What am I missing?

[CSAR GYRENE]

I seem to recall a section in the US const or the Dec of In that placed a value on blacks to be far less than that of the white property owners of the time.

The Constitution has often been called a living tribute to the art of compromise. In the slavery question, this can be seen most clearly. The Convention had representatives from every corner of the United States, including, of course, the South, where slavery was most pronounced. Slavery, in fact, was the backbone of the primary industry of the South, and it was accepted as a given that agriculture in the South without slave labor was not possible. Though slaves were not cheap by any measure, they were cheaper than hiring someone to do the same work. The cultivation of rice, cotton, and tobacco required slaves to work the fields from dawn to dusk. If the nation did not guarantee the continuation of slavery to the South, it was questioned whether they would form their own nation.
Full article here
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_slav.html

Then there is the issue of the 13th and 14th and 15th amendments. I believe that this trumps the statement that they were state issues.

I do agree that more states should follow the lead of Virgina since the Federal Government is not willing to do what in my opinion would be the right thing.

The section you are refering to is Artice one, section 2 of the US Constitution often called "the 3/5 compromise" used in determning numbers of representatives of states by population. The argument was about whether or not to count slaves as a whole unit of population. A very common and very erronious mistake people make is to assume that slaves were counted as only 3/5 of a person because they were not considered full humans. In fact, the 3/5 rule was proposed by the NORTHERN states to deliberately keep the number of congressman from slave states from gaining the majority, which would allow them to pass laws more favorable to those wishing to continue the practice of slavery. Even as early as 1786, slavery was already a VERY devisive issue. The framers knew full well that the constitution would never be ratified if the issue of slavery was addressed head on. Instead, the founders adopted a "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" mentality. Their thought was that forming a United States right then and there took precedence over solving the human rights issue of slavery.

 

[UAL_TECH]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-03...ex-slaves_N.htm

First, what the heck is the US Congress doing wasting it's time passing a resolution having to do with the soverigen affairs of Japan?

Second, did I miss the part where the US makes an official appology for slavery, segerigation, not allowing women equal rights till 1920, the syphilis experiment in Tuskegee, just too name a few? The hypocracy is laughable were it not so pathetic.

You forgot the Jonestown massacre...... :wacko:

 

[Gilding the Lily]

The apology came:

"Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, under fire abroad for denying government involvement in forcing women to serve as sex slaves during World War II, said yesterday he was 'apologizing here and now as the prime minister'".

 

[delldude]

Like it really makes a difference doesn't it....

Just like reparations for slavery....handout... :down:

 

[Garfield1966]

Dell, it goes deeper than that. It is not about pay back. Most people realize that reparations are not a viable option. IMO, what it goes to is denial or acceptance that something did or did not happen.

I spoke with someone who was abused as a child by a clergy member. He had decided to take the person to court. I was not about money. It was about having the clergy man acknowledge that it did really happen. It was also about everyone else knowing that yes it did really happen. That the victim was not making it up. It was about validation. For a victim it can mean quite a bit.

The only way we learn from history, make sure we don’t repeat it is to acknowledge that it happened. To deny history is an insult to those who went through it. History is already being rewritten to a degree. When I was in high-school and college, history was a joke. Native Americans were barely discussed. Slavery was barely touched on. WWII took a day (no mention of Stalins purge or the Holocaust). Viet-Nam while recent history at the time was not even brought up. These are parts of our history both the good and the bad. The sooner we (the world) can learn to embrace our history, al of our history the sooner we can move on and grow. It is in my opinion, at the very least a starting point.

 

[local 12 proud]

Dell, it goes deeper than that. It is not about pay back. Most people realize that reparations are not a viable option. IMO, what it goes to is denial or acceptance that something did or did not happen.

So are you saying that the country has denied that dark period in American History?

I spoke with someone who was abused as a child by a clergy member. He had decided to take the person to court. I was not about money. It was about having the clergy man acknowledge that it did really happen. It was also about everyone else knowing that yes it did really happen. That the victim was not making it up. It was about validation.

Gar your talking apples to oranges IMO. This individual first of all was "abused as a child" and has carried that abuse all their natural 'living' life. The story needed to be told and it was and hopefully that person was able to move on. Child abuse at least in our society has never been accepted and those who are caught and convicted are usally dealt with harshly. child abuse still occurs slavery does not.

Slavery OTOH was dealt with almost 150 years ago but prior to that time it was socially acceptable, (though it was wrong) most of the civalized world was guilty of the practice. We all know that racism is alive and well and its ugly, but the sword cuts both ways and to a certain extent it always will, thats just a fact of life as sure as the sun sets in the west.

If your going to single out a group of people who were never alive during a certain time period and say to these folks...Look we're sorry for how/what the way your ancestors were treated, then it needs to be applied equally to all those different races/nationalities that came to this country under some equally harsh conditions and you might as well start with the Native American Indians because they were here first.

