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Question: Why should the White House Apologize for slavery!?
I recently came across an article in a magazine, and the editor (who was black) made a statement that the White House should apologize for slavery because it's long overdue!.

1) All the people who were slaves are dead
2) All the people who owned slaves are dead

So, they want the White House (full of people who never owned slaves) to apologize to people who have never been slaves!?

This doesn't make sense to me!. Why are some black people today so upset by something they've never experienced first-hand!.!.!.!.and why are they so upset by white people who have never experienced it first-hand!? There is nothing to apologize for, and there is no one to apologize to because that happened so long ago!. also, not all white people approved of slavery!.!.!.!.hence part of the reason for the Civil War!.

I am just curious about why some people (black or not) feel it's important for the White House to apologize for something that happened so long ago!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.it's not like it's going to erase what happened or make it okay that a certain group of people were enslaved!.

Should all Egyptians apologize to Jews for enslaving them thousands of years ago!? I don't hear any Jews complaining about that or demanding an apology from Cairo!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
You made a lot of great points! I believe that this sort of thing is what keeps racism a huge factor in this country!.

All the time people say racism should not exist!.!.!. we are all one people!.!.!.blah, blah, blah, and then someone like this magazine editor comes along and brings it all up again!. Ok, slavery was a bad thing that happened a long time ago should we not forgive and forget!? I have to wonder, doesn't there come a time when such things are so old that, while they should be remembered so the mistakes aren't repeated, they should just be let go and move on to bigger and brighter things!?

Hooray to you for bringing up this very sensitive subject!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Another point is has Britain apologized for their role in the slaves!. they started it before the US was even a country!. After all it was the citizens of Britain who bought the goods (sugar, tobacco, rice, cotton) that the slaves were used for!. And what about the countries where the slaves were captured and sold!? Have they apologized for their role in slavery!. It was a triangle route, Britain, to Africa to the Americas back to Britain!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

you got a point, but you have to remember there are still ancestors from people who were enslaved,
and on another note which is not mentioned in your statement why is it ok for the native americans to have received an apology from the united states for what our founding fathers did to their people but not ok for the government to apologize to the african americans who's families suffered from the consequences of cruel acts that happened only less than 100 years ago!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Because the government never did and it's the right thing to do!.

When you screw up, shouldn't you apologize even if it won't change anything you did in the past!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No, they should not!. People should just let bygones be bygones!. Slavery & the Holocaust are both over, it's time for people (black, white, etc!.) to get over the large chip they have on their shoulders, it's cutting a lot of them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It doesn't make any sense to me either!. What meaning can it possibly have for someone to apologise for something that they had no part in, and to people who have no experience of being slaves!?

Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's just like the way the US has made a hero of that terrorist King!.Www@QuestionHome@Com