.jpg)
Virginia Apologizes for Slavery. I won’t!
___________________
A few days ago the State legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia voted to apologize for Slavery.
Go here for the full story:
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070224/D8NGCCK81.html
There was no statewide referendum. The state legislature took it upon themselves to issue the apology. Why no statewide referendum? Well, "political correctness" would not allow it. You see, only whites could vote in the referendum and of course those blacks who are descended from the black slave owners in Virginia.
What… Black Slave Owners??
Well, YES! There were black slave owners throughout the South as well as in the 5 slave holding states of the North. As a matter of fact, the black man owning the largest number of slaves in the country, at one time, was from a small town, just south of me, here in the Carolinas. American Indians owned African slaves, too. If you don’t believe there were black slave owners in America, you will probably not believe there were black Confederate troops, either. It doesn’t matter that we can document them, does it?
My ancestors sailed into Charles Town Harbor in 1789 arriving from Ireland. I have not been able to find any records of them ever owning slaves. But it makes no difference. I didn’t, and do not to this day, own any slaves… not one! So, forget ever asking me to apologize for slavery! Hell will freeze over first!
As a Southerner, an American, I am insulted by what the Virginia state legislature has done. Though not a Virginian, I reside in the state immediately south of them and I have spent some time in Virginia. How a state legislature could take it upon themselves to do such a thing to her people is simply beyond me. If Virginia has “recall laws” allowing for re-call elections to recall elected officials, now would be a good time to find it, brush it off, and put it to use. North Carolina has no re-call law. I checked.
I am continually amazed at how easy it is for some people to judge our ancestors who lived in the 19th century by today’s 21st century morals. I mean, by 21st century morals it is wrong to hold slaves… but it is perfectly all right to kill millions of babies still in their mother’s womb. I guarantee you that if it were possible to ask a resident of the 19th century what he, or she, thought about our abortion laws and the killing of millions of babies, he, or she, would be aghast at the evil of the infanticide practiced in America today?
If I were to get word that my state legislature was considering such a move, I would be compelled to write my state senator and representative and ask that a special statement be placed on the document stating that I, by name, did not apologize! I don’t think that is too much to ask. To not allow my name stating that I do not apologize is to fabricate a lie as a state law! I suspect that is what happened in Virginia a few days ago.
A few days ago the State legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia voted to apologize for Slavery.
Go here for the full story:
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20070224/D8NGCCK81.html
There was no statewide referendum. The state legislature took it upon themselves to issue the apology. Why no statewide referendum? Well, "political correctness" would not allow it. You see, only whites could vote in the referendum and of course those blacks who are descended from the black slave owners in Virginia.
What… Black Slave Owners??
Well, YES! There were black slave owners throughout the South as well as in the 5 slave holding states of the North. As a matter of fact, the black man owning the largest number of slaves in the country, at one time, was from a small town, just south of me, here in the Carolinas. American Indians owned African slaves, too. If you don’t believe there were black slave owners in America, you will probably not believe there were black Confederate troops, either. It doesn’t matter that we can document them, does it?
My ancestors sailed into Charles Town Harbor in 1789 arriving from Ireland. I have not been able to find any records of them ever owning slaves. But it makes no difference. I didn’t, and do not to this day, own any slaves… not one! So, forget ever asking me to apologize for slavery! Hell will freeze over first!
As a Southerner, an American, I am insulted by what the Virginia state legislature has done. Though not a Virginian, I reside in the state immediately south of them and I have spent some time in Virginia. How a state legislature could take it upon themselves to do such a thing to her people is simply beyond me. If Virginia has “recall laws” allowing for re-call elections to recall elected officials, now would be a good time to find it, brush it off, and put it to use. North Carolina has no re-call law. I checked.
I am continually amazed at how easy it is for some people to judge our ancestors who lived in the 19th century by today’s 21st century morals. I mean, by 21st century morals it is wrong to hold slaves… but it is perfectly all right to kill millions of babies still in their mother’s womb. I guarantee you that if it were possible to ask a resident of the 19th century what he, or she, thought about our abortion laws and the killing of millions of babies, he, or she, would be aghast at the evil of the infanticide practiced in America today?
If I were to get word that my state legislature was considering such a move, I would be compelled to write my state senator and representative and ask that a special statement be placed on the document stating that I, by name, did not apologize! I don’t think that is too much to ask. To not allow my name stating that I do not apologize is to fabricate a lie as a state law! I suspect that is what happened in Virginia a few days ago.
