Do you think Georgia lawmakers should support a resolution apologizing for slavery?
Nay: Feeling sorry won’t solve anything, AJC Op-Ed
Yea: Apologize and move on, Macon Telegraph Op-Ed
And since I’m blogging this late, here’s the background:
NAACP seeks state apology for slavery, from AJC:
State Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway), head of Georgia’s Legislative Black Caucus, said it plans to introduce a resolution March 19. The caucus’ power has eroded since Democrats lost control of state government, but Williams said he anticipates bipartisan support.“It is long past due,” said Williams. “An apology is the least we can do for the same reason Japan apologized to China for atrocities during World War II. There can be no healing until someone says ‘sorry’.”
Reps. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta) and Earnest “Coach” Williams (D-Avondale Estates), both African-Americans, attended Wednesday’s news conference and promised to push the resolution.
Also, a revealing thread from PeachPundit: Eric Johnson Apologizes
Even if Perdue does eventually support the resolution, it will be insincere at best and facetious at worst. Either way, Republican lawmakers would do well to wipe the smirk off their faces. A vote against this resolution will follow them for the rest of their political careers.
12 Responses to Apologies
Help Daniel
As much as I may agree with the Macon editorial, which I do, I’m still left wondering if this resolution really does anything to strengthen Democrats, African Americans, Georgia, or the Legislature.
Hard to say Joe. I’ve become so cynical about these things, all I can hear is the voices of black Democratic challengers claiming their Republican opponents did not support this resolution. Or the voices of white Ds in A-A crowds. In other words, it may not help (strengthen), us but will very likely hurt them next year. Net + for Ds, however you look at it.
But this is just a gut feeling. I’m for sure no strategist.
So my understanding is that black legislators are for this and will vote in favor if it comes to the floor. Isn’t that sort of weird, blacks voting to apologize for slavery? Just a thought.
Democrats who want the Republicans to apologize or not for the sake that it will look good on a political mailer are no better than Sen. Johnson and his fake and utterly disrespectful apologize.
Whatever happened to the Net + for the victims of this heinous act – African Americans. Guess we really shouldn’t focus on the pain of those individuals since they always vote for Democrats anyway.
The shame should be on any individual that sees this resolution as a means for political posturing.
I’m not even sure I understand the “us” versus the “them” line of tactic. Unless “us” is former descendants of slavery. Otherwise someone please explain how a White Dem can claim to be an “us” in this situation.
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation which apologized for the internment on behalf of the U.S. government. The legislation stated that government actions were based on “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership” – I don’t think anyone used the line of questioning on whether it would strengthen Democrats, Japanese Americans, Georgia, or the America. I highly doubt it.
America apologized to Japanese Americans because it was the right thing to do and Georgia General Assembly should apologize to African Americans because it is the right thing to do. Not because it is the political thing to do.
The only strategies we need in Georgia is common sense and love for our fellow brothers.
Mel, Republicans may one day regret a vote against something like this, but they can not possibly conceive of when that day would arrive, and if you think about that, that should tell you all you need to know about politics in Georgia right now.
That attitude is the same reason that payday loans are on the way back, Peachcare enrollment has been frozen, you name it.
They have made, I think, a mistake that will eventually come back to haunt them. In reality, I think voters in Georgia happen to line up with what they believe the Republicans generally stand for right now. But I think the Republicans think voters have given them a blank check to do whatever.
In other words, they think the voters are looking to the Republican elected officials for leadership, when really the voters want the Republicans to follow their cue.
You are starting to see the cracks with Sunday sales and other isolated things, and I can’t say in advance what issue will actually cause them to deviate far enough from where the voters are to get a backlash brewing, but back to the original point, why would they even think about what black Democrats want or think…they can’t possibly conceive of a scenario where black Georgians or Democratic Georgians are back in the drivers seat with voters.
But it will happen eventually.
It’ll be a net plus for Democrats, because it will separate the Republicans from their racist supporters, or identify them as racists, depending on how they vote.
