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

[molonlabetn]

Lots of regiemes have killed lots of people from both sides of my family... but we're still kickin'.

... Of course, I am now the last eligible male with my last name, from my family, though... so it dies with me unless I had, had a kid. Which didn't happen. So I guess we're screwed.

[BryanP]

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!

Heh. When people get worked up about the Civil War and ask me my opinions I just tell them the truth: the only ancestors of mine involved were mercenaries based out of Kansas who came down here and killed rebels for money and all the plunder they could haul off with them.

[Guest justaman30]

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.

I agree. Let's move on and work toward equal rights for everyone, not just special interest groups and idiots.

[Guest sling]

I honestly think this whole "racism" and "ethnic" rights thing is crock. Races hate each other all over the world. The Chinese are some of the most hateful people toward the Japanese. They have their reasons just like everyone else.

The rats that complain about being poor and that their discriminated against... its your fault! Your the ones not stepping up to be something in the world. Its your fault your poor. Its your fault you sit on you butt on your front porch and act "gangsta" and rap about how "tuff" it is. Do something about it! No wonder no one likes your kind. They portray themselves as animals. They spend what money they actually get on spinners, bling, drugs, and cheap "pieces" to kill themselves with. Its pretty much their culture.

Its awesome to see a successful black man\woman. They down slump around feeling sorry for themselves and their race. They got out and did something about it to help themselves.

*sigh* Ok, i think i'm done. Stuff like this really likes the fire under my toes.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

Heh. When people get worked up about the Civil War and ask me my opinions I just tell them the truth: the only ancestors of mine involved were mercenaries based out of Kansas who came down here and killed rebels for money and all the plunder they could haul off with them.

Just be glad your JAY-HAWKERS never stayed this far south for very long, because you wouldnt be typing your reply.... you wouldnt exist!!!

Edited July 30, 2008 by GLOCKMEISTER

[clipslinger]

Ahhh, truth be known the yanks woulda lost that particular war had it not been for the Irish coming off of those boats. The big thing is if they knew then what we know now theyed a picked their own damned cotton lol.My familys side wore mostly grey and Reparations will never stop them from hating us. Money will not change anything and will only make anyone more dependant on gubment benefits.Which is what our gubment really wants.

[Guest db99wj]

Back to the Topic, Cohn is a white jewish guy that represents a predominately black district, in an election year against a black female. Take from that what you will.

[GLOCKMEISTER]

You mean he's getting beat!!!!

[Guest eyebedam]

Screw the apologies I didnt do it so get over it.

[Guest pjblurton]

You mean he's getting beat!!!!

Like a rug!

[saintsfanbrian]

Regardless of who wins that election - we loose. Tinker, Cohen, the other guy - none of them are friends of the NRA.

[dariks]

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

I couldn't have said it better.

[Guest Grizzly Johnson]

I honestly think this whole "racism" and "ethnic" rights thing is crock. Races hate each other all over the world. The Chinese are some of the most hateful people toward the Japanese. They have their reasons just like everyone else.

The rats that complain about being poor and that their discriminated against... its your fault! Your the ones not stepping up to be something in the world. Its your fault your poor. Its your fault you sit on you butt on your front porch and act "gangsta" and rap about how "tuff" it is. Do something about it! No wonder no one likes your kind. They portray themselves as animals. They spend what money they actually get on spinners, bling, drugs, and cheap "pieces" to kill themselves with. Its pretty much their culture.

Its awesome to see a successful black manwoman. They down slump around feeling sorry for themselves and their race. They got out and did something about it to help themselves.

*sigh* Ok, i think i'm done. Stuff like this really likes the fire under my toes.

Couldn't have said it any plainer!! I bet if the money was to come from his income, the sorry SOB would think twice about paying out!!! Everyone would like to spend everyone else's money instead of their own!!

