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Black people are no more slaves than white people. Actually, over the millennia there have been more "white" people enslaved than black.
It has now been nearly 150 years since slavery existed in the United States and yet certain factions of the black community still feel
that they are entitled to a special treatment status. Granted, until the mid 1960's (thanks in part to brave souls such as Rosa Parks
and Martin Luther King, among others) black people in sections of the United States, most predominantly the deep south, were sometimes
subjected to a "second class citizen" treatment, and by certain groups (eg. the Ku Klux Klan), brutally. That has now been 2 full
generations ago, however, and yet poisonous attitudes passed down and kept alive from generation to generation still prevail.
The term "African American" has no more place in modern American society than does "British American." The latter could be used by me
as my mother was a British citizen. Or perhaps I call myself a "Canadian American" because my father was Canadian? Such labels can
only be divisive and serve to maintain walls between people who could otherwise simply be "Americans." Such labels have no place in
our modern world society.
There are many blacks yet alive who suffered indignities or worse in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, and many more whose parent(s) did and
who passed down their bitterness and racial hatred to their offspring. It will be another generation, or perhaps even 2 before the
prejudice passed down will begin to wane as there will be no living memories, only stories. There will still, however, be animosity
for generations to come as there will always be those elements of society who simply use racism as their raison d'etre, Sad, isn't it?
The state of Virginia has official apologized for its role in slavery, as though any person living today had anything to do with it.
How real is that? Hey, I don't think slavery should exist or have existed either, but I'm sure not going to apologize for something
I had no part in.
Should Italy make reparations for all the slaves (mostly white) that their people (the Romans) virtually fed to the lions for sport?
Hey, those were my people and I want an apology, and perhaps some greenbacks in my wallet to ease my pain.
There have been slaves since man existed, and "humans" have been treated as property, bought and sold since time immemorial. It still
goes on today. Over 1/5 of the world still practices slavery, or at least ownership of people. And how many husbands to you think feel
their wives "belong" to them (or vice-versa)? And according to the Muslim faith, women are the property of man, and exist only for
the purpose of bearing children and serving their men. I challenge you to convince me that that is not slavery.
Slavery, (and I'm speaking specifically now of black slavery in America) contrary to what one may think, did not necessarily involve
any sort of brutality or mistreatment whatsoever here on our shores. Slaves were bought according to the laws of the time. Yes, there
were many horrendous events by some very brutal businessmen (none related to me, however) but that does not negate my position.
The early land barons of England which so mistreated--brutalized and slaughtered--my ancestors simply didn't know any better, any more
than the hideously brutal treatment of intelligent dolphins currently suffer at the hands of Japanese fish mongers. Should I ask for
an apology from Queen Elizabeth?
Should I apologize because Jeffery Dahmer included black people on his menu? I mean, after all, he was white (or pinkish -white) and
because of that I should be held somewhat responsible as I am also pinkish-white, right?
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