Living in Sin, Without Remorse
Ted Folkert, September 11, 2019
Associated Press correspondent, Lisa Mascaro’s recent article: Congress Marks 400th Anniversary of Slaves Arriving in US, discusses a much discussed and little resolved discriminatory period in our history.
She quotes Senator Nancy Pelosi as saying “We must tell the unvarnished truth,” and in the commemoration of Emancipation Hall: “…gave the world this beacon of hope.”
And she quotes Representative Kevin McCarthy as calling slavery “many shameful moments” in the country.”
And she quoted Senator Mitch McConnell as saying that in many ways it is our “original sin.”
And she states that Representative Karen Bass, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, called on colleagues to examine and embrace all parts of the nation’s history, and who stated “We are so fortunate to live in this amazing country with our incredible history,” Bass said. “All of our history is what makes this country a great country,” she said, and encourages all Americans to contribute to the “fight to build a more perfect union.”
Blah, blah, blah!
Similar statements have probably been cited by a long list of our leaders or would-be leaders over the last few centuries, comments which are probably well-meaning and well-expected. Such acknowledgements and apologies are certainly necessary and have been plentiful, at least in the last few decades, but how can they possibly placate and provide belated equality of opportunity for descendants of those who were dreadfully discriminated against for the last 400 hundred years. I say 400 years because the inequality of opportunity still exists in numerous ways for the descendants of slaves.
How about reparations for the descendants of the depressed people who can be verified as legitimate descendants of slaves? Not token reparations, but reparations adequate to compensate them for the combined deficiencies in education and opportunities which have evolved from one generation to the next over these 400 years.
When we hear serious suggestions such as this, we will know that this discriminatory activity is fully acknowledged and resolved to the largest extent possible.
We can’t make it right for those who are no longer around, but we can at least attempt to bring their descendants up to speed with society today.