Longstreet
Filed under:
I guarantee you that if it were possible to ask a resident of the 19th century what he, or she, thought about our abortion laws and the killing of millions of babies, he, or she, would be aghast at the evil of the infanticide practiced in America today?
ReplyDelete*****************************
That's why abortion was left LEGAL by our founding fathers and left up to the states to decide. Roe V. Wade was about access to safe and legal prdocedures..... Sure God will judge a woman who terminates a pregnancy, that sir is a given, but will God judge us if we allow these people to die in back alley ways from infection, mutilation, and malpractice? Will God judge us for accepting it as a society? These are the questions that haunt me when I think about things as abortion AND the death penalty... Love the sinner hate the sin. Now about your rant on an appology for slavery.... You sound, suh, like one of those guys who came back after the civil war and refused to reunite under one flag and country.... Those terrorists, yes suh, you heard me right who started such groups as the K.K.K. in Tennessee, or the people responsible for the Lousiana Masacre when black union soldiers marched for the right to vote and were killed along with federal deligates by a bunch of white supremist trash like then president Adams. Or Bob Lee from texas whos gang murdered martial Peacock because he was loyal to the one tru government of this country adn did not support the ideas that blacks should be suppressed. Maybe Adams allowed the southern states back into the union too easy and we should go back to not allowing CSA loyalists to vote or run for office, afterall they lost and no longer exist or can be allowed to exist or for sure the rift will never heal. Maybe southernors need to "Swallow the Dog",as it were, I am sure you know what the term means, suh, so you realize who won. Note I usually do side with remeberance and observance of those fallen on both sides, but other than that the politics of the day were absurd. It was never O.K. to own slaves, even in the 19th Century, it was never ok to deny someone the right to own fire arms, property, or the right to vote based on skin color, and these violations continued in the south long after teh "last" gun was fired in the "Civil War". Good Day and God Bless Suh! now that I am probably permenatley banned from your site....
You have insulted me, sir! If it were not for you obvious lack of the knowledge of the facts surrounding the "Recent Unpleasantness" I would be hurt, indeed.
ReplyDeleteFrank, the history of that period, taught in our schools and universities, is so corrupt as to be totally useless for anything short of propaganda.
Understand this, it was the northern states which ran the slave trade in America. Not the Southern states. Before you tell me I am wrong, do some research and you will quickly see I am correct.
On the KKK stuff, I have nothing to do with that god-forsaken bunch of rabble. Gen. Nathen Bedfrord Forrest founded the KKK in Tennessee. When it became corrupt, he disbanded it and would have nothing to do with it for the rest of his life. Yet, he is branded for life! It seems no one is interested in the fact that the man disbanded the original Klan.(Which, by the way, was to have been an old soldier's fraternity.) It is the klan which sparng up afterwards that we have to deal with today.
Now, let me ask you... are you willing to apologize for something you didn't do??? If youy agree to apologize for it, even though you had nothing to do with it... would that not be considered hypocracy??? Hell, all I'm doing is saying, whoa... I had nothing to do with that, I am not burdened by guilt, which you folks on the left seem to want to wallow in, and I refuse to take responsiblility for something I did not do... and... feel absolutely no guilt for... at all!
By the way, are you aware that your state very nearly seceded and joined the Confederacy?
Best regards, sir.
Longstreet
“I am continually amazed at how easy it is for some people to judge our ancestors who lived in the 19th century by today’s 21st century morals.”
ReplyDeleteThe problem lies with the fact that people (i.e. the rest of the planet) equate slavery with a period of American history and as a purely American invention. It is not. Egypt, Rome, and Greece all formed empires built on slaves. The Dutch, French, Spanish, Portugese and the British all played their part in promoting slavery in the Americas, and slavery was introduced to the thirteen colonies by the English.
Regards
Wha Wadna Fecht for Charlie
Thank you! I was hoping you'd respond! We Americans have beaten ourselves up, over the slavery issue, until we seem to have blinded ourseleves to the true scope of it, especially the trade itself.
ReplyDeleteIt was a sad state of affairs for which I had nothing to do. I cannot bring myself to bear the guilt for something my ancestors, or yours may, or may not, have done. I darsay you and your fellow countrymen have moved on as have most of the world's former slave golding and slave trading contries. Although the practice of slavery is alive and well in today's 21st century, we look on it with horror.
