Knee Deep in the Hooah!

The other morning I was sitting quietly in my living room, sipping coffee and listening to the local news when the following news story was broadcast:

Slavery apology clears House
By Bartholomew Sullivan (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

(excerpt)

WASHINGTON — A historic Congressional apology for slavery and Jim Crow discrimination passed Tuesday evening on a voice vote.

The apology resolution, introduced shortly after U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, reached Washington in 2007, will be a first step toward racial reconciliation, Cohen said in an eight-minute speech during debate on the House floor Tuesday afternoon.

Interestingly enough he thinks that this is the “first step”? Where has this man been? What I really love about the irony in this whole thing is he says this is the “first step” toward reconciliation and then he leaves out this little important piece of information… oops!

While he supported the main thrust of the resolution, King said it was missing a few points he’d like to see in it; namely, that it didn’t take into account the bloody price the country paid to end slavery.

So, forget the bloody price paid to end slavery and the white Americans who fought to free black slaves. That’s simply not a good step toward racial reconciliation. Thank God we have elected officials who can pass stupid resolutions and pay for art work. That’s what really frees the enslaved, causes the lame to leap, and gives the blind their sight!

Let me tell you all a dirty little secret about our family. No one in our families (as far back as the Mr. and I can trace) has ever owned a slave nor did they participate in any way, shape or form in slavery. Some of my family are of an Amish-Mennonite background and hard work is their redemption — they would never give that away to anyone else; in essence they are their own slaves!

I am always open to constructive dialogue about racial tensions, and I have participated in round table discussions on a professional level as a social worker. Today, however, it has got to be a two way street. What is the dialogue this bill is supposed to create going to be about? The last round table discussion I attended on race relations in North Carolina left me accused of being a racist because I am white and left every black member at the table a victim of mine. Excuse me. I am really sick and tired of picking up the guilt bill for the privileged class in this Country.

It is appropriate that a Southern Democrat pushes for this bill since it was the Southern Democrat who would have been most active in slavery and most active in trying to keep slavery legal – not to mention the likes of Senator Byrd who is now supporting Obama. Whoop-de-do! A racist from the South is supporting the main contender for the Presidential seat in his Party and somehow this makes him less of a racist today. What’s the difference between that and someone saying the oh so favorite “I can’t be racist because I dated a black guy in high school.”

I do not owe anyone an apology for slavery. I have never owned a slave, and even if I were in the position I would not own a slave. It goes against my beliefs and my values. Furthermore, I have never participated in racist hate and I have never discriminated against another human being based on his/her race. I say that with a clear conscience.

Nearly every State involved with slavery has apologized at one point or another. I think that there was a time and place for that, and there is an appropriateness for a formal government to apologize when it participated in anything as hurtful and condemning as slavery. However, once the apology has been issued and the wrong is righted formally, what’s the next step? Can we move forward or are we going to sit in this quagmire of “you’re guilty because you are white and you’re a victim because you are black” mentality?

It’s damning to both parties. I have not known, personally, a black man or woman who wants to be told that he/she is a victim of slavery, and I would think that presuming guilt on (or apologizing on behalf of) all white American is a little, uhm, racist don’t you think?

I will mention one final thing and then you all can tell me if I am a horrible racist or not. The Democrat who wrote this bill is white and he represents a very large constituency of black citizens in Memphis Tennessee. This bill was introduced in February 2007, but convienently voted on one week before elections that determine whether or not Cohen will stay in office. Isn’t that special? Am I wrong for thinking this is just a *tad* on the patronizing side?