Blair 'sorrow' over slave trade

[Dundeegeorge]

Never mind the slaves

When is the UN going to apologise for wiping out the dinosaurs then, eh?
B*st*rds!

[Ardesco]

Apologising for the slave trade is NOT being politically correct FFS!!!

Of course it is, next you be expecting me to apologise to India for the British Raj, or Apologise to the French because we had a few wars with them over the years...

And please tell me where this tribe of black cannibals who have feasted upon white man for years is?

Did i say there are still black cannibals eating white men right now??? No. But if you go back far enough you will find evidence of white explorers occasionally being attacked and eaten by black cannibals.

Yes slavery happened, but so did many other things that were not partuclary palletable. You can't wait a few hundred years and then expect apologies from a specific demographic group just because some of thier ancestors "might" have done something horrible ages ago.

What if monkeys learn to speak and evolve to the same intellectual level as us. Are we then going to publically apologise to them because we kept them in Zoos ??

Its PC rubbish all the way. Bad things happen, time changes things and bad things stop happening. It doesn't mean we have to drag up the past every five seconds in attempt to make ourselves look like victems or to try and get a cash payout. By doing this you are discriminationg against yourself!!!

[SallyAnne]

Of course it is, next you be expecting me to apologise to India for the British Raj, or Apologise to the French because we had a few wars with them over the years...

Did i say there are still black cannibals eating white men right now??? No. But if you go back far enough you will find evidence of white explorers occasionally being attacked and eaten by black cannibals.

Yes slavery happened, but so did many other things that were not partuclary palletable. You can't wait a few hundred years and then expect apologies from a specific demographic group just because some of thier ancestors "might" have done something horrible ages ago.

What if monkeys learn to speak and evolve to the same intellectual level as us. Are we then going to publically apologise to them because we kept them in Zoos ??

Its PC rubbish all the way. Bad things happen, time changes things and bad things stop happening. It doesn't mean we have to drag up the past every five seconds in attempt to make ourselves look like victems or to try and get a cash payout. By doing this you are discriminationg against yourself!!!

It was a very very long time ago, but not all of the wounds of slavery have healed - thats how bad it was Ardesco. People still havn't healed from it. Instead of persecuting those people and telling them to feck off an get over it, why not just try and help them heal, and let the country apologise for its part in it?
Same goes for any other example you care to bring up - if there are still people out there hurting from anything this country has done in the past, then yes drag it up again and yes apologise for it (agan and again if necessary).

Your canibal example is stupid though, and your animal one. If you cant see the difference, then its pointless even talking to you about that.

[Ardesco]

Ok then, should the Mongolians apologise for Ghengis Khan ? He slaughtered enough people..

Should the French apologise for Nelson?

there has to be a point where history becomes history and people stop dwelling on it, how can somebody born and raised in this country at this moment in time be psycologically scarred because 20 generations back somebody in thier family was a slave??

[expat]

Slave Trade

Britain should express sorrow for allowing the slave trade, it was morally wrong. That was why we never allowed slavery in our own country.

You and I personally need not feel guilt: we didn't do it.

And neither we personally, nor our country, need apologise to anyone now living, unless they insist that they have been harmed by their ancestors having been taken in slavery.

And if they have, let us help them undo the injustice: help them to return.

[Logie]

I'd just like to apologise for my great great great great great grandfather's uncle's brother's sister cousin twice removed who had inappropriate sexual relations with the village elder's brother's mother's cousin's best friend.

Glad to get that off my chest. It's been bugging me for centuries.

[SallyAnne]

Ok then, should the Mongolians apologise for Ghengis Khan ? He slaughtered enough people..

Should the French apologise for Nelson?

there has to be a point where history becomes history and people stop dwelling on it, how can somebody born and raised in this country at this moment in time be psycologically scarred because 20 generations back somebody in thier family was a slave??

The point where history becomes history is when all people have put it in the past.

And I think some things will never be "put into the past" and forgotton about.
Women will never forget the past.
Blacks will never forget the past.
Jews will never forget the past.

I understand why you, as a middle classed white man, would feel pissed off about this and feel like people are having a dig at you personally. You've never done anything to anyone, so why should you apologise?

But the fact that you feel that way is a sign that you personally havn't got over the scars of the past either! Everyone's born into a legacy, and your happens to be the privilaged legacy - the people who actually bought, sold and kept slaves.
You'd say sorry and shrug it off immediately if you really didn't feel any shame you know.

[DimPrawn]

I have traced my family tree back and my family were once slaves to Romans in Britain. It upsets me everyday to think of it. It's disgusting. I hope them Italians are going to cough up some wonga to make me get over it. A lot of wonga.

[Mailman]

Everyone's born into a legacy, and your happens to be the privilaged legacy - the people who actually bought, sold and kept slaves.
You'd say sorry and shrug it off immediately if you really didn't feel any shame you know.

FFS, what absolute load of codswollop!

Its people like you that fuel bullsh1t things like apologising for slavery.

Feck, with people like you around no wonder there is such a thing as collective guilt. You know I thought that black chick was the problem but no I was wrong. Its people like you that are the problem.

Why dont you just toddle off and do all the apologising for the whities like Ardesco aye?? I mean by your reasoning Ardesco is the the sole reason slavery ever existed...I mean, how dare he be born white!

Mailman

[SallyAnne]

FFS, what absolute load of codswollop!

Its people like you that fuel bullsh1t things like apologising for slavery.

Feck, with people like you around no wonder there is such a thing as collective guilt. You know I thought that black chick was the problem but no I was wrong. Its people like you that are the problem.

Why dont you just toddle off and do all the apologising for the whities like Ardesco aye?? I mean by your reasoning Ardesco is the the sole reason slavery ever existed...I mean, how dare he be born white!

Mailman

Stop saying "people like me" - it's discrimination

Its not collective guilt - its about being able to be a bit fecking humble and admit the mistakes of the past. You dont have to flog yourself every day for it, just admit that it happened and say sorry for it!
What is the big deal?!