black man was given his freedom in Virginia and promptly bought himself some Irishmen to work his land.
Also, Jim Crow laws hurt poor white sharecroppers as much as blacks in America. And the mass migration of black Americans to the “Rust Belt” put white immigrants out of work (as well as created jobs, and no, I am not “blaming blacks”, just pointing out facts).
Currently the largest slave trade conitues in Africa and Americans have little to do with it.
Slavery is a horrible practice, but race identity politics is yet one more dark legacy. The sins of the father are not the responsibility of the children (unless they continue into the new generation, obviously).
Should Bush apologize to Irish immigrants for all the signs in Boston that read “No Dogs, or Irish”? How about all the “No Chinese” signs in Frisco? What about anyone who is today unfriendly to Russians?
How about he just apoligize for being the scion of a rich New England trading family (BTW, the Prescott-Bush family made its first pile of cash in the “Triangle Trade”). His aristocratic background was bought at the expense of Americans of all colors and the advantages earned in the 18th century continue to put him ahead of the rest of us. Dont I deserve an apology?
We could have Bush apologizing for the rest of his term, kinda like the Pope.
At some point we have to move beyond rhetoric, either the accusations or the apologies, and do something concrete for ALL Americans, on a color blind basis, and with a clean slate.
David Perron
…but if Bush apologizes, he has effectively placed a burden of guilt upon my shoulders…
I completely reject that idea. i can’t feel guilty about it, regardless of what others say. Any more than I feel disadvantaged because my Irish ancestors were oppressed by the English (not to mention, by the Irish Protestants), or even because some distant ancestor of mine was horribly disfigured by the Spanish Inquisition. Didn’t expect that one, did you?
That said, I completely agree that Bush shouldn’t even consider apologizing for slavery, the Portuguese Inquisition, any of the Ice Ages, slavery in Africa, Chernobyl, Hurricane Camille, the New Madrid earthquake, or any other historical occurrence outside his control.
dwight meredith
What I do not understand is why this is so important to you that you would base a vote in a Presidential election solely on this one issue.
Whether GWB apologizes or not does not change whether or not you or anyone else profited from slavery.
A burden of guilt, as you use the term, can only be self imposed.
Mr. Bush can not increase the “burden of guilt” on you or anyone else without that person’s permission.
David Perron
Pretty much what I said, dwight. But I think the idea that John might withhold his vote has something to do with integrity, credibility, and the good sense God gave a garden slug. IOW, if Bush elects to do something this stupid, he deserves to not be re-elected.
Dunno if I would change my vote based on this or not. But it would change the character of the election just a bit – more in the direction of minimization of evil.
James
I just watched the most horrible thing I have ever seen on televsion.It almost reminded me of “roots” the mini-series.
It featured a black Harvard professor and a racially mixed group of American children. It was on the Nickeodean channel for children.
It was so bizarre as to not be believable. If I hadn’t been up at an early hour I wouldn’t have seen it.
They had children about ten years old that they were implicating as criminals. The kids of course felt bad about American slavery as most people do. But the fact that they were indoctrinating them as future taxpayers to pay into their political plans was absolutely abhorrehent.
The adults running the show were scary. They had obvious political agendas. They were just scary to watch.
If kids get this stuff on Nick at Night it is no wonder why major political/ethnic/racial/special interest groups will vote 90% for one party.
They are propagandized from childhood to adulthood.