Apology for slavery put forth by TN's own Steve Cohen

[Punisher84]

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jul/29/debate-apology-slavery-under-way-house/?partner=yahoo_headlines

I think this is beyond stupid.

[Guest Fuel]

The apology, sponsored in May 2007 by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., would be a first step toward racial reconciliation, he has said.

Oh please .....

[saintsfanbrian]

I am so sick of states apologizing for something that happened over 140 years ago.

Slavery is still going strong in foreign countries (in Africa) yet I don't see too many people that are here rushing to go there to stop it.

This is another case of Cohen trying to fend of Tinker or whomever he is running against saying look what a great guy I am.

I tell you what, I think reparations would be a good thing any more. Go ahead and pay every black family that can trace their heritage back to a slave the requisite 40 acres and a mule. By today's inflation that would probably equal about $100,000 per family. Then we can get rid of the EEOC, the "special" rights that certain people enjoy and welfare because then everyone is equal again right?

[saintsfanbrian]

You want a first step to racial reconciliation? GET OVER IT!!!! It happened, it sucked, life's rough get a helmet.

[Luckyforward]

I am tired of apologizing for things that the persons who are affected have long turned into dust . . .

You apologize to people's faces; not to their gravestones.

[G27]

I don't apologize for stuff I didn't do.

[Punisher84]

I'm Irish...can I get apology for years of british tyranny and being stereotyped by Hollywood?

What's that? Nobody gives a flying @#*%? Oh well I'll just have a Guiness then.

[Guest grimel]

What the he!! do I need to apologize about? One half my family was sharecroppers (take a look at how they were treated) the other half fought to end state's rights (and freed the slaves in the process).

The real question is can I just pay my portion of the reparations straight to my grandson or does the fed have to get a cut? How about the black slave owners, does their decendents get to help pay the reparations?

This has to be the absolute dumbest idea ever by the Dems and racist "civil rights" leaders.

[Im Neero]

I wasn't aware that Cohen owned slaves.

[Guest 270win]

Bringing up something that happened 150 years ago makes the situation worse. What is funny is you don't hear the American Indians griping about anything and wanting apologies for what happened to their ancestors. They are making $$$$ from their casinos.

[Im Neero]

I don't know if money from a few casinos is just compensation for the wholesale destruction of your way of life and mass extermination of your people.

[Mike.357]

Yanno, pay the blacks reperations. Give them money, who cares.

Give it a few weeks after the money is sent out and the same stuff will be going on.

Only difference will be a few more hoopty rides and some spinner rims.

People who have made a life for themselves will still be making a life for themselves.

The rest will still be in the hood looking for their next forty.

[Punisher84]

Yanno, pay the blacks reperations. Give them money, who cares.

Give it a few weeks after the money is sent out and the same stuff will be going on.

Only difference will be a few more hoopty rides and some spinner rims.

People who have made a life for themselves will still be making a life for themselves.

The rest will still be in the hood looking for their next forty.

Mike, you are my hero.

[Guest Engloid]

I just wonder where he's finding 140 year old former slaves to apologize to.

[Mike.357]

140 year old former slaves

yanno, fu*k that stuff too. 140 years ago, get over it already. My ancestors were Irish and Cherokee mostly. If they were not among the most screwed over bunch of people ever born I don't know what to say.

If you are sitting in the hood, feeling sorry for yourself and waiting on your welfare check you are a worthless piece of dooky. Get off your ass, go and earn a living.

There is no blame to spread except at the guy looking at you in the mirror.

No one is offering my people money. I know damn well it is a matter of time (assuming Obama is elected) that this reperation BS is bandied about.

I tell you what. Come forward if you were a slave or your parents or grandparents were slaves. Other than that, go sit in the back of the bus.

[Guest nraforlife]

Ok, I give up. I frickin apologize for things my ancestors did 140 yrs ago even though they were living in Italy and England at the time. I am sooooo frickin sorry. Now that I have apologized for what my great great great grnadparents weren't around to do can I please stop paying your sorry arse welfare?

[analog_kidd]

How about a big old official "Thank You" from the other side to the Northern states for setting them free. Or maybe personal letters of appreciation to the families of the thousands of men that gave their lives to end slavery in the Civil War. It's just plain rediculous.

Also, take a look at the countries where most of the slaves came from. I know slavery sucked, but if their ancestors had not been slaves, most of the descendants today would be living in a grass hut somewhere, starving to death.

[Guest Len]

If it does not cost any money and facilitates racial healing, I see no problem with it. I wonder though if it in fact does promote anything positive? Cohen is clearly trying to get re-elected with this particular issue, however.

[Mike.357]

If it does not cost any money and facilitates racial healing, I see no problem with it. I wonder though if it in fact does promote anything positive?

I see no way this promoting anyting positive. Some people already feel they are owed. All this does is add to their feeling that way.

[Im Neero]

For the record, I fully support reparations. Go ahead, pay the whiners. I think after the reparations are paid though, they have to stop claiming "a history of segregation, etc..." as a reason for anything.

No more affirmative action policies.

No more race based discrimination cases.

No more outrage at the "n" word disproportionate to any other racial epithet.

No more Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton.

I would gladly pay to put an end to all the bitching.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

I'm a Christian and believe what the Bible says... so being a descendant of Adam and Eve... and realizing every culture and nationality has once been enslaved by another. I apologize to everyone, and will except apologies from everyone else, seeing as all our ancestors have all been on both sides of this issue.... both slaves and the enslavers.

And while I'm at it... let me apologize for all my recent ancestors. 1st from my Mom's side of the tree.... about 1600, they were Indians. Im going to officially apologize for them letting my Dads side of the family (English) get off the boats. Then I'll apologize for my Dad's side for shooting at them, the Indians that is. Then I'll apologize again for my moms side for shooting and scalping my Dad's ancestors after they got shot at. Then I'll apologize to my Mom's side again, yes thats right the Indians, for my Dad's side for brining in the Africans and small pox. Then I'll apologize to the French, apparently both my Mom and Dads sides of the tree made nice to slaughter some French back around.... 1760. Then I have to apologize to the late President Washington because my Mom's ancestors killed lots of his men around 1755. The English got revenge.. burned several villiages... so here goes another apology to my Mom's family, the Indians.

I dont have time to retrace all the crap my family did to each other and everyone else in history after that, well I probably should apologize to the Mexicans, Germans, Filipino's, Japanese, Koreans, Cubans, Chinease,... both sides of my family killed lots of them in the last 200 years.

So in short... apologies out to everyone, but no reparations or compensation to anyone else... unless Im getting a ck in the mail myself!!!!

[molonlabetn]

Oh good... now we can all live in peace and harmony because all is fixed, forgiven and forgotten.

[Guest canynracer]

whatever...I am 100% Italian...I apologize for nothing.

[molonlabetn]

Pretty much... One side of my family fought in the war to end slavery (or whatever they call it down here ), and the other side came over from Poland around WWII.

The whining, decades and centuries later, just makes me care even less.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

Pretty much... One side of my family fought in the war to end slavery (or whatever they call it down here ), and the other side came over from Poland around WWII.

The whining, decades and centuries later, just makes me care even less.

I thought it was the war for securing state rights and ending big government Tyranny...

By the way, my family on both sides wore Grey uniforms and killed bunches of yours... so there goes another apology a couple hundred years too late!