Kompressor

Senate OKs apology for slavery, segregation

WASHINGTON – With unanimous consent, the U.S. Senate today apologized on behalf of the nation to African Americans for the legacy of slavery and the enforced system of segregation known as Jim Crow.
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It differed from last year’s resolution passed by the House in one major detail only: The Senate’s version included a disclaimer noting that nothing in the resolution supports reparations for the families of slaves or “serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States.”

Sens. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, and Republican Sam Brownback of Kansas were the primary sponsors, with Michigan’s Carl Levin, a Democrat, also putting his name on the resolution, which passed without a roll call vote. Said Levin, “It is our responsibility, our duty, to continue to examine” the legacy of slavery.

“This apology,” he said, “is part of carrying out that responsibility.”

Last year, with the support of House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers of Detroit, Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee got a resolution apologizing for slavery and Jim Crow passed in the House on a voice vote but it died in the Senate.

This year’s resolution passed the Senate in time for Juneteenth – set for June 19 every year – the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. On that day in 1865, Union solders landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and the slaves there were free.

The resolution acknowledges ”the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws” and apologizes for the wrongs committed against African Americans “and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws.” It also calls on all people to work toward “eliminating racial prejudices, injustices and discrimination from our society” while noting that an apology cannot erase the pain of past wrongs.

The House is expected to take up the resolution as early as next week.

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Sugar420

better late than never i guess...

seattle420lover

next they owe millions to the families who once grew hemp!

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"The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining to an understanding of compassion" SOCRATES, 470-399 BC

m0rb1d

pfft

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seattle420lover

Hemp in Wisconsin

excerpt:

Let's get a little perspective on this crop.

Hemp, by 1890, was probably the oldest of the Old World crops in the "New" World. Because of the critical role played by its rot-resistant fiber in the maritime activity of the Europeans, hemp traveled with the explorations. The first recorded planting in the western hemisphere was in Chile as early as 1545. It was reportedly planted in today's Canada by 1607 and in the American colonies by 1627.

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"The highest realms of thought are impossible to reach without first attaining to an understanding of compassion" SOCRATES, 470-399 BC

dubtrice

I wouldn't go as far to say the gov't should pay monetary reparations, seeing as how all the victims and people responsible are now dead...
you shouldn't punish a child for his fathers actions

Scion

yep they should pay. thats just the start. because the effects are still present.

SageTree

What about all the people who settled the Colonies that came to North America because they were driven out of Europe. We need some money from Europe too I don't mean this in a tasteless way, but there are oppressed people from long ago. Like the Jews and the Babylonians ect.....

I don't know if money will help the person, but it could be used to elevate neighbourhoods and education, so that everyone has a safe place to learn, thus cutting down the bigotry through knowledge. Treating symptoms doesn't work that well, getting to the root is the key.

Rascism and Poverty efffect both sides, the haters and the hated.

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patriot

The Amerikaan Government needs to apologize to the entire world for making and keeping hemp illegal which wreaks havoc on the entire planet on a continual basis. But after all, poison is the Amerikaan Way. Don't use anything non-toxic-like hemp.

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A true patriot is always ready to stand up against his own government.

We can't be using plants that come from the Lord for beneficial purposes. Now hurry up, or we'll be late for church.

The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it.-Adolf Hitler

Legalizing marijuana won't grow our economy-Barack Hussein Obama 2009

Suliman

what a bunch of bullshit. Its like when president Clinton apologized for the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom hundreds of years later. Its seems almost offensive to think that the government considers an 'official apology' sufficient enough to justify the slavery of an entire people. No, money is not the answer, but do you think the actual slaves, or original Hawaiians for that matter, would be satisfied?

I think instead of an apology, the government should instate a program that raises awareness about racism, or have a "Black people get off work" day, or something tangible.

Maturin

Way to be a Johnny One Note and completely ignore the thread subject.

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"Creating something is not a democracy. The people have no say. The artist does. It doesn't matter what the people witter on about: they and their response comes after. They're not there for the moment of creation."

--Russell T Davies