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Post by Ceci on May 1, 2007 18:51:12 GMT -5
Today, on C-SPAN, I heard very eloquent speeches on the House floor concerning H.RES. 158, a bill to honor the legacy of Willaim Wilberforce. Mr. Wilberforce fought against slavery and pushed for the ending of the TransAtlantic trade of human trafficking. This is the bill that was introduced today: H.RES.158Congresspersons, such as Rep. Barbara Lee (D.-Calif.), discussed how America has not adequately dealt with the issue of slavery and how students in schools need to have an honest history of it in their classrooms. Slavery still goes on in the world, but it was expressed that still there are legacies of its practice in America happening today. This is especially felt through societal norms, values and customs in terms of social disparity and treatment between the races. With that being said, I turn the question to you guys. What ought America do with the legacy of slavery? It is not enough to say that it is "in the past". We have to acknowledge what happened and have an honest accounting of the repercusions. What do you guys think?
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Post by truthseeka on May 16, 2007 10:47:34 GMT -5
She should do what she's been doing; turning a blind eye to companies that benefitted handsomely from slavery and blaming Black America for its issues caused largely by the legacy of slavery, along with Jim Crow.
Really, Ceci, what do expect? Reparations? The US govt won't even APOLOGIZE for it (well, the state of Virginia did). But really; do you expect them to do anything but blame the victim?
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SeventhSeal17
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Post by SeventhSeal17 on May 16, 2007 16:34:06 GMT -5
What do I think? I think we should leave what's in the past... in the past. It was a horrible time in American (and world) history, no doubt, but it is over.
All talking about it does is re-open old and bitter wounds. I say, live and let live. I have nothing against people of color and I view them as my equal, as I think majority of people these do also.
What's done is done. Can't be changed.
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F.Gordon
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Post by F.Gordon on May 16, 2007 18:12:51 GMT -5
Everything I've learned of it seems to acknowledge it, but if a question were what could be done, I couldn't answer. Most of us alive today (at least my generation) had no hand or decision in it, I can't imagine how horrible it was to have happened, but as Christopher Titus said on his latest, 'my bad' doesn't quite cover it. But what can any of us say or do? We know it happened and the details taught, which what I have been taught are gruesome enough for me to acknowledge personally.
To me the legacy of all racism and everything lumped into civil rights will be resolved/complete/ the best word for it, when it gets to the point that all of the rights groups are no longer needed. But that question is a point Glenn Beck was trying to make on his radio show only yesterday. How will any tensions begin to end when special interest groups need them to continue to exist and be on the map. Another point he made was the groups are not going to make a racist, not a racist, by any action imaginable. That they're made? And when they are, they remain and have to be stepped around. I've not seen an act of racism, living in the stereotypical southern mountain community in North Carolina, and being an objective observer having been born in Baltimore MD and moved from there.
I guess I went off on the side, thats another topic perhaps for another board.
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Post by Ceci on May 16, 2007 18:31:02 GMT -5
She should do what she's been doing; turning a blind eye to companies that benefitted handsomely from slavery and blaming Black America for its issues caused largely by the legacy of slavery, along with Jim Crow. That's exactly the problem. Whenever there are discussions of this kind, people usually post to vent their spleen about Black America instead of dealing with the aspects of slavery. After all, whenever there is even the mention of slavery, the first thing that comes up is the question of money instead of making an acknowledgement that slavery happened and a willingness to honestly discuss what it was about. Furthermore, in a lot of cases, there isn't a demonstration of empathy over what has happened in the past. Instead, people are more focused about the Black Community, "taking responsibility" instead of defining what that "responsibility" is or acknowledging that the Black people involved have "taken responsibility" in their lives. The worst of it is when Black people do want to discuss the effects of slavery today, the first accusation is the "Sins of the Fathers" excuse that seems to cut off the conversation. I understand the issue about the "sins of the father", but that isn't the case when people want to discuss a historical event. Do people bring up the "sins of the father" when dealing with specific events of the American Revolution? It's not so much about money, with me. It is about demonstrating a sense of empathy and awareness about American history and the repercussions that it had socially and racially in the present day. Instead of saying that it is "all in the past", it is time to take account for what actually happened. And then, integrate that into a discussion of why the aspects of the social ettiquette and treatment as a result of slavery still has its repercussions today. If people can put their cards on the table, then I think we can move beyond just discussing reparations. Instead, we can reach a middle ground about an aspect of history that has severely affected us even today.
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