What should the House apologize for?
Talk about warped priorities. The do-nothing/14 percent approval-rated Congress, led by Nancy the Navigator Pelosi, refuses to allow debate on drilling; the appropriations bills are in limbo, and judicial vacancies abound.
But hey, they’ve found time to take action on that all-important apology for slavery and Jim Crow laws:
The House of Representatives was poised Tuesday to pass a resolution apologizing to African-Americans for slavery and the era of Jim Crow.
The nonbinding resolution, which is expected to pass, was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen, a white lawmaker who represents a majority black district in Memphis, Tennessee.
While many states have apologized for slavery, it will be first time a branch of the federal government will apologize for slavery if the resolution passes, an aide to Cohen said.
By passing the resolution, the House would also acknowledge the “injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow,” the period after slavery was abolished in which African-Americans were denied the right to vote and other civil liberties. The resolution states that “the vestiges of Jim Crow continue to this day.”
“African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow — long after both systems were formally abolished — through enormous damage and loss, both tangible and intangible, including the loss of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of careers and professional lives, and the long-term loss of income and opportunity,” the resolution states.
Next stop: Reparations!
What a sorry lot.
***
What should the House be truly sorry for? Leave your apology suggestions in comments or e-mail.
***
Flashback: New Jersey apologizes for slavery
Flashback: Get out your reparations calculator.
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I tracked back in a blog post about What the House should apologize for, but I’ll post it here:
The House should apologize for people in the meatpacking industry forced to work for lower than industry standard wages, in unsafe conditions with little or no training, underage, with their livelihoods dependent on them keeping silent about their working conditions.
Think I’m talking about the meatpacking industry in the early 20th century?
No, I’m talking about the meatpacking industry in 2008, while the US Congress lollygags around and has failed to secure the border and mandate/fund immigration enforcement efforts.
Anyone else catch this?
The Federal Government has never owned any slaves, and thus has nothing to apologise for.
If reparations come, expect millions of opportunists to discover a Negro in their ancestory; just as there are now “Native Americans” wannabes.
On July 29th, 2008 at 12:19 pm, walterc said:
Walter, thanks for the edit. I like your version better.
Slaves were used to build the current White House, to Abigail Adams’ dismay: “What good can come from this?”
I oppose the silly apology by this do-nothing Congress. However, facts must be admitted.
I think I am entitled to an apology from all Black’s, Caucasians, Asians, Spanish, Mexican’s. You slaughtered my people so you could take the land we lived on for Milleniums, You selfish b@$t@rds, So I say get off my land and all of you get on a boat and go from whence you came now!
/sarc
See how silly that sounds.
That’s not just directed at ThatSamIAm, thats directed to all of you that think that your actually owed and apology for your plight in America from the current government or anyone else for that matter, mpChops. Get a life.
sbw999,
You bring up some interesting questions. I think the answer to the first question (albeit unspoken) is, it will make the “liberals” (whom, as we all know, feel everybody’s pain,) FEEL better.
As to the second question, that brings up entirely different issues. For example; 1) Do those in congress, by voting “yea” for a “statement of apology,” accept responsibility for yesteryear’s slavery?
And, 2) Does acceptance of that responsibility bind them legally to pay actual reparations?
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think that if the answer is “yes” then it puts the “bleeding hearts” in a bit of a quandary.
.
Personally, I prefer judges who know how to read and comprehend, i.e., Thomas, Scalia, Roberts and Alito. You apparently like justices who amend the constitution themselves. I reference McCain-Feingold and Kelo decisions as two recent constitutional amendments by your liberal justices.
Neither do conservatives.
So do conservatives
They already have it. When’s the last time you’ve heard of a child turned down for health care? Children of single mothers not only get free health care but diapers, formula, etc.
So do conservatives
We already do and conservatives don’t mind under those circumstances either.
It doesn’t sound to me like you’re “completely” pro-choice. How did you come up with your exceptions?
