Georgia Apology

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is skeptical about having his state apologize for its role in slavery.

"Repentance comes from the heart, I'm not sure about public apologies on behalf of other people as far as the motivation for them."

A draft measure has the backing of the Republican state Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson and the state NAACP.

"Those of us in public office today, I think we're called to live our lives and inspire our citizens to live their lives so that our children and grandchildren have nothing to apologize for,"

In February Virginia issued a resolution expressing "profound regret" over slavery and Maryland's state Senate just approved resolution to offer an official apology.
.

Slavery was brought to America by the Europeans, supplied by African business partners. This practice was commonplace for thousands of years in many cultures. In times before the American Revolution there were slaves present in all of the colonies. After the American Revolution, slavery lingered in states such as New York. Rejection of slavery, in western culture, was initiated by European Christian reformation. The cultural lag between Europe and America was extended with an agricultural boom but ultimately closed with the ending of the Civil War. It is little surprise that oppression was continued because of economic advantages enjoyed by a few. Business as usual, parallel logic applied to the current immigration issue, citizens know illegal immigration is wrong, but those that benefit from illegal labor abuse and bend the system to their own ends. The end result is carved in stone, the courage is not there to make it happen.

.

The evils of slavery are so obvious that any description would be redundant. Slavery was un-Christian, and in-humane. Beneficiaries of slavery have died with guilt and responsibility for their actions.

• Men are responsible for THEIR actions.
• Men DO escape paying the price for their transgressions.
• Guilt and responsibility do not have continuing life after the death of responsible men. Guilt is not a game of pin the tail on the donkey.

As a resident of the state of Georgia, I have great appreciation for the candor with which our Governor speaks. The peoples demanding apologies and acknowledgements are not the injured parties. The peoples upon which the demands are being placed are not responsible. An apology by the state has no value because it has no responsible connection to actions of the guilty.

.

The demands being made by the NAACP are a publicity ploy that, if successful, will have no effect on their constituency. In a measurable sense the result can have a negative effect, by building a sense of reparation entitlement.

.

The politicians who support such worthless objectives are undercutting their value to society.

.

The state can apologize all it wants to, it won't mean crap.