That said, the fact that this will be a net plus for Democrats is not why Georgia should apologize for slavery. It’s because the elites have spent several centuries excusing the evil of slavery, minimizing the evil of slavery, or sanitizing the history of slavery, to the point that otherwise decent people can sing-song the phrase “Heritage, not Hate” when speaking of a heritage responsible for this:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/living/images/living_hist_pic1.jpg
(It’s work-safe, but gruesome.)
That has to be undone, and it can’t really begin until there’s at least a collective acknowledgment of the depth of the evil itself – which would be the effect of an apology by the state of Georgia.
Since it seems some are going to keep this issue sanitized and void of a real discussion on race – explain to me the calculated formula for those Democrats that won’t vote for this resolution. Explain to me if it is a net plus or net minus when some Democrats claim for the sanctity of their voting district that they can’t vote for this resolution. Where do the Democrats stand if this should happen?
All the Dems couldn’t even vote for a Dem for House speaker – now that would have been a net +.
A determination of net plus or net minus trivializes the entire resolution. But yet some people claim to be progressive.
Amen, Smitty. I am sick to death of hearing what is political or expedient or net+ or net-. And we wonder why so many choose not to participate?
The era of slavery in this country was our darkest hour – any American (Black, White, Red, Yellow) who is not filled with sorrow for that time should go back to their history books.
Hundreds of thousands of American soldiers gave their lives during the Civil War and many more than that fought. And our Georgia legislature can’t even apologize? What a bunch of cowards.
And just for a little reality check folks – we lost about 3% of our popluation to the Civil War. Today’s equivalent would be over 8 million. Yeah, 8,000,000. Lotsa zeroes there…
Why is it, do you suppose, that so many prominent black leaders opposed the 1997 proposal that the US Government apologize for slavery?
At the time, Dr. Joseph Lowery was quoted as saying: “The danger of an ‘apology’ for slavery is that it may become the benediction (end), instead of the opening hymn (means)! So if you are going to apologize, please print it on the back of the deed to my 40 acres and send it by way of my mule!”
Is a state level resolution more significant than a national one? Does this resolution now open the door for reparations by individual states?
Where is the historical perspective on this discussion?
Although I am not a native of this state, I at least know that Georgia was not founded as a Slave state. Between 1735 and 1750 Georgia was unique among Britain’s American colonies, as it was the only one to attempt to prohibit black slavery as a matter of public policy. The decision to ban slavery was made by the founders of Georgia, the Trustees.
General James Oglethorpe, the earl of Egmont, and the other Trustees were not opposed to the
Georgia Trustees
enslavement of Africans as a matter of principle. They banned slavery in Georgia because it was inconsistent with their social and economic intentions.
Read the rest here..
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-685
Ok so, economy trumps doing the right thing.. then as now people then as now..
Oh and WHO was in power for 130 years? Was it not the “Democrats”?
I guess I don’t see any reason to not
apologize, if it’s done sincerely and with a modicum of authenticity. Hell the Republicans can say.. yo it wasn’t us… And the Dems can say, our founders had it right, sorry some who came next were greedy evil bastards, but we’re not them.
The real person to ask about this is Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond, he’s the scholar on Olgethorpe and colonial Georgia. I’d be curious what he’d have to say.
I find it interesting that you have people saying “Well, I never owned slaves.” Or “MY family never owned slaves.” They usually utter this when talking about why they will vote no on this resolution of official apology. Someone earlier mentioned it was “odd” to have black legislators voting on an apology.
I don’t find it odd at all. The Legislature is apologizing on behalf of the state. Collectively, they represent the State of Georgia, along with the Governor. The laws they pass, they do so in the name of the State of Georgia. If Virginia can apologize for slavery (no small feat, let me tell you…having lived there for 8 years before moving to GA), then Georgia surely can as well. It shouldn’t even be a topic of serious debate of whether or not the state should say, “Yeah, sorry about the slavery thing.” Can anyone really saw there is NOTHING to apologize about with SLAVERY?
Jules, concerning the “historical perspective”: The British colony of Georgia originally did not allow slavery; the American state of Georgia did, from the start.
Peter: Whether black or white, the legislators would not be personally apologizing for slavery; they are voting on the STATE owning up to its role in perpetuating slavery and apologizing.