Maybe, but a matter of opinion
There isn’t a politician worth voting for who shares your values. You just think that there is. Your Democrat heros only want your vote and their power. They could care less about your values or mine. Charlie Crist is a professional politician. His values lie with his power. Maybe you’ve never listened to Duncan Hunter or Zel Miller (Democrat).
Listen to Bobby Jindal speak. You won’t hear rhetoric or see a smirk on his face. You’ll hear a man speak plainly and one who actually cares about what he’s doing. Then, get back to me.
On July 29th, 2008 at 4:56 pm, ThatSamIAm said:
Like I’ve said elsewhere, Congress owes my throat an apology. Add TSIA’s throat to the list.
They can also apologize for wasting their time on our dime to talk about apologies and impeachment and polar bears and bailouts and no-strings health care and the Fairness Doctrine and amnesty and immediate withdrawal and suspected terrorists’ rights and greening-up the House cafeteria .
Way to get your priorities straight.
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you refering to the Welfare Act that the Republican majority wrote, and submitted three times before Clinton would sign it?
I believe I read somewhere that it was submitted each time without corrections nor amendments. I also recall the Democrat’s in the minority fought this bill tooth and nail at the time, claiming it would destroy families.
Clinton, no matter how bad anyone would want to believe it, did not make the law, he simply signed it under pressure.
You know, some people reading some comments might think some of us are racist.
I know I am not. ANY race that assimilates and becomes American and ACTS American are and will be accepted and supported by me. My family in the 1800’s came from another country far far away and I don’t know diddly squat about that country or culture, nor do I want to.. I am an AMERICAN! No multiculturalism…
ONE CULTURE, STRONG BORDERS, ONE LANGUAGE
Yep! With the Reverend Leah D. Daughtry being a Black Liberation Theologist as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC), and who is also the Chief of Staff at the DNC, Reparations is at the top of the Democrats’ list. BTW, when preaching, the Reverend Leah D. Daughtry usually has a banner for slavery reparations proclaiming, “They Owe Us” nearby…
Regarding the cafeteria bit in my last comment (#205), this link probably would have made more sense.
I sincerely apologize to the confused.
This is so stupid that I don’t even know where to begin . If the House of Representatives is stupid enough to do this , then I want them to apologized to every descendant of every Union soldier for making their sacrifice a small matter in the interest of modern politics and , I want the House of Representatives to apologized to the descendants of Confederate soldiers as well as the the members states of the CSA for the destruction of their cities and farm lands and for the sake of reconciliation , the United States Government will pay the families of slave owners the full amount with interest accrued of all the slaves freed by the Union soldiers during the US Civil War . Third , for those people who wants financial repatriation due to their ancestors being slaves , first , they will have to pay the descendants of the union soldiers who died and who were injured during the US Civil War . They will also pay the descendants of American abolitionists for the services they rendered trying to free African slaves . Third , those people asking for repatriation will voluntarily surrender their US Citizenship as soon as the US paid them minus all the payments they had to pay to the descendants of the USA and CSA and they will be returned to their ancestral home in Africa and since the US government and it’s Caucasian citizens had already paid for their sins in both blood ( US Civil War) and money ( Repatriations) , those Americans of African descent and their descendants will be forever be persona non grata in the United States . As for the politicians , they should be tarred and feathered for starting this idiocy .
Amen, Rob.
However, in your anger about illegals, you have made really derogatory remarks about Americans who happen to be of Mexican descent. I have tried to remind you that there are many of those folks who are as patriotic as you are. They have served in the military and in many wars over the decades. And they are as unhappy about illegals as you are.
Let’s not alienate those folks just because they happen to have come from Mexico in the past, but have assimilated just as your folks did.
I want an apology for all the money that the government takes away in taxes to pay for a failed welfare state. Heck, I want an apology for the liberal efforts to turn the United States into a failed welfare state.
An apology should also go to the honorable Senator Joseph McCarthy – who was proven right by Venona.
