Virginia Lawmaker Says Blacks 'Should Get Over' Slavery

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Well on the one side you have a symbolic gesture - which costs nothing. Considering that one of the Southern States didn't actually take slavery off its statute books until the 1990's (It had been rendered obsolete by other laws by then) - I don't see the problem with recognising the fact that slavery, and the short lifespan of the civil rights movement is responsible for significant social disparities between different cultural/ethnic groups.

As for direct reparations - I think there's only a case for that if the people directly affected were still alive. As that's no longer the case - the money is better off being put into social programmes to help the urban poor.

Who shall be the spokesperson to say everything has been righted?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well on the one side you have a symbolic gesture - which costs nothing. Considering that one of the Southern States didn't actually take slavery off its statute books until the 1990's (It had been rendered obsolete by other laws by then) - I don't see the problem with recognising the fact that slavery, and the short lifespan of the civil rights movement is responsible for significant social disparities between different cultural/ethnic groups.

As for direct reparations - I think there's only a case for that if the people directly affected were still alive. As that's no longer the case - the money is better off being put into social programmes to help the urban poor.

Who shall be the spokesperson to say everything has been righted?

How about you?

[*JG* 2]

The effects are definitely not gone; I will agree with that. However, until the day I die, I will not take blame for something I did not do, that was a product of a time hundreds of years before I even existed.

My thoughts exactly.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think 'blame' is the wrong word to be honest. The Issues have evolved since then and there isn't anyone who can be said they are to blame for the past. We are inheritors of that past however.

[Heracles 417]

Reparations could be put towards, as someone said, social programs to help the urban poor. How can you rule them out when tons of other countries have given reparations to those who are ancestors of victims of atrocities.

Everyone is saying what will money do to people who weren't products of slavery or were not directly affected. The point is, is that some were/are affected and society today is a product of its past. Some of the social disparities can be linked to this awful time.

I want people to stop throwing it around, to be honest, just like many of you. I want people to stop using it as an excuse for some things in their lives. I want it to stop being the barrier that has always been put up between the races on this side of the pond. However, as a gesture, an apology should AT LEAST be made by the government (not by you and i).

What percentage of Black Americans living today where affected by segregation?

Why should I as a new migrant be forced to dole out money for something I had nothing to do with? Or the other 98.5% of Americans who did not own slaves for that matter.

An apology has been made by Virginia and Maryland. Have things changed, no..

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Well on the one side you have a symbolic gesture - which costs nothing. Considering that one of the Southern States didn't actually take slavery off its statute books until the 1990's (It had been rendered obsolete by other laws by then) - I don't see the problem with recognising the fact that slavery, and the short lifespan of the civil rights movement is responsible for significant social disparities between different cultural/ethnic groups.

As for direct reparations - I think there's only a case for that if the people directly affected were still alive. As that's no longer the case - the money is better off being put into social programmes to help the urban poor.

Who shall be the spokesperson to say everything has been righted?

How about you?

Nice dodge!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well on the one side you have a symbolic gesture - which costs nothing. Considering that one of the Southern States didn't actually take slavery off its statute books until the 1990's (It had been rendered obsolete by other laws by then) - I don't see the problem with recognising the fact that slavery, and the short lifespan of the civil rights movement is responsible for significant social disparities between different cultural/ethnic groups.

As for direct reparations - I think there's only a case for that if the people directly affected were still alive. As that's no longer the case - the money is better off being put into social programmes to help the urban poor.

Who shall be the spokesperson to say everything has been righted?

How about you?

Nice dodge!

No - I'm just not in the mood for dealing with the capitalised words and an abundance of exclamation points.

Who should be the spokesperson? State Govt. They after all, represent the insitutions that benefitted from the slave trade.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Well on the one side you have a symbolic gesture - which costs nothing. Considering that one of the Southern States didn't actually take slavery off its statute books until the 1990's (It had been rendered obsolete by other laws by then) - I don't see the problem with recognising the fact that slavery, and the short lifespan of the civil rights movement is responsible for significant social disparities between different cultural/ethnic groups.

As for direct reparations - I think there's only a case for that if the people directly affected were still alive. As that's no longer the case - the money is better off being put into social programmes to help the urban poor.

Who shall be the spokesperson to say everything has been righted?

How about you?

Nice dodge!

No - I'm just not in the mood for dealing with the capitalised words and an abundance of exclamation points.

Who should be the spokesperson? State Govt. They after all, represent the insitutions that benefitted from the slave trade.

I think you might need to see someone about your ####### attitude over letters! Or is that an excuse for a dodge and weave?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well on the one side you have a symbolic gesture - which costs nothing. Considering that one of the Southern States didn't actually take slavery off its statute books until the 1990's (It had been rendered obsolete by other laws by then) - I don't see the problem with recognising the fact that slavery, and the short lifespan of the civil rights movement is responsible for significant social disparities between different cultural/ethnic groups.

As for direct reparations - I think there's only a case for that if the people directly affected were still alive. As that's no longer the case - the money is better off being put into social programmes to help the urban poor.

Who shall be the spokesperson to say everything has been righted?

How about you?

Nice dodge!

No - I'm just not in the mood for dealing with the capitalised words and an abundance of exclamation points.

Who should be the spokesperson? State Govt. They after all, represent the insitutions that benefitted from the slave trade.

I think you might need to see someone about your ####### attitude over letters! Or is that an excuse for a dodge and weave?

Perhaps - but then I did answer your question...

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Well on the one side you have a symbolic gesture - which costs nothing. Considering that one of the Southern States didn't actually take slavery off its statute books until the 1990's (It had been rendered obsolete by other laws by then) - I don't see the problem with recognising the fact that slavery, and the short lifespan of the civil rights movement is responsible for significant social disparities between different cultural/ethnic groups.

As for direct reparations - I think there's only a case for that if the people directly affected were still alive. As that's no longer the case - the money is better off being put into social programmes to help the urban poor.

Who shall be the spokesperson to say everything has been righted?

How about you?

Nice dodge!

No - I'm just not in the mood for dealing with the capitalised words and an abundance of exclamation points.

Who should be the spokesperson? State Govt. They after all, represent the insitutions that benefitted from the slave trade.

I think you might need to see someone about your ####### attitude over letters! Or is that an excuse for a dodge and weave?

Perhaps - but then I did answer your question...

How can an institution or an individual be held resposible for something that was legal at the time?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well on the one side you have a symbolic gesture - which costs nothing. Considering that one of the Southern States didn't actually take slavery off its statute books until the 1990's (It had been rendered obsolete by other laws by then) - I don't see the problem with recognising the fact that slavery, and the short lifespan of the civil rights movement is responsible for significant social disparities between different cultural/ethnic groups.

As for direct reparations - I think there's only a case for that if the people directly affected were still alive. As that's no longer the case - the money is better off being put into social programmes to help the urban poor.

Who shall be the spokesperson to say everything has been righted?

How about you?

Nice dodge!

No - I'm just not in the mood for dealing with the capitalised words and an abundance of exclamation points.

Who should be the spokesperson? State Govt. They after all, represent the insitutions that benefitted from the slave trade.

I think you might need to see someone about your ####### attitude over letters! Or is that an excuse for a dodge and weave?

Perhaps - but then I did answer your question...

How can an institution or an individual be held resposible for something that was legal at the time?

Because we now recognise it to be abhorrent, and that institution represents people who would have been subject to that policy were it legal today.

[Yodrak 7]

Thread closed at the request of the OP.

Yodrak