Apology for slavery is just the beginning

As a White Male, I have thought long and hard about this subject. And I believe that if an apology will help heal the deep wound created by slavery and all the poor treatment put upon black people, then Let's do it and get moving forward.
If you were to walk in their shoes, I think you too would feel the same way.We owe it to the Black People. I would like to see the President pick up the ball on this one, and address the nation as a whole.

You have go to be kidding me. I never owned a slave and neither did anyone in my family and I will be darned if I apologize for something someone else did. This is crazy to even suggest.

I agree with you and applaud you, jrf. What you are saying is directed to those whom the shoe fit. Lisa, has totally missed the point. It is wiser to clean ones house rather than to hide the dirt under the bed. Over time the dirt will begin to flood out and it will have accumlated other matters within it. The apology should start with the nation's leader and this should have been done over one hundred years ago. But LATE is better than NEVER. This nation's dark past will never heal if the trespasses of yester years is never addressed truthfully and compassionly from the decendants of the slave owners, which were many. This ugly skeleton (ghost)in the closet is not going away until it is finally put to rest by offering sincere forgiveness. I believe it would bring much healing to the relationship between most whites and blacks. If the nation's leader will not step up and get the ball rolling, why wait?! Each state or county or individual family can make an honorable apology to the Black race in their district. I have heard many horror stories of how slaves were mistreated. The movie roots was very compelling in telling some of the things that happened during that era. Sad to say, animals were treated with better care and respect. As Rodney King stated several years ago, "Can't we all just get along?"
I believe in the goodness of the human race. And I believe that we have advanced enough in this nation,'as a people,' that the heart of the majority agrees this would help heal the hidden wounds of a people still suffering from the after shock of its ancestors.

I think instead of us apologizing for something we didn't have control over the blacks should thank us becase if we hadn't brought them over they would be living in a grass hut still in africa

Although I'am sorry for the wrongs that were done to the black community, I or nobody in this period should take responsibility for the actions of our ancestors. I do not think I'am better than anyone else, nor do I think that anybody is better than me. This is where it makes me mad, alot of the blacks feel as if we owe them everything because their ancestors were slaves. We owe them nothing! We regret what happened to their ancestors, but it had nothing to do with them or us. I have only lived in the charlotte area the last 2 years, so watching the crime statistics over the last couple of years is pretty scary. Out of 1 week of police records, about 90% of the ones arrested were black ( mostly for murder, robbery etc.), so would it be right to say that all black people owe us an apology because of that. let's get real, slavery was wrong, there is no doubt about that, but instead of dwelling on that past, lets move forward and start a new beginning = equally.

What about the lowering of the school standards for the blacks? Huh? What about that? Moved to Marshville from Charlotte and while my kids were going to Statesville Road Elementary they were making passing grades. Get here and they totally flunked. Statesville rd was predominately black. They shouldn't even have passed their grade in charlotte. Had to put them in special after school classes to get them up to par. The oldest kid starts hangin with the black kids around here and winds up in kid jail way the blank out of town. There is one BLACK in this town that has terrorized to the point he had to leave this sorry state and go live with relatives in another state. All because of BLACKS. The town wouldn't even do anything about it. A BLACK kid pulls one of my kids pants down in front of god and everybody and the freakin school just blew it off as if it was no big deal..Let that have been a black kid that it happened to. Ole Al Sharpton and his bunch would have been on the scene. You people can kiss my a&* I ain't apologizing for a dam thing.All you want is for us to apologize for being white that's all it amounts to. You people cry if somebody calls you a bad name. Oh in N.Y. correct me if I'm wrong but if a white calls a black the NNNNNN word you will go to jail. That's sad. Oh..A black can commit a felony and STILL be elected to public office. How about that for black leadership. You owe US an apology........

nc boy wrote:

I think instead of us apologizing for something we didn't have control over the blacks should thank us becase if we hadn't brought them over they would be living in a grass hut still in africa

well nc boy it would have been nice to had the option to live in a grass hut,oh no thanks for the apology it's more deeper than words, try coughing up that forty arces and a mule.

I think the apologizing just will not do.
hey we're talking about an act of abomination by what the bible called men stealers that nearly destroyed a race of great people but GOD is merciful to His. like i said before you want to make it right try coughing up that forty arces and the mule. GOD will Judge.