I gotta agree with mistressjustice here – the democrat efforts at overthrowing the US Constitution and conducting their own illegal foreign policy is one of the worst scandals ever in the history of the USA. Sadly, they’ll never pay a penalty for it.
Okay, I will go with your idea… all illegals and their children go, but the legal ones that you say have totally assimilated, and don’t fly the Mexican flag, and like football and not soccer, and don’t use the emergency rooms as a doctor’s office, and are not members of La Raza, and don’t get welfare, and don’t get free lunches at school, and pay income tax to the evil IRS, and don’t expect bilingual education, and don’t belong to gangs or tag, and don’t commit crimes and speak only English even in their homes… these people can stay… and I get to be the judge or appoint the judge, no liberal bleeding hearts.
I don’t know what “acting” American is, because Americans aren’t a monolithic group, but I believe most “Americans” do just that. American culture is vast — and whether you want to accept it or not, there are aspects of our collective culture that you might not identify with but that are, nonetheless, uniquely, unmistakeably and inarguably American.
atheling, we almost never agree, but this encapsulates exactly my point. American culture is what it is because of its many contributors.
With all snarkiness aside — and with all due respect — I just think statements like this are so silly. As often as I hear one of my (yes) liberal friends say something that would surely be perceived as anti-American by the folks on this site, I read things here that could be interpreted as the same. Criticisms of the government, of the — and this is from the obvious standpoint of the posters I’m paraphrasing, not me — (mis)direction of the country, the perceived loss of values, the feelings of disdain towards oppositional (often American) groups (under several different umbrellas: “socialist academics,” “Marxist left-wing bloggers,” “elitist liberals,” “illegal aliens,” “open borders advocates,” “gay marriage activists,” etc.). It would be just as easy for someone else to say, “The country is arguably (according to many polls) much more centrist/Democrat than it was four or even eight years ago. If you have complaints about this very real — very current — America, then don’t let the door hit you…” You see where I’m going. The fact is, there’s always been dissent and disagreement in America. The existence of these things, and the fact that we live in a country founded on the idea that those things can exist, is what MAKES us American. I just don’t think “Love It Or Leave It” is terribly productive or realistic, because whatever your mindset, there’s a large group of AMERICANS who disagree with you, and they have as much claim to be here as you do.
Can I just play the “Not in my name!” card like the libocrats do when they don’t like something Pres Bush does? I plan to use that for the next 4 years if I have to.
Oh, if I missed them, they need to go too..
Roberta wrote:
And yet, they won’t be going anywhere. So toss your pennies in the fountain and keep your fingers crossed…for naught.
Oh, I know that.. America is doomed.
Amen! A government that takes 35% of my income has made me its slave for 35% of my life.
Where are my reparations? Well…at least the 35% I’m due.
***OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL REPORT CARD***
Official Apologies: A+
Late Night Pay Raise Votes: A+
Never Missing Recess: A+
Daily Lunch Eating: A++
Boondoggle Participation: A+++
Mens Restroom Games: A+
Felony Indictments: A+
Passing Legislation: F—
Food stamps and other entitlement programs have already given them their 40 acres 100 times over at least. Bad move for race relations.
America is the same place of conflicting ideas among its populace that it’s always been (Civil War, I’m looking at YOU). America will be fine.
Um…I pay at least the same or more in taxes, and I don’t feel enslaved. Are you really proposing a U.S. without taxes?
I am not paying for slavery. I have never owned a slave. African-Americans who are losers are so because they wish to be. It is in the music, the lack of respect for civility, the hatred of order and society and education.
Well, welfare and food stamps are overwhelmingly used by white recipients. How’s that for race relations?
Pelosi needs to apologize for being a greedy, manipulative, coniving, cold blooded, heartless, elitist, Marxist (rhymes with witch.)
Did I leave anything out?
When is Congress going to apologize for the modern day Jim Crow laws passed in DC to prevent citizens from exercising their 2nd amendment rights?
