Thursday, October 8, 2009

apologize instead of compensate

Dear Black People of America,

Can you tell the descendants of America's first nations what they have to look forward to?

The U.S. Senate just approved a resolution that apologizes for past injustices committed against "American Indians," just like the House of Representatives recently did for you.

I mean, surely your lives are much better now, ever since July, 2008, when the House apologized to you? You know, in that "nonbinding resolution" they passed, apologizing for the injustices of slavery and the Jim Crow era?

Oh, okay, wait a minute. To say that a "resolution" of this sort is "nonbinding" means, basically, that the legislative body that resolves to do something isn't bound by that resolution to actually do much of anything -- beyond the initial act of apology, that is.

So it's been over a year since the House of Reps apologized to you, the black people of America. Has the House, or any other government branch or office, followed up on this apology with anything that really matters? Anything that actually changed your life somehow?

Because if that did happen, I imagine Native Americans would like to hear about it, so they can have some idea of what to look forward to.

Here's the entire story on the latest racist -- oops, I mean, race-related -- federal "resolution" of this sort. As posted on The New York Times site, by way of the Associated Press, the article contains one, single paragraph:

The Senate has approved a resolution apologizing to American Indians for years of “ill-conceived policies” and acts of violence by United States citizens. Lawmakers said the resolution, included in a military spending bill, was a symbolic gesture meant to promote a renewed commitment to tribal communities. It was introduced by Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas, and Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota. The Senate approved a similar resolution in 2008, but the House did not act on it. Lawmakers are also developing legislation to improve health care and public safety on reservations.

"Included in a military spending bill"? That's not like, an afterthought, is it? And a bitterly ironic one at that, given the kind of bill it was tucked into?

As I guess you can tell, I'm pretty cynical about these "symbolic gestures." At least with this one, some future efforts at actual, material follow-up seem to be in the works. Surely the results of those efforts will turn out to be every bit as significant, and compensatory, and revitalizing for indigenous communities as the generous outpouring of money and other resources that have been pumped into black communities in the past year or so.

Won't they?

19 comments:

  1. I can't pretend to speak for all Black people. But I think putting us all on reservations and setting up casinos would have been cool.

    But that's just me...

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  2. I can certainly understand that you're skeptical about apologies of this sort. At best, they may serve to assuage consciences and drain energy away from more tangible efforts. At worst, they can serve as deliberate attempts to derail more substantive proposals.

    In this case, however, Sam Brownback (and the others involved in the slavery apologies) appear to be quite sincere, which makes their efforts meaningless at worst, and perhaps much better than that.

    And, in fact, I know many people who are profoundly moved by such formal, public expressions of regret, and who wish to see them take place. I think their perspective can perhaps best be understood by noting that these apologies often generate strong opposition from those on the conservative end of the political spectrum.

    In any event, I think it's worth noting that the House has, in fact, been working on legislation to create a national reparations commission and on other legislation related to the legacy of slavery.

    I think it's also worth noting that tucking a provision into a military spending bill isn't usually a sign that the matter is considered an "afterthought." This is a standard way to force through legislation that is considered important by at least some senators, and is controversial with others.

    As I said, I understand your cynicism about apologies in general, and I tend to share that view.

    I'm just not sure we should be so quick to condemn those who stand up and say that it's long past time that we, as a nation, took a stand on certain terrible episodes in our past.

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  3. "ill-conceived policies?" Try "genocide." They could at least issue an honest apology.

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  4. Genocide? When did that happen?

    Why in the world does anybody need to apologize for things they never did or nobody alive has done? To take it further only a small percentage of families owned slaves.

    I think losing more people in the Civil War than both World Wars combined which was partly fought over slavery, along with the out of control black on white murder and rape rate means repayment was made long ago if you can measure such a thing.

    This issue is ridiculous and is only being used by the race pimps to hustle for more money. All the money in the world wouldn't solve problems in the black community.

    It's only self hating brainwashed white people who think in terms of reparations and apologies. White guilt also led to these delusional people voting for Obama who's policies are anti white. I admire other minorities for understanding the importance of racial solidarity. Only white people act in ways that hurt their own. No other cultures think this way. They are to stupid to realize they are handing over the country their ancestors fought for to people who hate them. They are being manipulated because of their altruism. Altruism to other races seems to be a distinctly white trait. This used to be a good thing but it is now being used against them. It is not minorities but these liberal brain-deads who are the enemy of America.

    Question? How far back must any civilization go to repay or apologize people who feel wronged? Must the Yews repay Christians for killing Christ if you believe in these things?

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  5. @RiPPa, LOL!


    I think they would do anything to avoid reparations. I don't mean a fat check, I mean restitution in the forms of education, community restorations and a some form of national psychiatric counseling. I don't know how the hell we could pull off a national group therapy session, but I do know we need it! Really restitution and rehabilitation is owed to the nation. We are suffering from not post but an enduring traumatic stress disorder.

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  6. "How far back must any civilization go to repay or apologize people who feel wronged? Must the Yews repay Christians for killing Christ if you believe in these things?"

    Oh right! Thanks for reminder, almost forgot about them guddam scheming Yews!

    But, wait. . . didn't Yews become white folks?

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  7. hey, seems like someone was looking for stormfront and ended up here

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  8. When you benefit from it, either directly or indirectly, and fail to see it, that's how far you must go.

    Karma, baby!

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  9. @Blood and Soil
    Small percentages may have owned slaved but the nation benefited. We can't accurately measure the profit of centuries of free labor and untold lost lives. Black on white murder rates as heinous as the acts are should not ever be measure in a small minded tit for tat fashion. It is only conscientious caring human beings who are looking to be whole and better the entire human race that seek to apologize and find self forgiveness that truly assuages guilt and rights the balance of ones own integrity. This stolen land that we share has been "fought" for by many by endless means. Wars being the least of all our endeavors. Dare I say to the detriment of our measures.

