The Georgia NAACP is calling on the state to issue an apology for its role in slavery. Why? There's not one person alive today who is responsible for slavery. If Georgia needs to apologize for slavery, then we need to call the British ambassador and demand an apology from his government for burning down the White House in the War of 1812. Ridiculous.

I couldn`t get the link to work so here is the article:

By ERNIE SUGGS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 03/07/07

The Georgia NAACP on Wednesday called for Gov. Sonny Perdue to follow Virginia's lead and issue an apology for the state's role in slavery and Jim Crow.

Edward O. DuBose, president of the Georgia State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said an apology would be "an acknowledgement that a wrong took place."

"An apology will not improve education, but an apology will acknowledge that whites benefited from the slavery and the inhumane treatment of African-Americans," DuBose said during a news conference at the state Capitol.

Perdue's office did not return calls seeking comment Wednesday.

The proposal's chances in the Republican-led Legislature appeared uncertain Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams (R-Lyons) said, "I don't think I can apologize for something I haven't done. I don't agree with what my ancestors did. I believe what they felt and did was wrong, but I can't apologize for them. I can only apologize for me. While I am sorry for those past injustices, my efforts here have to be to make sure they don't ever occur again."

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, a Republican who serves as president of the Senate, said through a spokewoman that he prefers to look ahead rather than dwell on the past.

"Of course, [Cagle] regrets the awful legacy of slavery, but he is focused on the future and providing hope and opportunity for every citizen regardless of the past," said spokeswoman Jaillene E. Hunter.

The NAACP request comes a little more than a week after Virginia legislators offered an expression of "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery. Lawmakers in Missouri and Tennessee also have begun discussing whether to issue apologies in their states.

The Virginia resolution was approved unanimously in the state House and Senate, both controlled by Republicans.

"We have noticed that the Commonwealth of Virginia took a bold step to apologize for slavery and the effects of Jim Crow," DuBose said.

The NAACP is hoping for Perdue's support for the resolution and that the General Assembly will approve before it adjourns in April, DuBose said.

"[Perdue] has a great opportunity to add to his legacy," DuBose said on the steps of the state Capitol, beneath a statue of segregationist politician Tom Watson.

But time is short. Georgia lawmakers are on a break until March 19, which will be the 27th day of the legislative session. Under legislative rules, by the 30th day (March 27) all bills must have passed at least one of the chambers.

State Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway), head of Georgia's Legislative Black Caucus, said it plans to introduce a resolution March 19. The caucus' power has eroded since Democrats lost control of state government, but Williams said he anticipates bipartisan support.

"It is long past due," said Williams. "An apology is the least we can do for the same reason Japan apologized to China for atrocities during World War II. There can be no healing until someone says 'sorry'."

Reps. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta) and Earnest "Coach" Williams (D-Avondale Estates), both African-Americans, attended Wednesday's news conference and promised to push the resolution.

Georgia was founded in 1732 by James Oglethorpe as a slave-free colony and remained that way until 1751. But between 1775 and 1783, the era of the American Revolution, African slaves constituted nearly half of Georgia's colonial population.

According to the 1830 Georgia Census, of the half-million people in the state, there were only 79,000 more whites than slaves. By 1850, as the population grew to 900,000, close to 400,000 Georgians were slaves.

Slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War in 1865, but Georgia maintained Jim Crow laws, a system of institutionalized segregation and discrimination.

Violence accompanied Jim Crow. According to the Tuskegee University archives' records of lynchings between 1882 and 1964, Georgia recorded 531 lynchings over that time, second only to Mississippi's 581.

If Georgia issues an apology, DuBose and those who joined him Wednesday acknowledged that it would send only a symbolic message. Nationwide, critics have denounced such resolutions as a step toward reparations, financial settlements with the descendants of slaves.

"This opens up an honest dialogue," DuBose said.

Sonji Jacobs and Joni Zeccola contributed to this article.

I don't see what the big deal is. If they just want an apology, just send it out and be done with it.

I think everyone can agree that slavery was a violation of human rights, so what's the big problem with the state saying it?

an apology is acceptable, but I've read that some want monetary claims too. um, no. If that were to happen everyone who has ever been enslaved would be wanting the same.

No apology should be put forth. It`s absurd.

quote:

Originally posted by LISAJUNKIEE:
an apology is acceptable, but I've read that some want monetary claims too. um, no. If that were to happen everyone who has ever been enslaved would be wanting the same.

Yeah, I'd have a problem with it if people are asking for hand-outs, but if they're just asking for an acknowledgement that slavery was wrong, then I don't have a problem with that.

quote:

Originally posted by Unique Dog:
No apology should be put forth. It`s absurd.

Why not? What harm would come from the state saying "Slavery was a violation of human rights. We're sorry that violation happened in our state."

What's the problem with that?

It's just good manners. You do something wrong, you apologize.

We already acknowledged that slavery is wrong and in essence we already apologized for it.
AMENDMENT XIII
Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.

Note: A portion of Article IV, section 2, of the Constitution was superseded by the 13th amendment.

Section 1.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.


No one needs to apologize for someone else`s actions that accurred over 100 years ago. I`m not responsible for their actions anymore than you are. We acknowledged that it`s wrong, we outlawed it. They need to get over it and move on with their lives rather than insisting that we constantly look back.

Like I said before, if Georgia needs to apologize for slavery, then we need to call the British ambassador and demand an apology from his goverment for burning down the White House in the War of 1812. Or why don`t call the Japanese ambassador and demand an apology from his government for attacking Pearl Harbor in 1941? Or, why don`t we demand that the offspring of our Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence apologize to Great Britian for commiting Treason?

Ridiculous. Pure and simple.

quote:

Originally posted by Unique Dog:
We already acknowledged that slavery is wrong.

The Federal Government did yes, but Georgia as a soverign state hasn't.

But again I ask, what's the harm in doing it? So what if it's said twice? Since when did repeating the truth become a bad thing?

Like I said before, if Georgia needs to apologize for slavery, then we need to call the British ambassador and demand an apology from his goverment for burning down the White House in the War of 1812. Or why don`t we call the Japanese ambassador and demand an apology from his government for attacking Pearl Harbor in 1941? Or, why don`t we demand that the offspring of our Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence apologize to Great Britian for commiting Treason?

Here's a few points to ponder. First ... there is not one single living, breathing human being in this country who cannot trace his ancestry back to someone who was held in slavery. I hate to be the bearer of this news, but black Americans have no corner on the "descended from slaves" market.

But why stop with an apology for slavery? What about the slaughter of the Native Americans? Obviously they deserve some money for their pain and suffering. And if we're talking about reparations, the biggest piggy bank of all has to be the British government. They still haven't paid for all the havoc they caused in the Revolutionary War. And what about Aaron Burr's relatives? Alexander Hamilton owes them some money.

The truth is you can only go back so far. There is not one person alive today that had anything to do with the slave trade. There is nothing to apologize for because nobody did anything. There is nobody to pay or collect from because nobody had anything to do with it. But the apologies roll on.

Hey .. how about an apology from black Americans for the disproportionate amount of violent crime that is caused by blacks in America.

Oops .. now that's a politically incorrect thought if ever there was one.