[fizik]

wow. i know memphis is a racially screwed up city, having spent a few years there myself...but this is absurd.

and as we all know, and has been said above. this would be no different than apologizing for something that someone who LOOKED like my ancestors did far in the past.

I, AND NO ONE ELSE IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY, HAS OWNED A SLAVE. WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG. NO ONE IN THIS COUNTRY TODAY IS OR WAS A SLAVE, YOU DON'T DESERVE ####. DROP IT.

[molonlabetn]

...The big thing is if they knew then what we know now theyed a picked their own damned cotton lol...

I wish... But, we're seeing it again in the form of the growing illegal labor force. It's already biting us in a very similar manner.

[BryanP]

Just be glad your JAY-HAWKERS never stayed this far south for very long, because you wouldnt be typing your reply.... you wouldnt exist!!!

They didn't want to stay. They just came for the plunder and then went home.

Then my dad was stationed here back in the 60's and he married a local.

[BrasilNuts]

My

Slavery was a awful thing. I could not imagine me and my family being slaves to other people or having someone as a slave to me.

The blacks that were brought here form Africa paid the price. They suffered, fought, and died for the freedom and opportunity that most of their descendants choose to squander today.

I have lived and worked in two different countries in Africa and can tell you from experience that the future of the average African is not very bright. There is no opportunity, education, health care, or infrastructure to speak of. The roads look like a bomb range, the power goes out for hours at least once a day, and you can't drive past the cemetery without seeing the funeral of the latest malaria or HIV victim. The goverment is always unstable because you never know when some rogue warlord is going to come in and take it over or the president is just going to decide that he wants to stay in office for the next thirty years and rape the country.

[end rant]

That being said, though slavery was horrendous, if I were black I would be thankful for my ancestors and what they went through to get me here and give me the opportunities that I have.

I don't agree with the reparations... unless it is a airline ticket.

[molonlabetn]

Well said.

[Punisher84]

deleted

Edited August 2, 2008 by Punisher84
Pic died. :(

[Guest db99wj]

You're photbucket sucks at bandwidth.

[towerclimber37]

ya know something? My ancestors owned 35 slaves at one time.

look up the Jarrell plantation in Juliette Ga.

yep..I'm kin to them.

Oh they led a charmed life. they owned 2200 dollars worth of land and 25,000 dollars in slaves.

after the emancipation proclaimation, the slaves were freed and many of them stayed on, took the family name and worked the land as tenant farmers.

later they were GIVEN the land they worked. Oh the hard life.

white slavery is at the highest levels it's ever been. you don't hear us crying about it..though if I ever run into folks in ANY kind of slavery business, you can bet your sweet tailfeathers that I will be a murderer...I'd kill every one of them within range of hands or firearms.

that being said...I don't owe anyone anything.

[Im Neero]

My family had slaves too. None of them left when they were freed. Turns out that in the reconstruction era south, working on a farm in exchange for food and housing wasn't such a bad gig, given the alternatives.

No real point to that statement, just an observation.

[Guest gcrookston]

My ancestors were too busy out west subjugating indians and stealing their land during the time of slavery... Before that, my ancestors were busy being subjugated by the British and having their lands stolen before America...

I owe no apologies to those who believe entitlements are deserved income streams.

[wjh2657]

My family, on both sides, emigrated to this country in the 1880s and 1890s. This was the period of the greatest population growth in USA. Most of us are descended from ancestors who wren't even here during the slavery period.

Most of the young men (and older dads) of the slave owners were killed during the Civil War. Slaveowners made up the larger portion of Southern Officers and most of the Southern Officer Corps were dead by the end of the Civil War.

Most of those who can trace ancestors back to 1850 and 1860s will find their people fought for the Union to free slaves.

Conclusion: You would be hard pressed to find any descendents of slave owners in this day and age. The rest of don't need to apologize, our families didn't own slaves.

This isn't a racist statement, it is just a true reflection of history.

[G27]

My family did own slaves - that still isn't my problem - I had nothing to do with it and do not represent them.