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Steve Scroggins
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Steve Scroggins is a volunteer contributor to the Georgia
Heritage Council who lives in Macon.
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Slavery Apologies, an absurd guilt-trip gesture – Commentary by Steve Scroggins
The AJC's Political Inciter ran a
story today on
the subject of Slavery Apologies and then the AP published
their story over the wire (text is at the bottom).
In a nutshell, Georgia NAACP president Edward DuBose together with the usual suspects from the exclusionary and
racist organization GABEO (Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials) such as Tyrone Brooks
(aka Mr. Nuwaubian,
aka Tyronnesaurus Brooks) and others,
want a trophy to place in their guilt-trip trophy case. The Virginia general assembly recently issued an apology for slavery and we know every
state legislature in the country will face demands to follow suit or endure implied and explicit accusations of racism, bigotry, intolerance, etc.
It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic and insulting.
Let me see if I have this right. These same intolerant groups and individuals have harped and wailed and whined for
years to eliminate any and all vestiges of the Confederate States and their symbols and heroes from public view. The most frequent whine is that
they find these symbols of our history and heritage "offensive" and that they are "painful reminders" of a past they'd rather forget.
First of all, suggesting that we "forget" is just plain stupid. We should NEVER forget slavery. Neither should we forget the
horrific mass murders in the 20th century (Germany, Russia, Cambodia, China, Rwanda, etc.). American Southerners should never forget the invasion and
looting of the South (that cost the lives of over 600,000 Americans) and the subsequent occupation the Lincoln idolators
like to call "Reconstruction." Americans should never forget that they once had a functioning Constitution until in was crushed by Lincoln's
forces and various consolidators ever since.
"A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday does not know where it is today..." --Gen. Robert E. Lee
Let me be clear. I do NOT think these demagogues and race hustlers are stupid, nor do they want to forget. They want the public to
selectively forget. They may be immoral, dishonest and shameless...but they are not stupid.
But back to my main point...these whiners and gripers can't have it both ways. They whine about "painful reminders" such
as Confederate flags, monuments, statues, school and street names and so forth, yet they continually push for more painful reminders such as
"lynching reenactments," more and more slavery museums, the subversion of the National Park Service to convert battlefields into slavery museums and
on and on. The new fad is to coerce and guilt-trip politicians into issuing official apologies for slavery. Which is it? Do you or do you NOT want to
remember?
That is obviously a rhetorical question. We know the answer. But the next time someone whines about "painful
reminders", they need to be asked this question.
It's no secret that I favor historic preservation and accurate depiction of history, without exaggeration and
without omission. The bottom line is that these demagogues and race hustlers simply want to re-write and revise history to suit their agenda
and guilt-trip gravy train. Once they have official apologies from every state, what's next? Reparations?
Syndicated columnist Walter Williams, in his recent column entitled
'Regrets for Slavery,' has it
right. He calls such modern day apologies "nothing less than a cheap insult and capitulation of white delegates to black hustlers."
Some writers have concluded long ago that all these guilt-trip activities, aside from temporary fund-raisers,
are nothing but groundwork and a prelude to a demand for reparations. I won't belabor the ridiculous nature of those demands or the
impossible logistics of such a proposal. Suffice it say that there is no way to ever make such an arrangement fair...not even close to fair.
Presidential candidate Barack Obama recently learned that he had slave holders in his family tree. Likewise,
he may have some slaves for ancestors, too. Then there are all the people who came to the U.S. after slavery had ended. Obviously, they saw
no benefits from slavery. Likewise, there are black immigrants like the parents of Colin Powell. Then there are the descendants of mixed
race. Do they pay and receive? You get the idea. There's no way to equitably determine who owes who and how much. The melting pot is a
Gordian Knot that cannot be untangled. And cutting with a blade isn't the answer.
Let's hope that the Georgia general assembly will maintain their spines in the face of name calling that is
sure to escalate. Georgia NAACP chief Edward DuBose has already said he expected no help from "those white Republicans." The rhetoric
will surely advance to calling all apology opponents racists, bigots, etc.
Tyrone Brooks submitted his bills to change the 1956 flag for over 20 years before he got traction with
Atlanta Chamber merchants and Roy Barnes who had national office aspirations. We can expect no less on this silly apology idea. We are
sure to hear these demands for decades to come.
Meanwhile, they refuse to meaningfully address serious issues right here at home such as pitiful education
and shocking illiteracy, unwed girls having babies, rampant drug and alcohol abuse, violent crime and others. Furthermore, there's not
a peep about slavery that exists today all over the world but especially in African
countries like Mauritania, the Sudan and others.
While
the race hustlers won't even acknowledge present day slavery, they refuse to make the real American social issues a priority. They
prefer to continue their cheap hustles and shakedowns and to guilt-trip for paper apologies that mean nothing.
Related Links
NAACP urges Ga. to follow Virginia's lead, apologize for slavery - AP
Why those seeking an apology for slavery may not be whistling Dixie - AJC Political Inciter
Regrets for slavery - Walter E. Williams
Heritage Molesters Exposed Again - Steve Scroggins
Georgia Heritage Predator: Tyronnesaurus Brooks - X-Files
Tyrone Brooks: A Dangerous Anachronism - Frank Conner
Reparations Now! - Joseph Sobran
The Other Reparations Movement - Thomas J DiLorenzo
U.S. Rep. John Conyers Reparations site
Slavery Reparations Information Center
Fighting Present Day Slavery
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March 8, 2007
NAACP urges Ga. to follow Virginia's lead, apologize for slavery
By GREG BLUESTEIN
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA - Black legislative leaders said Thursday they will introduce proposals asking Georgia to follow Virginia's lead and apologize for the state's role in slavery and segregation-era laws.
"It is time for Georgia, as one of the major stake-holders in slavery, as one of the major players in lynchings, to say it's sorry," said state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, D-Atlanta. "Sorry for the fact that it was involved in slave trade, sorry for the fact that it was involved in Jim Crow laws."
The measure comes on the heels of a Virginia resolution that passed unanimously in February expressing "profound regret" over slavery. Lawmakers in Missouri are now considering a similar proposal, and Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen introduced a resolution in Congress asking the federal government to apologize for slavery and Jim Crow-era discrimination.
"If the capital of the Confederate states can lead the way in issuing an apology, then surely all of the other states that maintained slavery can consider doing the same," said Brooks, who is president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials.
The proposal, which is expected to be unveiled in the next few days, could also go a step beyond an expression of regret, said Edward DuBose, president of the Georgia chapter of the NAACP.
"By asking Georgia to apologize for its role, we're asking it to assume responsibility," he said.
The measure is unlikely to find a warm reception in Georgia's Republican-controlled Legislature.
Gov. Sonny Perdue's office said it had no comment on the proposal, but House Speaker Glenn Richardson said Thursday it would be "impossible for legislation offering an apology for slavery to move this session" because it's too late in the 40-day session. He also questioned the need for any type of official apology.
"I'm not sure what we ought to be apologizing for," said the Republican from Hiram. "Nobody here was in office."
Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams had a similar reaction.
"People shouldn't be held responsible for the sins of their fathers," said Williams, R-Lyons. "I personally believe apologies need to come from feelings that I've done wrong. I just don't feel like I did something wrong."
The NAACP said it is unfazed by the criticism.
"I didn't expect real cooperation from many of the white Republicans," said DuBose. "Not all of them feel that way. But certainly people who benefit from slavery, especially in the state of Georgia, you wouldn't expect cooperation from."
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Steve Scroggins lives in Macon and contributes most of GHC's parody
and political cartoons and graphics.
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