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Post by weebitty on Jun 18, 2009 22:17:31 GMT -5
Congress has nothing else to do but to worry about apolizing to the blacks for slavery?? I am not sure what year slavery ended but I am pretty sure that all those people are dead?? and also the ones that were in slavery are dead as well?? If not speak up now. I didn't have anything to do with slavery so excuse me I am not going to apolize for it. We have more important things to worry about right now. At least I thought we did. It just kind of irked me that we are wasting our time on stuff that isn't going to help people today with their problems. Just my opinion.
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Post by Organized Chaos on Jun 20, 2009 0:39:21 GMT -5
I debated whether I should comment on this or not because you walk a fine line when talking about race.
The first of two executive orders that made up the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in Sept. 1862, nearly 150 years ago. We owe blacks of today absolutely nothing as far as slavery is concerned.
Why does Congress do this now? Could it be because our current President is.....nahh couldn't be.
I agree with weebitty, I don't apologize for slavery. There's nothing to apologize for. It happened, it was a horrible thing...we've done a lot of horrible things in our past. Should we apologize for everything? What I never could understand is why we (the U.S.A.) take the brunt of most of the blame for the existence of slavery. Slavery is traced back to ancient times. Enslaving the black race as we're familiar with it today was happening long before America was even dreamed of.
I'm white and yes, do I dare say, proud of it. More & more today it seems you're not allowed to be proud of being white. Proud to be any other is perfectly acceptable though. So if being proud of what I am is racist, then so be it.
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Post by weebitty on Jun 20, 2009 13:19:25 GMT -5
Dear Organized, I was beginning to think I was the only one that felt this way. I agree totally with your last sentence. So am I. I will not apolize for being white either. Although if we look around the whites are becoming the minority now. We are all friends here and all have our opinions. I am NOT politically correct and don't apolize for that either. I will carry this even farther on that fine line. I don't think we should write everything in another language. The people that came over on Ellis Island adapted to our ways because they respected our country and wanted to be a part of it. The Foreigners that come over now want to change America to their ways and beliefs. If you don't like it here with our ways, and our language and our flag then by all means feel free to GO HOME. It doesn't hurt my feelings if you don't like us. If you don't like us then what are you doing here??? Again just my opinion. I resent the fact that Obama is apolizing to the rest of the world for us. BS!!
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Post by havingfunnow on Jun 20, 2009 17:28:20 GMT -5
As a Native American Indian, I will follow this post with amused interest, and I am not the only Native American Indian member on this board. In Junior High & High School, I was a member of: Football Team Hockey Team Wrestling Team French Club Choir Chess Club Archery Club Rocketering Club Science Club (Math and Physics) and I was NEVER called a nerd. I received more awards and scholarship offers than anyone else in a graduating class of over 770. So what about apologizing for the treatment of Native American Indians, there are many still alive who were involuntarily sterilized in the 1970's and earlier. We are waiting!
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Post by Organized Chaos on Jun 20, 2009 17:59:55 GMT -5
You lost me, Louis. I don't know what being Indian has to do with being called or not being called a nerd. Along the lines of this conversation, I never cared much when people attempt to get others to look at them differently by bringing up the fact that they are a minority race. I don't care what you are (meaning "you" in general). Minority races fight to be treated equally, but are usually the first to point out they are a minority. Guess what, I'm not the only white member on this board, so big whoop! I agree that the white man has done a horrible thing to the American Indian. Came along, took land by force whether they liked it or not, and "corralled" them into reservations. But just like slavery, that was then & this is now. I guess we will apologize when Indians apologize for scalping so many of "my people." Being part German, I guess I had better apologize for the Holocaust as well. I knew I should've stayed out of this one.
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Post by havingfunnow on Jun 21, 2009 13:57:15 GMT -5
LOL! I was referring to the Video! I have seen prejudice go both ways, and find it quite silly. I say that regardless of race/nationality, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and financial standing, everyone has a right to be treated as an equal human being. I really try not to be prejudiced, and firmly believe that prejudice is something that is taught at home or social environment. Sadly that is not the case, and think that everyone has some prejudice or preference; whether they admit it or not. But when prejudices become extreme, then I feel that is a problem. As far as being proud of one's heritage, that too could be considered a prejudice, but only if one felt that their heritage was better than the heritage of others. I enjoy going to heritage festivals and learning about the heritage of other races. Or Renaissance Festivals, but mainly for the FOOD! As far as minorities asking to be treated equally, the answer is easily found by researching the employment rates and arrest/conviction rates of minorities vs non-minorities in areas of the country, where prejudice is evident. - South - White vs Black
- Midwest/West - White vs Indians
- Southwest - White vs Latino
But back to the original reason for this post, which was Congress apologizing for slavery. Yes, historically slavery was accepted and has had many names e.g. indentured servitude. In the world of today, slavery is now considered illegal in most nations. But don't kid yourself, it exists on a scale larger than most people think, especially the sex trade. Congress has 'officially' apologized for slavery, but the slavery they are apologizing for existed in the colonies before the was a United States of America. What Native American Indians are waiting for is the apology for the Genocidal policies of the United States Government. Note: On May 30, 2009, the Japanese Government apologized to survivors of the Bataan Death March, in which 75,000 American and Filipino POWs were forced to march 60 miles in a week without food or water. The actual amount of prisoners that were executed during the march is uncertain, but it was at least 25%.
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Post by weebitty on Jun 21, 2009 16:46:36 GMT -5
ok there are prejudices true I don't dispute that at all. But having been raised in California with blacks I had no prejudices toward them at all.......until I move to South Carolina. The blacks back there have a whole different attitude trust me. You also have the illutrious Jessie Jackson who incesently keeps that attitude going. I was a 911 operator there for 3 years so I know how the blacks can be. They have the projects and there was shooting there at least once a week. They don't think anything of killing each other or anyone else for that matter. Just to give you an idea. Blacks would call in to the police dept wanting an officer to come by and pick up their child because the child missed the bus and the parents were under court order to make sure they got to school. My Answer would be..... where on that court order ..is the The Greenville Police dept order to help you get your child to school??? Or when they did want the police to respond they would want a "black officer". There were several different things but you get the idea!! Where do they get the ideas from??? I would think it is a generation thing on both sides. But when you have people like Jessie Jackson stirring them up all the time it will never die. Oh and when was the last time you were approached by the ACLU (I think that was it, I forget what they call it back there now) that there was a black family moving in the neighborhood and they didn't want to hear a word from anyone about it??? I had never heard of that but it happened to my Uncle. So I had become "generally" prejudice meaning it depended on case by case basis how one black treated me. We had several black officers on our force that were just as good or better than some of the white officers. I would defend them just as quickly as I would a white officer. It was their attitude about themselves and toward me I think that made the difference, at least to me it did. At least we have some good clean debating going on. Also please read my other post on Fathers day under this heading. I have nothing against Fathers either!! LOL
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