Quote:
Originally Posted by Caltex
If the Government represents the people of the United States (A definition I can agree with) then said government has absolutely zero reason to apologize for slavery.
As no person alive has legally owned a slave, nor has anyone alive legally plaid any role in practicing the institution of slavery, there is no reason for a government which represents these people to apologize.
No person alive, nor the current government bears any responsibility of actions 200 years ago. We might as well apologize for for serfdom in feudal Russia if you think we should apologize for slavery.
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But the government represents more than just the people ALIVE today, but also America itself, and it is responsible for more matters than CURRENT events.
I see the U.S. government as the representative of the people of U.S., and I see people of running the U.S. government as the representatives of the U.S. government. I hope this is not too confusing.
The question to ask is not only "have Americans enslaved people?" but also "has America allowed enslaving to happen?" The people at fault are dead, but the government that allowed it to happen is not. It doesn't matter now the administration is run by people born 200 years later...they still need to pick up the tabs from previous ones, don't you agree? The image of America also doesn't start clean after January 20th next year, McCain/Obama/Clinton cannot say "don't blame me for Iraq, it was Bush's idea."
If you look at America as a person it might be easier for you to understand where I come from. She is a person who is 231 years old with her 232nd birthday coming up in exactly two months...she had done some wrong before she reached 100 years old but she had since stop doing it. Do you believe she still needs to apologize? Or stop doing it is enough to make up for it?