Slavery had been practiced on this continent long, long, before the British brought the first boatload here. The so-called "native Americans" had practiced slavery for for hundreds, or even thousands, of years before Columbus stumbled upon the "New World".
Even with all the evidence right before our eyes, we Americans have glommed onto the slavery issue and proclaimed ownership of it. Seems we just have to beat ourselves up over something all the time.
Good to hear from you!
Best regards,
Longstreet
One branch of my family escaped from Hitler, one branch of my family is Acadian and suffered the most extensive ethnic cleansing of any people, one branch of my family came through the great poverty of the Irish Potato Famine, and the last branch was the English that kicked the Acadians out of Nova Scotia mixed with the Indians who were friends of the Acadians.
ReplyDeleteAmericans are many peoples. What our forefathers did does not matter so much as what we do. Railing on about political correctness is just as foolish as acting from it. It is what we do that is important.
Black folks are recovering from the effects of slavery, just as my Acadian and Native American cousins are now recovering from what was done to them, and my Irish cousins have recovered from their trials.
When a system continues to hold folks back, it is important to do what you can to fix the system. A big part of the problem now is that there is little community support to change the mindset that keeps Blacks and Native Americans from high achievement.
Irish, Italians, Cubans and Poles came to America, and were treated poorly by those here. These groups have become mainstream Americans and succeed as well as the descendants of the colonists. American Indians and decedents of former slaves are a special category - defeated enemies and slaves. They have a greater difficulty in assimilating into the American economic system because of their attitudes and those of others.
No matter where you go, there you are. The only choices we have are what we do from now on. Lets dwell on how to keep the American dream alive - for all of our citizens, and not be mired in the past!
Marcus, I'm of Dutch, German, Flemish, English, Irish, and Native American ancestry. I understand what you are saying here.
ReplyDeleteMost of us, if we trace our ancestry back far enough, will have slavery, somewhere, in it. Either our ancestors owned slaves, or were slaves... or both.
I do not recommend forgetting the past. If we are smart we will learn from it and move on. Continuing to perceive one's self as a victim, generations after an event happened, is not healthy and it stifles the feeling of self worth one needs to get along in this world in any endeavor.
Good to hear from you!
Best regards,
Longstreet
We offered a ‘public statement of sorrow’ in Nov 06. It was either that or the EU version (the French pushing their “L'Esclavage raconté à ma fille” idea) that involved UK, Spain, Portugal and Holland being forced to pay reparations.
ReplyDeleteGroup responsibility for the actions of forebears has no legal basis under British law, and I would assume it is the same in the USA.
The problem I have with reparations is that they focus on African slavery by white people and do not take into consideration Black on Black slavery. Also, where do we draw the line – can I hold the citizens of Norway, Sweden and Denmark responsible for the Vikings and are the citizen of modern Italy to be blamed for the Romans? Do I have to offer my regrets for the Burning of Washington in 1814?
Apologies for the use of French.
Regards
Wha Wadna Fecht for Charlie
We offered a ‘public statement of sorrow’ in Nov 06. It was either that or the EU version (the French pushing their “L'Esclavage raconté à ma fille” idea) that involved UK, Spain, Portugal and Holland being forced to pay reparations.
ReplyDeleteGroup responsibility for the actions of forebears has no legal basis under British law, and I would assume it is the same in the USA.
The problem I have with reparations is that they focus on African slavery by white people and do not take into consideration Black on Black slavery. Also, where do we draw the line – can I hold the citizens of Norway, Sweden and Denmark responsible for the Vikings and are the citizen of modern Italy to be blamed for the Romans? Do I have to offer my regrets for the Burning of Washington in 1814?
Apologies for the use of French.
Regards
Wha Wadna Fecht for Charlie
"Group responsibility for the actions of forebears has no legal basis under British law, and I would assume it is the same in the USA."
ReplyDelete********************
As usual, "Charlie", you are spot on!
Thanks!
There are no slaves alive today in the USA. No one, espically black people, in the USA is enslaved today. Why are the apologizing? Why doesnt Islam apologize for rasing so much hell all the time? Why dont the Belgians apologize for the treatment of the people in the Belgian Congo? Because everyone has moved on and let it be. Everyone except democrats.
ReplyDelete