Question:
How far should today's society have to?
Just Hazel
2011-02-26 13:24:45 UTC
go to right the injustices of the slavery of 150 yrs. ago. Political figures hold high offices, business doors are wide open, streets have been re-named, colleges court minorities, what else should be done to right the wrong of our ancestors? Slavery is no more and no one living today is responsible for what happened 200 yrs. ago. How else can the debt be paid?
Nineteen answers:
Tom
2011-02-26 13:32:48 UTC
I think any debt has more than been paid. None of us, white or black was alive back then. A black man inhabits the white house now. How much farther do they want to go? If any one has a right to gripe it's the native americans. We haven't seen one of them get elected President. How about a hispanic? Or an Oriental? I think Senator Daniel Inoe (sp?) of Hawaii would have made a great President. I'm sorry, I just don't feel the guilt. All minorities have to struggle when they first get here and then they want to take over. Look what's happened in Detroit and Dearborn, Michigan. The arabs have taken over virtually every thing there.
Beulah
2011-02-26 19:47:36 UTC
It is something that happened a long time ago, but slavery is still big business in many countries in the world today. And it was not just black people who were the victims of slavery.



I am of Scottish Highland descent and I know some of my family from the 1800s were sold into slavery as part of the highland clearances. They were sold to plantation owners in the Carolina's and the Caribbean. Most died as they were from a cold country and could not survive the heat and diseases they encountered. I believe some of the survivors settled in Florida after slavery was abolished.. But I do not think that either the descendants of those who sold them, or the descendants of those who bought them owe those survivors anything.



The generations that have been born since abolition have had plenty time and opportunity to work for a better life in the USA than most of us who remained back in Scotland have today. If their quality of life is no better, then it is up to themselves to work to improve it.



Beulah
Ms. Minerva
2011-02-27 03:18:54 UTC
Slavery has been practiced in different ways since one human found out he could overpower other humans.

All the slavery of Africans came about because OTHER Africans overpowered weaker tribes and sold them to European and English slavers.



The European and English slavers took them to the "New World" to work their sugar, tobacco, rice, and cotton plantations.

Most of the wealth of the UK and the European countries came from the slave plantations wealthy citizens of those countries maintained in the New World.



Once we took over the USA and eliminated slave labor here....the Europeans and the English continued to loot other countries. England, for example, barged into India and set up plantations there....and didn't get kicked out until well into the 1900's.



So...no, Americans did not set up slavery....Europeans and the English did. Cuba, for example, had more slaves than anywhere else...Spanish brought them there.



Lincoln's plan to deal with the freed slaves was to provide passage back to Africa for all of them. I am thinking I read somewhere this was offered after the Civil War....but most preferred to stay here. Freed slaves, I am thinking, were offered land grants, etc. to help them get established.



Everyone needs to get over anything that happened to someone in their family hundreds of years ago. Those alive today were not enslaved, nor is anyone living today someone who has slaves.



Those who think their race or religion is the only one which has ever been persecuted are simply not well educated. Everyone's group has come in for some persecution throughout the centuries. No one is jumping up and down trying to get paid for it.
Miz D
2011-02-26 13:43:51 UTC
Should do it? Not in my opinion. What's done is done. You can't change history.



My prediction: Making reparations for the injustices of slavery will be decided by the high courts of our country. The ancestors of former slaves will get money and taxpayers will have to pay it. Native Americans are getting money for things that happened to their ancestors so the precedent has been set. If we live long enough I think we will see big money given in settlement to the ancestors of USA slaves.
mswnana
2011-02-26 14:01:38 UTC
Yes, and now it is that the children do not get out of school for Martin Luther King's celebration. Well, they lumped all of the Presidents' birthdays into one day and gave us President's Day which is not a holiday except for the government employees. As far as I know, there is still slave labor in the United States (those who work for minimum wage or below). The Native Americans got their own revenge when they built their gambling casinos and hotels, and the government cannot touch their money. LOL.
Lisette
2011-02-26 13:57:22 UTC
I think society can stop now and I don't say that to be mean. I do believe that the Native American was given a raw deal and they should get the land promised to them back. From what I read in the history books, the Cherokee were cheated real bad re Georgia territory that they settled on.
?
2016-12-12 21:03:08 UTC
inspite of what you hear approximately "modern-day" regulations that have "in reality replaced society, " we've long previous backwards, no longer forward. on each occasion any government "steps in to advance society" they have, by making use of necessity, taken away own freedoms and liberty. without private freedom and liberty a society ought to certainly stagnate and die. A ineffective society is then prey to the 1st unscrupulous petty dictator (OBAMA). people who're content to enable others make all their existence judgements and count upon others for their survival will vote to maintain the "carriers" in ability. confident we've come too far, and confident...we are screwed.
RoHo
2011-02-26 13:38:36 UTC
There is no debt. Some folks will always look for a free ride in any way they can think of. To the American bashers,, slavery was brought here by the British and French before America was a nation. Perhaps they should be asking those country's.
2011-02-26 16:03:17 UTC
I don't owe anyone anything for something that happened in the past, I wasn't around for that and had nothing to do for it, and I, for one, will not be held responsible for that. If anyone expects the generations of today to be accountable for that time period, then they have a rather sick mind and I would suggest they see a doctor.
oldman
2011-02-26 15:55:34 UTC
I don't owe anybody for something somebody else did 150 years ago. If they don't like the way things are now, ship them back to where their ancestors came from.
?
2011-02-26 13:56:07 UTC
It's not about righting anything. It's about blatant pandering to the lowest common denominator. When SMU admitted that "affimative action" was immoral and mad everyone meet the same standards for entrance, they found they had "a shortage of minority applicants". Figure it out.
?
2011-02-26 13:43:40 UTC
Make sure something like that never happens again in this country. Do whatever we can to educate and stop slavery in other countries where it continues to happen every day.
Suzianne
2011-02-26 15:13:55 UTC
I do not think the collective "society" needs to do more, but I feel that individuals should do everything in their power to prevent abuse and discrimination and promote the advancement of all citizens.
Dave M
2011-02-26 13:46:24 UTC
Move on - we have far bigger problems right now - if we are not care full we will all end up slaves to the powers that are destroying us.
2011-02-28 10:33:52 UTC
this one fella said his woman calls a vacuum sweeper a slave tool....... it is what it is .. were all slaves... JESUS... if you are ever referring to the black community again they have millions of famous and they are millionaires many times over so much for slavery. hollywood and rocknroll and sports figures ... so we all cant be famous and rich...... what about all the famous rich black people and obama.....
RB
2011-02-26 14:42:40 UTC
I see no need to "pay" for something that I did not have anything to do with. What I can do is see that it doesn't happen again (doing my best to prevent it however I can).
?
2011-02-26 13:48:13 UTC
You can do what you want.

To the best of my knowledge, my ancestors

didn't own slaves. Half of my family were

sheep herders in the Carpathian Mountains,

the other half were farmers in southern Ireland.
Tigger
2011-02-26 17:15:05 UTC
Equal rights has come to be, time to say we are all equal, colored people can stop forcing others to think they are minorities...
2011-02-26 17:12:29 UTC
I always found it weird that Americans abused the coloured race whom they had brought to their country in the first place.


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