Abolition of Slavery: Apologise or Not Apologise. Discuss.

[Kyajae]

This should be interesting. Personally I think not. Better to work towards eradicating slavery in the modern world today and hand-wringing for the actions of people 200 years ago.

[MrsGoof]

Abolish Slavery
It'll never get through the House of Lords

[TheOmegaMan]

Abolish it ? who would the capitalist scum exploit then ?

[Denny]

This should be interesting. Personally I think not. Better to work towards eradicating slavery in the modern world today and hand-wringing for the actions of people 200 years ago.

Can't we do both?

As long as the apology doesn't appease the PC brigade by acknowledging or even implying that all the problems black people face then or now are entirely the fault of white people or that only the white populations are capable of hideous acts of people exploitation. Clearly they are not and have not.

Nevertheless, a bit of good grace on our part would do us no harm at all if it helps to heal wounds, even if slavery has been around since time began and still carries on today.

[The Lone Gunman]

I believe that the apology/reparation was made 200 years ago when slavery was abolished. (I know it still goes on, but not legaly in Britain).
It may have been too little too late, but it was done.
Slavery was recognised for the abuse that it is and Britain recognised the right of men to be free. The slaves were freed and were recognised as citizens in the countries they chose to remain in.

Why should those of us who were not involved in the slave trade make apologies and reparations to those who were never victims of it?

[realityhack]

Better to work towards eradicating slavery in the modern world today

Well said. That and people smuggling, kidnapping, sex slavery etc. Less talk and BS, more action to address crimes in progress.

[ratewhore]

...nowt to do with me guvnor.

I'm firmly in the 'whats the fecking point of apologising 200 years later' camp. Doesn't do anything to stop the current people trafficking does it?

[DimPrawn]

Lets skip the apology and all kill ourselves in shame?

[mrdonuts]

i heard that a large number of the people involved in the trade were africans. Capturing and selling on their own people. I think slavery is completely out of order, but it has gone on throughout history, no point apologising about a single episode 200 years later

[cykophysh39]

I am frankly sick and tired of all these people asking for apologioes all the time. I don't see what the point is in apologising for something I had nothing to do with, I'm not even sure if anybody in my family tree had anything to do with, so it had nothing to do with me, so I think it's senseless in apologising it has no value anyway.

Why don't we get the Mongolians to appologise for Ghengis Khan, The Italians to appologise for the Romans, The Greeks for being Greek!!