Virginia apologizes for slavery... why? - Page 5

AzDesertRat · #41 02-26-2007, 01:16 PM

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had slavery never happened martin luther king would have not been shot dead. he had a family.

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Had Gandhi not been around, we would not remember MLK either. What's your point?

bluesbassman · #42 02-26-2007, 01:40 PM

So, the Virginia legislature passes a resolution which expresses "profound regret" for the institution of slavery. Well, that's mighty white of 'em!

Rather than pass meaningless resolutions about wrongs committed by politicians and suffered by victims long dead, how about expressing "profound regret" for the enslavement perpetrated by the current government? Even better, if they are so concerned about the civil liberties of Virginians, why not actually repeal all the oppressive laws currently on the books?

That would be a much more substantive measure to Virginians of all races than this hollow resolution.

Poofler · #43 02-26-2007, 01:43 PM

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Virginia played a big part in the slave trade in this country. They manned up and apologized for their indiscretions. Let's hope other states follow suit.

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"Virginia" didn't play any part in the slave trade. People did. Those people are dead. The people that are living today did not play any part in it. The people who apologized apologized for someone else's actions.

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Umm.... no. Virginia played a part in the slave trade by using state money to help enforce slavery. (ie if a slave ran away you could call the police to get him/her back)

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You missed his point. "Virginia" is just *people* at any given point in time. When we say "Virginia" did so and so, we mean the *people* of Virginia did so and so. Those people, the voters and the officials, are now dead. The current *people* that constitute Virginia are no more at fault for slavery than they are for Saddam or Pol-Pot. An apology seems completely meaningless to me.

xorbie · #44 02-26-2007, 01:47 PM

Virgina isn't just "people at any given point in time" though. Society is more than merely a sum of its parts.

Poofler · #45 02-26-2007, 01:55 PM

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Virgina isn't just "people at any given point in time" though. Society is more than merely a sum of its parts.

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That's a catchy second sentence, but there's no substance. Can you elaborate?

tomdemaine · #46 02-26-2007, 01:55 PM

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Virgina isn't just "people at any given point in time" though. Society is more than merely a sum of its parts.

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Can you explain this further?

xorbie · #47 02-26-2007, 02:00 PM

You guys seriously don't think there is some continuity in the state? Bunch of people die, now it's a totally different state? Sure things evolve, but I'm sure there are a ton of rich people still living in Virginia that are relatives of slave owners; some may even be politicians.

Political, social and economic structures don't just dissapear after one generation. Taking the stance that economic, politicial and social institutions don't affect one another is just ignorant. Virgina, as a political entity, remnants of which still exist to this day, royally [censored] over black people. An apology is quite befitting.

Poofler · #48 02-26-2007, 02:08 PM

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You guys seriously don't think there is some continuity in the state? Bunch of people die, now it's a totally different state? Sure things evolve, but I'm sure there are a ton of rich people still living in Virginia that are relatives of slave owners; some may even be politicians.

Political, social and economic structures don't just dissapear after one generation. Taking the stance that economic, politicial and social institutions don't affect one another is just ignorant. Virgina, as a political entity, remnants of which still exist to this day, royally [censored] over black people. An apology is quite befitting.

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You're misrepresenting our stance. Of course slavery affected the circumstances of present day. We're not talking about effect, we're talking about accountability.

The fact one is a relative of a slave owner was not their choice. This goes back to the pride thread. It's completely random, you had nothing to do with your ancestry. You're holding people accountable today for the actions of their unchosen ancestors. And if we are setting that precendent, there are dozens more state-related injustices with effects still lingering to this day among groups of people.

xorbie · #49 02-26-2007, 02:13 PM

It's not a matter of choice or culpability. It's matter of unfair advantages and rectifying them. It's saying, "We're sorry we completely [censored] you guys up for many generations. We will try to make sure you have the means to better yourselves."

John Kilduff · #50 02-26-2007, 02:27 PM

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It's not a matter of choice or culpability. It's matter of unfair advantages and rectifying them. It's saying, "We're sorry we completely [censored] you guys up for many generations. We will try to make sure you have the means to better yourselves."

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But how do you derive the "we" part? Let's say I live in Virginia (I don't): as a Virginian I'm still not part of the "we" in question, because I didn't screw anyone over, much less for generations.

I bear zero responsibility for anything that happened before I was born.