For a victim it can mean quite a bit.

My Irish Immigrant Ancestors were treated worse than second class citizens, does this make me a victim?

The only way we learn from history, make sure we don’t repeat it is to acknowledge that it happened.

We've done that already

To deny history is an insult to those who went through it.

Again I ask you where has it ever been denied?

History is already being rewritten to a degree. When I was in high-school and college, history was a joke. Native Americans were barely discussed. Slavery was barely touched on. WWII took a day (no mention of Stalins purge or the Holocaust). Viet-Nam while recent history at the time was not even brought up.

...And whos fault is that?

Adopting a Federal Curriculum

Behind frequent protestations by public officials about local control of the schools, a federal curriculum has been quietly imposed by law. All the pieces are now in place for this major goal of the Clinton Administration. And it's all hiding behind that good conservative word "standards."

Elementary and secondary school education used to be organized around subjects such as reading, math, history, geography, language, and science. While smatterings of those subjects are still taught, the focus has been shifted from academic subject matter to teaching attitudes, beliefs, values, themes, behaviors, and job skills. This is indoctrination, not education. Leftwing professors write the textbooks and the teachers unions control the public schools, so the ideology is what those groups deem politically correct.

http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/public...-curriculum.htm

 

[delldude]

There was some excellent programming over the Irish weekend and it showed the abject poverty immigrants from Ireland had to deal with to survive here.I was shocked and appalled at what they were left to deal with.Irish soon turned this dismal existance into a successful training ground for all who immigrated and got the neccessary skills to move into the brave new world known as the good ol USA.

As for slavery...was it really that bad?Were Blacks better off in their homeland or did they benefit socially from coming to America?
I think they have survived better and grown here more than they would have in their native country.

How have the Native Americans faired?
They been #### on....no doubt...so who of all the ethnic groups,came out better or worse...its fairly easy to see.

 

[Gilding the Lily]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-03...ex-slaves_N.htm

First, what the heck is the US Congress doing wasting it's time passing a resolution having to do with the soverigen affairs of Japan?

Second, did I miss the part where the US makes an official appology for slavery, segerigation, not allowing women equal rights till 1920, the syphilis experiment in Tuskegee, just too name a few? The hypocracy is laughable were it not so pathetic.

Gar,

Too bad you aren't around to gloat in the fact that the House is poised to pass a resolution apologizing to African-Americans for slavery and the era of Jim Crow.

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.

House poised to apologize for slavery & Jim Crow

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Gar,

Too bad you aren't around to gloat in the fact that the House is poised to pass a resolution apologizing to African-Americans for slavery and the era of Jim Crow.

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.

House poised to apologize for slavery & Jim Crow

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lily,

I'm all for an apology from the Feds to folks affected by slavery/Jim Crow.

HOWEVER, ..If ANYONE(group) is owed an official US Government apology..."FIRST", it's due to the INDIAN of whats now referenced as the USA.

While enslaving another Human Being, ...is beyond belief(to me),................"trying" to ERADICATE a whole race of PEOPLE, (similar to Nazi Germany) has NO WORSE a CRIME !!

And yet, our Wonderful Government is NO WHERE near even thinking about doing it.

It's QUITE Possible though, that............said Apology...could be forthcoming from the Next POTUS.

 

[UAL_TECH]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lily,

I'm all for an apology from the Feds to folks affected by slavery/Jim Crow.

HOWEVER, ..If ANYONE(group) is owed an official US Government apology..."FIRST", it's due to the INDIAN of whats now referenced as the USA.

While enslaving another Human Being, ...is beyond belief(to me),................"trying" to ERADICATE a whole race of PEOPLE, (similar to Nazi Germany) has NO WORSE a CRIME !!

And yet, our Wonderful Government is NO WHERE near even thinking about doing it.

It's QUITE Possible though, that............said Apology...could be forthcoming from the Next POTUS.

How much $$$ do you want?
B) xUT

 

[Cosworth]

How much $$$ do you want?
B) xUT

It is not about money. This country does not have enough of it to pay for what it stole. It is about owning up to our history as a nation and apologizing for those we have wronged. The USA stole peoples lives. How do you even repay that?

 

[cooper43]

As for slavery...was it really that bad?Were Blacks better off in their homeland or did they benefit socially from coming to America?
I think they have survived better and grown here more than they would have in their native country.

How have the Native Americans faired?
They been #### on....no doubt...so who of all the ethnic groups,came out better or worse...its fairly easy to see.

How very ethnocentric of you to assume that our cultrue is superior to what those who suffered slavery would have enjoyed had not others made that choice for them. You make it sound like they were done a favor by enslaving them and robbing them of their freedom. Would you be willing to be enslaved in order for your offspring to live a different life (which you might not think is better if you were use to something else). I know that there is still a lot of prejudice out there but it still surprises me when someone verbalizes suck ignorance in a public forum.