    The original people of North America would probably love to discuss with you the meanings of your brand of altruism. It seems truncated, limited in scope and selective in its determining factors.

    How far back should we go to apologize? I think we would do well to rid the body of any cancer we have record of. The sad part is how much we deny ourselves of the tantamount benefits relinquishing guilt and empowering effects of forgiveness.


    nah'mean, Blood?

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  10. I don't see why those white people who really feel strongly about reparations sit idly by and gripe about politicians and their "symbolic gestures" when absolutely nothing is stopping them from going ahead and cutting checks right now.

    Now, who's first?

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  11. "They are to stupid to realize they are handing over the country their ancestors fought for to people who hate them."

    1/2 of my ancestors--the Native American were here long before the settlers, but I guess we're good at forgetting that, huh?

    I also keep hearing Obama's anti-white policies. I'm not trying to be snarky, but what are the "anti-white" policies? Is it the subconcious fear that blacks are going to "take over"? Didn't Rush Limbaugh say "In Obama's America, black kids beat up white kids and the black kids cheer them on?" Why did Limbaugh specifically point that out--I'm wondering if Obama was white, if he would have made that comment. Just hearing that comment, makes me think that are some whites that think like this.

    I also get a little peeved when I hear people make the generalized comments that blacks won't be satisfied until they have "complete control of the US" or the country is completely black. To people who think like this, again, I feel that you're making the assumption of how black people feel. I certainly do not feel like that. Most of my family is like the UN with people from Europe and South America; my mother's half black and Native American, and my father's grandmother was white.

    What I want more than ever is for people to view me as an equal human being without making assumptions based on my race or gender. Honestly, that's the only way we can move forward--if people(doesn't matter your color) will admit that they harbor some prejudices, recognize it, and work on it. But of course, that's only wishful thinking...

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  12. "I don't see why those white people who really feel strongly about reparations sit idly by and gripe about politicians and their "symbolic gestures" when absolutely nothing is stopping them from going ahead and cutting checks right now.

    Now, who's first?"

    Ah yes, dear old crazy Uncle Vick, always the simpleton.

    As for me, communal restitution along the lines suggested by KissMyBlackAds seem like a GREAT start, and I'd be more than glad to pay higher taxes for things like that. But then, if we'd just cut some of the military budget and stop fighting unnecessary racist wars, and then shifted some of that money into such domestic restitution programs, I wouldn't have to pay higher taxes.

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  13. @Blood and Soil. Millions of blacks died on the way to this country, and many that were here were murdered. I call that genocide. What's wrong with your logic is blacks are still paying for wrongs committed not long ago. It's not like we are talking about a 1000 years or more. We are talking that a system that has been nurtured in North America before this country even began and that just ended a few decades ago, but has yet to whither.

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  14. Funny how when the victims of genocide are white like in the Shoah nobody calls the massacres, medical experimentation, and other barbaric things they suffered "ill-conceived policies."

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  15. >>>>What I want more than ever is for people to view me as an equal human being without making assumptions based on my race or gender. Honestly, that's the only way we can move forward--if people(doesn't matter your color) will admit that they harbor some prejudices, recognize it, and work on it. But of course, that's only wishful thinking...<<<<

    Thank you Ebony. That is the most honest and refreshing statement I have seen on this blog in ages. For someone else to realize that it doesn't matter what color people are, that we must ALL recognize and admit to our prejudices (not just white people as macon often implies) to move forward, is like a breath of fresh air.

    Thank you , thank you, thank you, for printing a statement that is both heartfelt and unbiased. It's not a solution that will come easy, but keep hoping, someday perhaps...

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  16. Stuff trolls do:

    Pretend as though history casts no shadow.

    Act as though slavery was a minor problem because few owned slaves - though the masses supported the insitution.

    Act as though ending slavery is its own restitution, ignoring the role blacks played in freeing themsleves.

    Make up fake crime statistics.

    Stereotype black people.

    Portray victims of historical atrocities as villains.

    Make up fictional versions of Obama.

    Act as though whites who are anti-racist are anti-white -- tacitly admitting that the oppression of non-whites benefits whites.

    Make inaccurate statements about how other cultures function.

    Consider the country their culture's personal property.

    Ascribe their own hatred to other races.

    Indulge in anti-Semitism.

    Suggest reparations can be paid individually (how much? to whom? how?) and that the act of a state orchestrating reparations would have no deeper meaning.

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  17. Blood and Soil, I'm talking about the welsl-documented mistreatment and masacres of Native Americans. Killing people for their ethnicity: that's pretty much the simple definition of genocide. I mean, dude, have you even heard of the Trail of Tears? A simple wikipedia search on historical genocides will reveal this:

    "Authors such as the Holocaust expert David Cesarani have argued that the government and policies of the United States of America against certain indigenous peoples constituted genocide. Cesarani states that "in terms of the sheer numbers killed, the Native American Genocide exceeds that of the Holocaust""

    I wasn't even talking about black slavery.


    Anwyay, after reading your full comment, I can see that you are nothing more than an ignorant bigot, so I won't bother to respond further.

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  18. Although black slavery was a holocaust, too. See the "Maafa."

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  19. [To any readers who saw the two most recent comments by "Blood and Soil," I decided to delete them after reconsidering the writer's self-declaration at the end of the second one: "To clarify things so that all you dummies feel comfortable labeling me. I'm a racist, skinhead, Nazi, and KKK member." This writer's arguments are entirely familiar and easily refuted (though of course, not to the satisfaction of his or her ilk), and can be found ad nauseum on many other blogs and web sites. I see no reason to provide a platform for them here.]

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