Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070225/...O7Sg8jOnqs0NUE

Why has it become so politically correct and almost expected for people in public office to try to act as if slavery is something that we, in the 21st century somehow need to apologize for, as if we had anything to do with it?

And furthermore; I will submit to you that slavery, for all its evil, was a very good thing for America, and for black people in the long run..... and before you jump on me for making such an "ignorant, racist" statement, hear me out, because my point is hardly a racist one...

There's one fact that people who live by the dogma of political correctness seem to be ignoring here; without slavery there are NO black people in America.... and who wouldn't agree (besides a true racist) that such a thing would be to the detriment of our country?

Had slavery never happened there would be no Martin Luther King Jr. No Mohhammed Ali, no Hariet Tubman, no Jazz, no Rock n, roll... the NFL and NBA would be really lame, and there would be no peanut butter (and I really like peanut butter) America has allowed people of African dissent the opportunity to thrive, and they have changed the very fabric of our society and culture in so many ways that it's hard to imagine what our country would be like if it was lilly white

So Why then, are we apologizing for slavery? Shouldn't we be appreciating it for all the wonderful things its done for our country, and for the Africans that were brought here?

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

wildly making counterfactual claims just makes you seem like an idiot.

if there were no slavery you have almost no idea what would have happened. ie there is no way you can claim that peanut butter would NEVER be invented for obvious reasons. it may well have been invented earlier if there were no slavery. there is absolutely no way to know.

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

Arguing that our country would be better/worse without black people seems like an impossible argument.

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

Wait..... so who sounds like the idiot??? I'm making the argument here that having black people in this country(which is a DIRECT result of slavery) has ultimately had a positive effect on our culture.... and your argument is THAT PEANUT BUTTER MAY IN FACT HAVE BEEN INVENTED SOONER!? Please explain to me what is counter-factual in my post?

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

Virginia didn't apologize for slavery, it expressed "profound regret". The exact wording of the resolution was a big issue, with many taking the position that those alive today had nothing to apologize for (one delegate said it would be like asking the Jews to apologize for killing Jesus). Also, it's ridiculous to think there would be no black people, as there would still have been immigration. There was never Asian slavery, yet Asian people have found their way over to the U.S..

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Wait..... so who sounds like the idiot??? I'm making the argument here that having black people in this country(which is a DIRECT result of slavery) has ultimately had a positive effect on our culture.... and your argument is THAT PEANUT BUTTER MAY IN FACT HAVE BEEN INVENTED SOONER!? Please explain to me what is counter-factual in my post?

[/ QUOTE ]

peanut butter is an example, it wasn't an argument. please read a little more carefully.

my claim is that you can't argue counterfactuals.

"I'm making the argument here that having black people in this country(which is a DIRECT result of slavery) has ultimately had a positive effect on our culture."

this argument is based on complete nonsense. if there was no slavery you can't say what would have happened to this country. you can't even make claims as to the demographics that this country would have. you can't take one element out of a causal chain then extrapolate based on that when you are dealing with such a complex system.

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

Yes, you are right about the wording of the resolution, but to me its just semantics really.... what is difference in expressing "profound regret" and apologizing anyway? It seems the same to me... as to non-slave immigrants, you're absolutely right, and I'm not saying that I believe there would be no black people in the country without the slavery of our nations first centuries.... but I highly doubt there numbers would be anything near the 12% of our population that they make up now, and chances are, they wouldn't have arrived nearly so early in our countries history, and had a chance to affect our history in such a profound way as they have.

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

[ QUOTE ]
There's one fact that people who live by the dogma of political correctness seem to be ignoring here; without slavery there are NO black people in America.... and who wouldn't agree (besides a true racist) that such a thing would be to the detriment of our country?

Had slavery never happened there would be no Martin Luther King Jr. No Mohhammed Ali, no Hariet Tubman, no Jazz, no Rock n, roll... the NFL and NBA would be really lame, and there would be no peanut butter (and I really like peanut butter) America has allowed people of African dissent the opportunity to thrive, and they have changed the very fabric of our society and culture in so many ways that it's hard to imagine what our country would be like if it was lilly white


[/ QUOTE ]

You could drive a bus through the gaping logical holes in that argument.

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

[ QUOTE ]
this argument is based on complete nonsense. if there was no slavery you can't say what would have happened to this country. you can't even make claims as to the demographics that this country would have. you can't take one element out of a causal chain then extrapolate based on that when you are dealing with such a complex system.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you'll read my article again, you'll see that I'm not speculating what WOULD HAVE happened had slavery never happened... I'm arguing what, and who, WOULD NOT have happened. You, and some other posters are attacking my speculation from the opinion that have no proof, and it amazes me how completely you miss the point... specualting how different the world might be, had certain events in history not happened, or happened differently (which they easily might have) is not a matter of proof, its a matter of imagination.... and some of you people obviously are lacking in that department.

Re: Virginia apologizes for slavery... why?
 

It's not hard to "profoundly regret" that the US had anything to do with slavery. At what point in the future will we as a society no longer be paying dearly for it?