House apologizes for slavery

July 29, 2008 4:51 PM

House of Representatives apologize for slavery, about 200 years late.

So I guess the House of Reps apologized today African-Americans for slavery and Jim Crow laws, while they're at it maybe they should apologize to Africans for letting them die by the millions.

posted by BrnP84 (21 comments total)

or, they could, you know, do something about it instead.
posted by jonmc at 4:57 PM on July 29, 2008

Now if only somebody would apologize for the House of Representatives...
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:59 PM on July 29, 2008

Nah, there's no money in helping poor people.
posted by BrnP84 at 5:00 PM on July 29, 2008

from the article: The House also commited itself to stopping "the occurrence of human rights violations in the future."

The Iraq War, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, the genocide in Darfur, hello, anyone home?
posted by ornate insect at 5:00 PM on July 29, 2008

Some background. It's basically shameless pandering by a candidate. Woo!
posted by smackfu at 5:04 PM on July 29, 2008

Now if only somebody would apologize for the House of Representatives...

I thought that's what the Supreme Court was for.
posted by jonmc at 5:05 PM on July 29, 2008

from the article: The House also commited itself to stopping "the occurrence of human rights violations in the future."

The Iraq War, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, the genocide in Darfur, hello, anyone home?

Firing people for being gay, massive inequities in school funding, 1/5 of all african american males imprisoned....

hello, anyone home?

ornate insect, i'm agreeing with you...just bringing it to national issues as well...
posted by CitizenD at 5:05 PM on July 29, 2008

So...we're opposed to them apologizing for slavery? I mean--I understand that the apology doesn't magically make everything better--but if the choice is "apologize or don't apologize" isn't it better that they apologize?
posted by yoink at 5:06 PM on July 29, 2008

from the article: The House also commited itself to stopping "the occurrence of human rights violations in the future."
posted by ornate insect

Right. Now all they are waiting for is that someone will invent a time travel machine to be able to go to the future and stop them from happening there.
posted by micayetoca at 5:06 PM on July 29, 2008

No wonder their popularity is at an all-time low - those asswipes had slaves all this time!
posted by codswallop at 5:07 PM on July 29, 2008

Some background. It's basically shameless pandering by a candidate. Woo!

Yep.

"The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a historic resolution apologizing to African-Americans for slavery and segregation. The nonbinding resolution, introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn), marks the first time a branch of the federal government has apologized for slavery."^*

"Cohen, the sponsor of the slavery apology, is facing a re-election challenge next week from a young black female lawyer, Nikki Tinker. He became the second white congressman to express interest in joining the influential Black Caucus group earlier this year, but abandoned the bid amid opposition from black colleagues."^*

posted by ericb at 5:07 PM on July 29, 2008

So...we're opposed to them apologizing for slavery? I mean--I understand that the apology doesn't magically make everything better--but if the choice is "apologize or don't apologize" isn't it better that they apologize?NOW."
posted by BrnP84 at 5:10 PM on July 29, 2008

eh that last post turned out funky, here's what a I mean to say
So...we're opposed to them apologizing for slavery? I mean--I understand that the apology doesn't magically make everything better--but if the choice is "apologize or don't apologize" isn't it better that they apologize?NOW."
posted by BrnP84 at 5:12 PM on July 29, 2008

WTF, it still won't post it right....
well for the third try here is what I meant to say...

No I don't think that's the point here yoink, the apology is fine, them being hypocritcal claiming they are going to prevent future atrocities is the problem. Like everyone said above there's plenty of shit goin down today that what's the point of them bringing up slavery?
posted by BrnP84 at 5:15 PM on July 29, 2008

So...we're opposed to them apologizing for slavery?

No, we're opposed to them apologizing for egregious human rights violations and simultaneously continuing to egregiously violate human rights in different arenas.
posted by lullaby at 5:17 PM on July 29, 2008

No, we're opposed to them apologizing for egregious human rights violations and simultaneously continuing to egregiously violate human rights in different arenas.

what he/she said.....
posted by BrnP84 at 5:19 PM on July 29, 2008

Don't think you've been left out, Iraqi friends! There'll be a nice letter coming your way in 2203.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 5:22 PM on July 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

We're not opposed to it, just smug and shrill.
posted by boo_radley at 5:36 PM on July 29, 2008

We're not opposed to it, just smug and shrill

Well that might (probably) be true too.....
posted by BrnP84 at 5:38 PM on July 29, 2008

but not as smug as Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert
posted by BrnP84 at 5:41 PM on July 29, 2008

Symbolic reparations...well, as Jim Goad put it, it's kind of like killing someone and then sending them a sympathy card.
posted by jonmc at 5:53 PM on July 29, 2008