Ray

Aboso bleedin lutely NO!!!!

anotherlimey

Us Brits better start apologising then... its going to take a while.

AmerLisa

I'm not suggesting apologies or excuses. But, how can you say that our history doesn't affect our lives in this day and age? That's pretty ridiculous!

Ray

How far do you want to go back ... to apportion blame ..

AmerLisa

I said nothing about blame. But history does affect our lives.

NJ_Dave

So would you like to tell us how slavery is the reason for crime/unemployment in the Black community today, since CA did such a piss-poor job of explaining it to us.

anotherlimey

Blame is great if you want an apology or revenge; not so good if you want to fix something right now.

You shouldn't cry over spilt milk.

AmerLisa

FFS people, I said NOTHING about slavery. I only said HISTORY affects the modern world.

Manc

only with respect to not making the same mistakes.

anotherlimey

You responded to IPs post on slavery with:

If you weren't referring to slavery then why respond to IP?

NJ_Dave

As Manc says, history affects the modern world by giving us examples to learn from. However that is not the same as suggesting that everything in the modern world can be attributed to history.

Leslie

Who's asking for an apology? Acknowledgment goes a long way toward progress.

This isn't just about slavery, it's about the subsequent segregation and enforced impoverishment, and institutionalized racism. I was raised during the forced integration of Texas schools of the 70's and 80's. This was the phase after making segregation illegal in the 60's where they went a step further and actually redistricted the black neighborhoods. The black kids were bussed into the white neighborhoods to go to our schools (never the opposite).... White parents were yanking their kids out school left and right (opting for private schools or even moving to all white towns as opposed to letting their kids go to the same school as the "niggers") ..... This isn't just about something that happened 300 years ago (slavery) try more like 25-30 years ago. At this point in our history there were still plenty of race riots, cross burnings, church burning, and racially motivated police violence. And guess what....It wasn't black people with "bad attitudes" instigating any of it.

Looking back now....25 years later it's a lot better than it was, but it still isn't as good as it should be.

I've worked for employers as recently as the 1990's that would call the temp agency and to have them send over some temporary workers, and tell them not to send any "niggers". And the temp agency did just as they were told, every single time. This was in Portland, Oregon.... not Texas.

Jesus Christ people, pull your heads out. Just because you haven't seen it first hand for yourselves doesn't mean it doesn't still happen.

AmerLisa

Because IP wrote this:

My great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather's life had no bearing on me (other than his genetic contribution), nor do I imagine that any black man or woman would say his ancestor's does.

Taken out of context it really has nothing to do with slavery. I can understand how you might have thought it did. I do apologise for saying you were a plank, but I'll keep that reference for another time.

AmerLisa

Where did I say that everything in the modern world can be attributed to history? Other than the fact that in some small way that very well may be true.

Manc

acknowledged