State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin filed a resolution in the Missouri House that formally apologizes for the state's role in slavery.“There seems to be a reluctance to speaking about Missouri’s past,” said El-Amin, D-St. Louis.
“I want to begin a dialogue about the state’s racial history so Missourians of different backgrounds can better understand one another. Addressing the past will help us build toward the future," El-Amin said in a release.
Philippe Francois Renault introduced slavery to what would become the state of Missouri in 1720 when he brought 500 slaves with him to work lead mines in what are now St. Louis and Jefferson Counties. The enslavement of blacks continued in Missouri until the ratification of the state Constitution of 1865, which outlawed the practice.
“The unresolved racial issues of Missouri’s past spawned the racial issues of Missouri’s present,” El-Amin said. “If we are serious about moving forward as a state, Missourians must talk more about race. Formally acknowledging and apologizing for Missouri’s role in slavery is an appropriate place to start.”
5 comments:
Yes, yes, yes.
This is a must so that Missouri and those of African background... or more precisely, those with slave ancestry can move on.
Those of us holed up in the Ozarks have NO IDEA the hurt that is bottled up in this cultural group, very evident in St. Louis and likely KC.
Hopefully El-Amin will inspire the serious dialogue he seeks.
It is important that this is an apology, and not a paycheck. Why? Who could set a figure for their suffering? And who could draw a line for when suffering ends?
Sure, Why not?
Everyone alive today played a role in slavery and if you are of African American decent and you are alive today you must have been a slave.
With the apology the State of Missouri should give all accepting or approving of the apology a one way ticket to Africa including those in the Missouri House and Senate that vote to approve such a resolution. The acceptance of the apology should be a legal revocation of their United States citizenship. It would only be fair to send those folks where they would prefer to be.
The biggest problem this country has is the racist minorities that believe they are entitled to programs because of their status or skin color. I am an American. I am proud to be an American. The color of my skin shouldn’t dictate what I receive or what I am entitled to receive. All Americans should be treated the same. When I start telling people I am an African American I am distancing myself from other Americans. I am telling others that I am different, that I am not a true American. Why?
With the apology the State needs to include the Native Americans. We as Missourians stole their land and forced them through violence onto Reservations. We need to apologize to Japanese Americans who were forced into concentration camps during World War II and held at Camp Clark and Camp Crowder Missouri. We should not have been complicit to national policies and imprisoned these people for no crime.
The resolution is foolish and a waste of time. Our elected representatives should be concentrating on the issues that affect us today and not on an issue that occurred 286 years ago. If the legislature has the time to take up this issue, they must have already debated and passed the state budget for 2006-2007, their only required duty under the Constitution of the Great State of Missouri.
How about, if we just all apologize for the sins of our ancestors, what ever they might be? For those of us who are not pure blooded, it can be confusing to determine which part of our heritage has been mistreated the most and besides I would prefer, that the gentlemen and gentleladies work on highway improvements and burying electical lines and a tax cut would be nice.
The Missouri Compromise marks the beginning of our history. Though some good points are listed it's my belief that coming out with and saying "Missouri Will Compromise No More When it Comes to Human Rights" (This term is now trademarked by the Branson Edge LTD All Rights Reserved)Let us remember the state consitution be our guide and "The Welfare of the People Shall Be the Supreme Law."
Yeah yeah....let me say this once: I'm Sorry! Now shut the hell up and let's quit crying about something that we, the living, had absolutely no control over!
Bunch of damn cry babies.
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