Maybe I would apologize providing we whites will correct our "mistake" and ship every black back to Africa. That way will feel better about ourselves by making ammends. If blacks don't want to leave the US, seems to me they should be thanking us!

jrf wrote:

As a White Male, I have thought long and hard about this subject. And I believe that if an apology will help heal the deep wound created by slavery and all the poor treatment put upon black people, then Let's do it and get moving forward.
If you were to walk in their shoes, I think you too would feel the same way.We owe it to the Black People. I would like to see the President pick up the ball on this one, and address the nation as a whole.

BS!!! There isn't a black person alive today who was a slave. And there isn't a white person who was a slave owner. So who would we (that committed none of the atrocity) apologize to? A bunch of people that have been dead for over a century. Not gonna happen here. The only black people today that are slaves do it to themselves by following the mindset put forth by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, instead of taking advantage of the opportunity that is free to all in our great nation TODAY.

Agreeing to apologize in this manner only contributes to this minset that holds many black people by holding on to the past and trying to lay blame on others for lack of self responsibility.

Soultrane jacksonville FL wrote:

I think the apologizing just will not do.
hey we're talking about an act of abomination by what the bible called men stealers that nearly destroyed a race of great people but GOD is merciful to His. like i said before you want to make it right try coughing up that forty arces and the mule. GOD will Judge.

Just out of curiosity, what would you do with 40 acres and a mule? What about affirmative action, mandatory quotas, political correctness and the whole lot of other special treatment "minorities" get in our society today? Will any of that suffice?

You are right God will judge. I fear standing before him on that day for many things I have done in my life. Use of race as a basis to manipulate and/or deceive others for my own selfish agenda is not one of them. Can you say the same thing.

Please stop and think about two things. What would God think about all this arguing. And is all this going to make your kids lives any better in the future.

bearhunter2007 wrote:

Please stop and think about two things. What would God think about all this arguing. And is all this going to make your kids lives any better in the future.

God loves all his children and would not want racism in any form. Such an apology fuels the most prolific form of racism in America today, black against white. Debating issues brings truth to the surface so to educate and inform the population, thus leading to better decision making by the people that make up our society. So yes, the lives of my children are the very reason I pay attention and take a stance on issues. If my children don't have to be the butt of such racism tomorrow because I made the effort to debate today, then the world will be a better place for my children, your children, and everyone's children to live in.

Look the comments I have read are not just debating it's just plain arguing. So think about what you are about to say. Will it make anything better?

bearhunter2007 wrote:

Look the comments I have read are not just debating it's just plain arguing. So think about what you are about to say. Will it make anything better?

Do you have some suggestions on how to improve the discussion so that it resembles "debating" or ideas as opposed to "arguing"?

I'm not sorry for anything that happened well over a century ago as I had NOTHING to do with it. Saying I'm sorry would be an admission of guilt and I am not quilty of ever owning any slave or harming anyone based on anything other than who they actually are. I base my opinion of people on their individualism. If they are worthless, lazy, mean or whatever I don't care what color they are or where they come from they are just worthless, lazy, mean or whatever.

Joe_living_in_Monroe wrote:

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God loves all his children and would not want racism in any form. Such an apology fuels the most prolific form of racism in America today, black against white. Debating issues brings truth to the surface so to educate and inform the population, thus leading to better decision making by the people that make up our society. So yes, the lives of my children are the very reason I pay attention and take a stance on issues. If my children don't have to be the butt of such racism tomorrow because I made the effort to debate today, then the world will be a better place for my children, your children, and everyone's children to live in.

To keep raising the so called race issues does nothing but keep things festering. When will people grow up, be what they can be regardless of where they came from or are heading and take responsibility for their own actions and quit blaming everything on some idea or issue that hasn't been relative to anyone for sometime. Give it up and move on.

I will not argue with any one on this matter. We need to move on that is my suggestion.

I'm white but my ancestry is Scottish and my people were enslaved and tortured and worked like dogs. A paid debt in America is a right to work for pay, a freedom to worship and to pursue joy. I work for pay, not great pay, but I'm happy and I worship as I want to..the only time I cringe is when I see people put more effort into the past instead of the present.

If this country is going to start correcting the negative parts of our history, which state will we return to the Native American's first.