Comments on: Sorry Doesn’t Cut It.

By: DirtyLaundry

DirtyLaundry — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:10:21 +0000

Yes, I was being sarcastic. I know there are still a good amount of Native Americans left. But let us not forget that they started out as the majority and wound up as the smallest minority.

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:52:50 +0000

@DirtyLaundry: “And what about the Native Americans, oh wait, their all gone.” Seriously? Tell that to the Sioux side of my family.

By: Amber

Amber — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:07:53 +0000

Eep. The first link didn’t completely parse. You’ll have to copy/paste the entire link (including the unlinked end colon) to see the bill.

@DirtyLaundry: The government didn’t give out the 40 acres and mule after the Civil War. I’m not surprised at the lack of compensation now. I don’t disagree with you on the reality of the issue, but I can say that (lack of) gesture feels empty.

The Japanese American internees and their families were given reparations in 1999. Source: http://www.democracynow.org/1999/2/18/wwii_reparations_japanese_american_internees

By: SarahMC

SarahMC — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:19:19 +0000

DirtyLaundry, you’re joking about Native Americans being all gone, right?

By: DirtyLaundry

DirtyLaundry — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:19:05 +0000

@amber: The government will never hand out money for something that happened over 2 centuries ago (I don’t necessarily think they should have to) and how do you measure the damages in terms of money. And why should they be giving out reparations to only Afr. Americans, what about the injustices done to Japanese Americans, shouldn’t they also be given some type of compensation or is it since Japanese Americans tend to be upper middle class they don’t count anymore.
And what about the Native Americans, oh wait, their all gone.

By: Amber

Amber — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:19:39 +0000

@DirtyLaundry: Nope. Not yet. But one is making its rounds in the Senate.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:s.j.res.00014:

@PhDork: Yes, in the text, there are explicit references to Jim Crow several times.

Complete text of apology here: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-sc26/text

There is also recognition that racism still exists today.

What really bothers me is that there can be no claims of reparation made based on this apology. I understand that if they leave that door open, it will be a bureaucratic nightmare, but so much was taken from these people. An apology feels empty.

By: DirtyLaundry

DirtyLaundry — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:14:47 +0000

@ceejee: I agree 100%.
SarahMC do you know if the US has apologized to the Native Americans about that whole stealing their land thing and almost wiping out their entire race? I just hate that people always use the slavery of blacks as the greatest injustice the US has ever committed. I hear people saying “It’s about time” in regards to this, it is as if people think racism and slavery began in America.
Has Egypt apologized to the Hebrews for enslaving them? Has Rome apologized to most of western civilization for enslaving our ancestors? I’m guessing they just think it happened it sucked let’s move on, because an apology isn’t going to make anything better.

By: Penny_Esq

Penny_Esq — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:13:27 +0000

It stunned me to learn in law school that Plessy v. Ferguson has not technically been overturned. It is still good law. The fuck?

By: PhDork

PhDork — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:07:44 +0000

I actually think I heard that "Jim Crow laws" were included in the formal apology...but your point remains. Also, Juneteenth is a novel by Ralph Ellison (sorta, it was cobbled together posthumously from drafts), and is available for super-cheap at the mega-online-book-retailer that shall not speak its name. It's a little uneven and totally dude-centric, but worthwhile, all the same. It's not about the 1860s (though there is a major flashback), but the 1950s, and when it's good, it's Invisible Man good.

By: AmandaS

AmandaS — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:00:04 +0000

Proof that racism is still alive and well: this is the first time I’ve ever heard of Juneteenth. And it’s an official holiday in almost 2/3 of our states?! *sigh* Well at least a bunch of white folks finally apologized, that makes it all better *sarcasm*.

Maybe next century someone will apologize for the fact that public schools, media outlets, and society in general didn’t see this as an important holiday.