Slavery Apology, Virginia becomes first state to do so.

[OrangeEmpire]

RICHMOND, Va. - Meeting on the grounds of the former Confederate Capitol, the Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously Saturday to express "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery.

Sponsors of the resolution say they know of no other state that has apologized for slavery, although Missouri lawmakers are considering such a measure. The resolution does not carry the weight of law but sends an important symbolic message, supporters said.

"This session will be remembered for a lot of things, but 20 years hence I suspect one of those things will be the fact that we came together and passed this resolution," said Delegate A. Donald McEachin, a Democrat who sponsored it in the House of Delegates.

The resolution passed the House 96-0 and cleared the 40-member Senate on a unanimous voice vote. It does not require Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's approval.

The measure also expressed regret for "the exploitation of Native Americans."

The resolution was introduced as Virginia begins its celebration of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, where the first Africans arrived in 1619. Richmond, home to a popular boulevard lined with statues of Confederate heroes, later became another point of arrival for Africans and a slave-trade hub.

The resolution says government-sanctioned slavery "ranks as the most horrendous of all depredations of human rights and violations of our founding ideals in our nation's history, and the abolition of slavery was followed by systematic discrimination, enforced segregation, and other insidious institutions and practices toward Americans of African descent that were rooted in racism, racial bias, and racial misunderstanding."

In Virginia, black voter turnout was suppressed with a poll tax and literacy tests before those practices were struck down by federal courts, and state leaders responded to federally ordered school desegregation with a "Massive Resistance" movement in the 1950s and early '60s.

The apology is the latest in a series of strides Virginia has made in overcoming its segregationist past. Virginia was the first state to elect a black governor — L. Douglas Wilder in 1989 — and the Legislature took a step toward atoning for Massive Resistance in 2004 by creating a scholarship fund for blacks whose schools were shut down between 1954 and 1964.

Among those voting for the measure was Delegate Frank D. Hargrove, an 80-year-old Republican who infuriated black leaders last month by saying "black citizens should get over" slavery.

After enduring a barrage of criticism, Hargrove successfully co-sponsored a resolution calling on Virginia to celebrate "Juneteenth," a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

I think it's pathetic and disgusting.

Apologizing for the behavior of one's ancestors because of the way they treated somebody else's ancestors is beyond asinine. I rank it just ahead of competetive belly-button lint collecting on the "colossal waste of time and resources" scale.



The notion of reparations has limited appeal in my mind. For one, I fully understand that since black Americans' ancestor's got the shaft, which affects their descendants socio-political standing, which then affects their life chances,(education being one of them) earning ability, and buying power and legal protections, the argument for a leg-up is strong. Unfortunately, it would open up a can of worms. Who would determine who pays whom? And how much and for how long?

Besides all that, as noble the idea is, there's just too many greedy people to take advantage, and then there's the fact that bigoted opportunists would use the issue to undermine reconciliation.

One more thing, I can prove my ancestors never owned slaves. If anyone ever comes to me for reparation money, I will refuse.

[GAVol]

IF you think that's bad, here in Macon, GA, our Mayor decided to apologize on behalf of the city . . . . on the heels of announcing the week prior that he had converted to Islam and was changing his name from Jack Ellis to Hakeem Mansour Ellis.

[OrangeEmpire]

Yeah, that is funny and sad all the way around.....

[allvol123]

Originally Posted by GAVol

IF you think that's bad, here in Macon, GA, our Mayor decided to apologize on behalf of the city . . . . on the heels of announcing the week prior that he had converted to Islam and was changing his name from Jack Ellis to Hakeem Mansour Ellis.

You Maconites.

[GAVol]

The dude also recently had a beach named after him . . . in Ghana.

[GAVol]

Originally Posted by allvol123

You Maconites.

...and he's a 2 term mayor.

Don't blame me though. My house is strategically located just outside the city limits.

[OrangeEmpire]

Originally Posted by GAVol

...and he's a 2 term mayor.

Don't blame me though. My house is strategically located just outside the city limits.

Nice............

[VolunteerHillbilly]

Originally Posted by GAVol

...and he's a 2 term mayor.

Don't blame me though. My house is strategically located just outside the city limits.

A buddy of mine had to pretty much give away a nice house on Marjorie Pl., just off Ingleside Dr. because nobody in their right mind wants to live inside the city limits anymore.

[Lexvol]

On behalf of all caucasian males I would like to apologize for Charles Manson and Ted Bundy.

[therealUT]

As long as we are apologizing for the pain inflicted by our race, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the following:
Rob Van Winkle
Boy George

[melissa hyberger]

Im sorry that slavery happened. We cant go back and change history (though some on this board seem to like to do that). God's own people were in slavery many times in the bible so its not just a black thing. I do believe that most blacks are happy to be black Americans than African Americans. People in this country need to accept the fact that bad things happened and we need to learn from our mistakes and become a better country. If i were a black American i would be more upset by what happened to them in the past century. How we treated fellow Americans in the 50's and 60's was shameful and there was no excuse for it. Because of the way white Americans acted during that time period was what i believe caused the huge racial divide that we now experiance. Slavery is a dead issue in the United States, but unfortunatly bigotry is alive and well in all 50 states. We should all be more educated than how we act. Myself included. But like you guys, im not going to apologize for something i had no control over........

[therealUT]

Yes, slavery and indentured servitude existed in the world since the beginning of man. However, the cruelty and brutality that went along with the African slave trade is unparalleled in that history.

[Roosta]

Now. When will THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT apologize for the massacre (damn "exploitation)of millions of Native Americans?

[CSpindizzy]

OE, your ancestors didn't put Japanese in camps either but you still paid for them. Slaves were taxed and the government considered it legal. So on legal grounds we are liable for all government's previous actions. We've doled out millions to all sorts of groups and individuals for various items.

The consequence for reparations is that those whose ancestors owned slaves can also sue for reparations of lost property since the slaves they lost were still protected legal property under the Constitution at the time. So considering the fact that I had a few ancestors that owned slaves, I can sue for reparations as well. Basically the South alone could wind up getting rich at the expense of the rest of the country and could wind up bankrupting everyone.

[vader]

Originally Posted by therealUT

As long as we are apologizing for the pain inflicted by our race, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the following:
Rob Van Winkle
Boy George

Excellent idea. As a southerner I would like to formally apologize for Billy Ray Cyrus and Larry the Cable Guy.