States should not apologize for slavery

At least that's what this poll is telling me.
WTF?
Did I sleep through the main part of the lecture?
Slavery was a good thing?
We are proud of our human commerce?
I am so out of touch I guess.

DU this MFer.

http://www.cnn.com/

done

Should states apologize for slavery?

Yes 26% 6971 votes

No 74% 19886 votes

Total...: 26857 votes

...nobody having anything to do with the state today was alive when slavery was going on, and that you can't really apologize for something somebody you never met has done.

I don't really care one way or the other, and I don't think social justice will hinge on whether we can wring some proclamation out of the VA House of Delegates.

I'm in that camp myself

I think it is a matter of recognizing the power of the apology.
I invite you to check out "On Apology" by Aaron Lazare in case
you have not already read it.

I think there is a lot of blood spilled in history that flowed only for the
want of an apology, an admission that we are only human and that
when it comes right down to it...what the hell is worth killing
other people over? What is it that killing will make me feel more
secure and more content in my own human skin when having the courage
to understand my 'enemy' and discuss our differences could prevent the deaths of
hundreds, thousands, millions?

I think the future of our species depends on such concepts as
the apology...not that I think this planet would miss us much if
we just pissed off.

In America, they tend to be worth what the words weigh.

I won't apologize for something that my family was never involved with, anymore than I expect the Queen to apologize for what Edwards Longshanks did to my ancestors. I realize this short term view is very American.

the state has no continuing responsibility, if the directly wronged are dead and gone then it's become an issue without consequence to any succeding generation as long as slavery has been abolished, none of the decendendents were ever harmed directly, and indirectly does not count

america has no corporate responsibility as a people, if you can get away with it, then you can get away with it and no responsibility is held by the state in any way shape or form?

what does it connect to? they don't usually just do a poll on slavery it's like someone picked this out of the air. Like "hey everybody let's not burn flags".

If there was something you could have done that would have prevented the slave trade, you should apologise for not doing so.

If there wasn't, because it ended a century before you were born, you shouldn't.

Although it is true slavery is/was an awful thing I don't think it is needed for people who had nothing to do with such things to apologize to people who also had nothing to do with such things. If a former slave was still alive and a person who had "owned" them were then it would be different and I would be demanding they do apologize but this is not the situation.