Perhaps you’re not paying attention then?
What makes us American and separates us from a third world banana republic is the fact that we’re a nation of laws, not men. Illegal immigration doesn’t make us American. Dumbshit leftists holding signs that say “No blood for oil” doesn’t make us American.
No offense but you sound like a lawyer.
Uh, considering most of these enviro-libs and their hypocritical tendencies, I think Nancy the Lincoln Navigator would be more appropriate.
Soooo. We should all vote Obama then to atone for slavery?
This is the most important thing on their agenda?
These people need to go.
Fancy Nancy the Lincoln Navigator should apologize for subjecting the entire US to her abject stupidity, for lying to the US about how bad she claimed the corruption was before her reign, how she lied about cleaning up the corruption, apologize for not throwing Murtha out of the House after slandering the military, and apologize for allowing Cold Cash Jefferson and the Deadbeat Dem from California to continue to take up space in Congress with no consequences.
It’s a dream. But until then I’ll settle for paying just enough taxes to run the Departments of Defense, Justice, State (if reduced by 80%) and Treasury.
What kind of government cheese goes well with whine?
Jim Crow invented crack and malt liquor?!? That SOB! mistressjustice, get the tar! nyk, get the feathers! There’ll be hell to pay tonight!
I was telling my wifes boss about this and he said “Jim Crow who the he!! is that, I’ve heard of Old Crow
It would seem to bind those that they represent. BTW, Obama supports reparations. Thus, what will a dem congress and a dem Congress do??? Hmmmmm….wallet alert***
Now here’s an apology that’s legit.
Ahmadinejad blames West for AIDS.
OK. Weeeeeeeeee’re sorrrrrry Achmed. Just for the record, it wasn’t all of us–mostly New York and San Francisco.
Die Hippie, Die blames Iran for body odor
Now it’s your turn, Achmed. Fair’s fair.
Who’s the next act at Apologipalooza?
What should the House be truly sorry for?
2007
2008
and without a vote
they might as well as apologize for
2009 now also.
The Dems should apoligize for slavery, jim crow, and the kkk. Sen (kkk) Byrd should be the speaker. They should also apoligize for their continued oppression of everyone besides themselves.
I see no reason for those of us who freed the slaves to apoligize for what the slavers (dems) did.
Congress should apologize for more than 40 years of failing to overthrow rogue judges from the Supreme Court. If they hadn’t outlawed God in schools, maybe we wouldn’t have 9 year old boys setting kittens on fire or 9 year old girls sleeping with their teachers.
Define “overwhelmingly”. Is the percentage of each race on food stamps and welfare higher for blacks or whites?
Nothing says “I’m sorry” like a non-binding resolution passed on a voice vote!
Bwaaaaaah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Some mod wants to delete my posts to nyk. Oh well, very interesting.
Amen to that!
This brought a smile:
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6615
To provide for the transport of the enemy combatants detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Washington, DC, where the United States Supreme Court will be able to more effectively micromanage the detainees by holding them on the Supreme Court grounds, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 24, 2008
Mr. GOHMERT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
——————————————————————————–
A BILL
To provide for the transport of the enemy combatants detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Washington, DC, where the United States Supreme Court will be able to more effectively micromanage the detainees by holding them on the Supreme Court grounds, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘Giving Inmate Terrorists More Opportunities (GITMO) Act of 2008’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States Supreme Court issued an opinion styled Boumediene v. Bush on June 12, 2008.
(2) Justice Anthony Kennedy, in the court’s majority opinion, held that foreign terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba have constitutional rights to challenge their detention in United States courts.
(3) This is an obvious effort on the part of the Supreme Court to micromanage the detainment and disposition of detainees in the War on Terror who are dedicated to destroying innocent people and the American way of life.
(4) The United States Supreme Court clearly needs increased opportunity to oversee the handling of the enemy combatants, as it has seen fit to take a greater role in managing the Global War on Terror, which is a duty previously exercised by the Executive Branch.
