Reverse Racism

Viriginia lawmakers have recently adopted a resolution that will mark the Jamestown Anniversary forever.

The Virginia General Assembly voted unanimously to express “profound regret” for Virginia’s role in African American slavery.

As of now, no other state is known to have actually apologized for slavery, officially or unofficially, and apparently it takes the passing of a bill for the state to apologize. This is kind of strange to me. I haven’t really decided if I think it’s good, bad, or even if it matters.

However I suppose the acknowledgement is nice, if not a tad bit belated. This resolution as I understand it, does not mean as much as a law, but is meant to send a symbolic message, that apparently the state ‘profoundly regrets’ their part in slavery.

As a whole, the entire state, well I guess that’s ok. I personally refuse to take responsibility for any sort of slavery. I cannot possibly say what I would have done decades ago, but I can say today I wouldn’t tolerate it for a moment. I do not believe that all white people alive today are responsible for all bad things that happen to all black people today, or any other race for that matter.

I would not be considered guilty of a crime the man I married committed; therefore I will not tolerate being found socially guilty of committing a crime I had nothing to do with. However, I suppose if each individual piece of the map could speak for itself, as a state, then each state should be ashamed, and guilt ridden, and punished.

This new resolution states that government sanctioned slavery “ranks as the most horrendous of all depredations of human rights and violations of our founding ideals in our nation’s history, and the abolition of slavery was followed by systematic discrimination, enforced segregation and other insidious institutions and practices toward Americans of African descent that were rooted in racism, racial bias and racial misunderstanding.”

Here I must wholeheartedly agree. I can’t and wont take responsibility for this. It does anger me, but it’s not my fault or my doing. However, I’m sure my position on the subject of slavery should be pretty clear. It was a horribly disgusting time in America.

Furthermore, when blacks were given the right to vote in Virginia, their voting power was greatly reduced by a poll tax, and literacy tests, these rules were later overruled, thankfully, although again on the late side by federal courts.

Virginia doesn’t have a pretty reputation when it comes to their treatment of African Americans, I just can’t say that I get it. I see where they’re going. Trying to now clean up this reputation, and maybe clear their past a conscience a bit, but what precisely will this ‘apology’ change?

I definitely agree with those that voted in favor, which by the way was everyone, once it’s on the table, they’re just as guilty in my opinion if they vote it down. I’m just thinking that as far as political money goes (Keeping in mind that I am not a political person, and do not fully understand these proceedings) it seems that the money to pass such a bill, could have been used for something else.

Don’t much care what that something else is, and generally, I don’t agree, ever, that you must be of one race or another to understand something, but here, maybe I do. I am a white woman, and although I feel very strongly about racial discrimination, racial separation and everything of the like.

I cannot speak for a black woman, and know if this apology makes a difference in her life. I would personally tell them where to put their apology, but then again, the African Americans alive today, weren’t alive then either, and cannot speak for those tortured slaves, that hopefully now rest in peace. Who knows, maybe some dreamed of an apology and will now rest in peace.

On a side not however, Delegate Frank Hargrove, an 80 year old republican that took a lot of heat for stating his opinion that “black citizens should get over” slavery. Was one of those unanimous voters that allowed this bill to pass.

Perhaps he’s changed his mind? Again not being political, I’ll be the first to say, I’ve no idea who this man is, or his race. Apparently the comment infuriated some. However, I do agree. Not only do I agree, I believe that all Americans have to get over slavery, get past it.

We cannot change it. It happened, it will not go away. We can learn from it, and heal wounds created by it. In fact we should, however, slavery is not an excuse, and to be quite blunt, I’ve never met nor have I kept a slave.

I cannot feel guilt over something I had nothing to do with, and no one should be expected to, and it’s hard for me to excuse the behavior of some that assume something is owed to them due to their ancestors suffering.

Something was certainly owed to those ancestors, but we’re hardly in a position to repay the dead.