(5) There can be no better way for the United States Supreme Court to exercise its new self-appointed war powers than to house the prisoners whom it has taken a greater role in overseeing.
Read the rest here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-6615
This was a really good thread today.
It just struck me as funny, but here we all are, instantaneously bouncing thoughts on race, grievances and historical outcomes off of one another via little keyboards. Can you imagine what our ancestors (whether they came over on slave ships, were already here, were fleeing from persecution, were being starved out through expansions of empire or colonialism) would have thought if they could see how we all live as Americans today?
No matter who you are, you have to admit that you are better off today than you would have been 150 years ago.
Reparations? Did I miss the PRESSSident asking OFLOPama about his plan for reparations?
My whale oil computer ain’t what she used to be…”Honey do we have any more sperm oil?”
Old Crow and Virginia Gentleman were staples in my grandaddy’s pantry for most of my early years.
First shot I ever had was Old Crow at the tender age of 6.
I have not had a shot of bourbon since.
Switched to blended. The Canadians can do one thing right.
Try not breaking the ToU, works for the rest of us. kk thx.
….and it’s all BUSH’s fault. And while we are at it we are sorry for the CHICAGO FIRE, and the SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE, those were BUSH’s fault too…
What a perfect example of congress’s fundamental unseriousness. Serious Senators and Congressmen should work to block all legislation until their respective chambers take up the issues that are actually, you know, important.
Taking the taxpayer’s money every payday!
Since all the Jim Crow laws were passed by the democrats over republican objections; did the United States House of Representatives just apologize for the democrat party?
The republicans should thank Nancy for this gift.
Affirmative Action was a directive signed by a president. It was never legislated as an actual law. Your application doesn’t fit current trends. I would like you to explain to my mother why she was denied a promotion in favor of a minority woman (cough cough black) who was so inexperienced that within a year she left or she would have been fired. That smacks more of quotas than Affirmative Action.
As to your idea that I somehow equate AA with the “recruitment of morons”… hey, your words, not mine. This is what happens when you treat employment like a social experiment. I’ve never directly or indirectly benefited from AA myself. Why? Because I had the opportunity to prove myself many times on the job…. I was not given that job based on my gender. If you lose the condescending attitude, nyk, for a minute, perhaps you also need to reexamine how companies recruit. They are still looking for the best candidate, not always the best minority candidate.
Haven’t you tried this tact before? If you’re going to assert that “most minimally informed” women know that diversity represents both women and minorities, you will need to back that up. This is your liberal interpretation of a reality that not all women share.
As a feminist myself, I recognize that liberal feminists think that tying their cause to the “terrible plight” of minorities will get them some kind of bragging rights. However, there are other things like “quotas” and Equal Opportunity (EEOP) that give women pause when considering how beneficial or even how useful Affirmative Action is for women.
Women want to be hired because they’re the the best and brightest, and many are. Some, like yourself, think that women and minorities should have prior claim to jobs. I think that everybody, regardless of gender, race, ethinicity, etc., should get equal consideration for any job they’re applying for…. may the best candidate win.
Oh, and please, stop lumping all women together. We may be the same gender, but there are many, many women who would disagree with your assumptions. Okay?
Well nyk, who said anything about percentages? What they have already received is billions.
The next pathetic move is a cry for people who were never slaves to get (more) reparations. I’m guessing you think that is a great idea.
Reparations for white families of Union soldiers who died giving black Americans their freedom. Every black American should be levied a $10,000 freedom assessment to be given to the survivors of white servicemen killed in the Civil War.
Also more levies for disproportionate crime by blacks against whites calls for further reparations. Come on Brothers, pony up that freedom cash!
Here’s an apology…we’re sorry for allowing much of the “African-American” community to become lazy, weak and uneducated by giving them handouts that eventually became an expectation.
We promise that we will try, with all our might, to end the air of entitlement by taking the handouts away and forcing you to work for what you have the way those slaves desperately wanted to.