Should we apologise?

[Stan_Lite]

The television at the moment is full of the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery.

There are calls from many sides for Britain to formally apologise for it's part in this appalling trade in human lives. Do you think our government should apologise on behalf of the people?

I think not. I feel no personal guilt for the part our ancestors played in the slave trade. I feel anger and shame but I will not accept guilt for acts which were perpetrated over 200 years ago. I played no part in this and nor did anyone I know.
If I found out that one of my ancestors raped a woman in the 18th century, I wouldn't feel obliged to seek out her descendants to apologise for his crime - likewise, I do not feel obliged to apologise for the crimes of slave traders.

Rather than trying to make the country feel guilt for historical slavery, surely it would be more constructive to make people feel outrage at present day slavery and motivate them to do something to wipe it out.

I consider it a good thing that the subject of slavery is in the spotlight at the moment. Trafficking in human lives still exists in various forms and in many parts of the world and it is important that this is highlighted in order that something can be done to stamp this out once and for all.

Your views please?

Stan :)

[Matblack]

Wholeheartedly agree and said pretty much the same thing to Aitch yesterday when the subject came up on TV.

We can sympathise and say we are sorry it happened but we can't take responsibility. Admitedly some of our current wealth and infrastruture is based on the profits from slavery, however all we can do is try to support the abolition of slavery as you say and give something back.

MB

[Justsomebloke]

No.
I've never had any Slaves, a few Joeys maybe but never a Slave.

[Garp]

I'm in agreement as well. We can't apologise for the sins of our ancestors, only deal with the consequences. If we did apologise what difference would it actually make?

[Zirax]

I really don't understand the current media's thinking. Surely this should be a celebration of a good event that stopped the slave trade? Ok maybe say sorry about it in a _small_ part of the celebrations.

I plain flat refuse to apologise for my ancestors. That was the time that they lived in and the whole world was involved in this, not just the UK.

On a side note i'm actually getting pretty pissed of this constant "slam the UK" attitude that is going round. Next we will be apologising for breathing
due to our breathing causing a "carbon offset"

[Fayshun]

I believe the Moirs (my maternal Grandfathers side of the family) were slave traders from Belgium.

I will apologise for the Belgian bit.

[mejinks]

Whats got my goat up is that we seem to be apologising for everything these days, whats next? Apologising to the Germans for helping the French in WW1 and 2?

There was this woman on tv last night from the slave reparation society or some such demanding our government pay reparations to the descendants of slave. I mean WTF! Correct me if I'm wrong but it wasn't the White man that enslaved the Africans, it was the Africans Leaders themselves who enslaved and sold the slaves.


I have a few questions:

1. Why are there still descendants of slaves here? If they had such a great life torn away from them, why didn't they return to Africa once slavery was abolished?

2. There is no doubt Britain played a role in slavery, but so did many other nations. Do they have any intention of apologising? Who also did the most to abolish slavery and encourage other countries to do the same? I'll give you a clue...

Incidentally, it may interest you to know that slavery involved whites too. The Barbary Corsairs kidnapped up to 1m Europeans from the 16th-18th centuries.

Now that may not measure up to the horrors of something that nobody can remember or has a right to apologise for, but I don't see anyone asking for an apology from Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco. I also don't see the Turks begging the Balkan countries for forgiveness for kidnapping children and making them janissaries.


In short, I am dead against the twisted form of political correctness that sees Westerners arraigned for their crimes (real and imagined), and lets non-Westerners off the hook.


Anyway, if our government feel they have to apologise for atrocities it didn't commit, why aren't the descendants of criminals forced to apologise to the descendants of their victims? Its because its ludicrous.

[Von Smallhausen]

There is no harm in doing so.

While we have slavery in this day and age in the form of Human trafficking it is illegal and not government backed as it was then. Slavery and it's associated conditions were appalling where slaves were plucked from Africa and crammed into ships were many died on route. I think if Britain played a part in the slave trade then an apology for it can do no harm as despite leading the way on abolishing slavery in the British Empire in 1807, we were responsible for the misery of a lot of innocent people.

While some say we shouldn't apologise as other countries aren't, I say why shouldn't we as a country set a trend and not follow one ? Slavery in all forms both then and now is sub-Human and deplorable.

[Mark]

The BBC just reported that at one point 40% of Britain's income was derived from the slave trade - a lot of that on taxes on sugar-based products (sugar being hand picked by slave labour on plantations). I tried hurriedly (given the time and the fact I want to go to bed) to find a link to verify what I had heard, but couldn't.

Anyway, our PM has stepped in...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6493507.stm

[Von Smallhausen]

Also let us not forget that although the initial actions taken to abolish slavery were started in 1807, it wasn't until the 1830s when the Act was made law. Anyone caught by the Royal Navy carrying slaves faced a £100 fine per slave so if a vessel was sighted slaves were literally thrown overboard to avoid financial penalty. We shouldn't apologise ?

[mejinks]

What are we apologising for? Yes the slave trade was abbhorent, so were the acts commited by the Yorkshire ripper. Do you see anyone apologising to the victims families?

I am sorry it happened, but what can I do about it? These acts weren't carried out in my name. All I will do is support any action that is against modern day slavery.

[Matblack]

It all comes down to what your definition of apology is, I am really sorry it happened it was a horrible and regretful period in the development of our country, but I can only apologise for what I (personally) have done surely?

MB

[Von Smallhausen]

I will put it another way then. Granted Mejinks, that you personally are not responsible no more than Mat or myself.

As head of Her Majesty's Government, Tony Blair is in a position to convey regret at what is unquestionaly an abhorrent act.

Are the Ripper case and slavery similar to the point of comparison ? The Ripper murders were the act of one man beyond the control of government of the day. Slavery was an act condoned and encouraged by government of the day, and for profit.

[Matblack]

I will put it another way then. Granted Mejinks, that you personally are not responsible no more than Mat or myself.

As head of Her Majesty's Government, Tony Blair is in a position to convey regret at what is unquestionaly an abhorrent act.

Are the Ripper case and slavery similar to the point of comparison ? The Ripper murders were the act of one man beyond the control of government of the day. Slavery was an act condoned and encouraged by government of the day, and for profit.

Just to get things straight I would be delighted for TB to apologise on behalf of the country. It was a highly regrettable time and I feel that we do make amends through our immigration/ political asylum and foreign aid programs.

MB

[mejinks]

I will put it another way then. Granted Mejinks, that you personally are not responsible no more than Mat or myself.

As head of Her Majesty's Government, Tony Blair is in a position to convey regret at what is unquestionaly an abhorrent act.

Are the Ripper case and slavery similar to the point of comparison ? The Ripper murders were the act of one man beyond the control of government of the day. Slavery was an act condoned and encouraged by government of the day, and for profit.


Actually you make a fair point there. The problem TB has is that if he apologises, he will open the floodgates of litigation and every tom dick and Kagunda, which would anger voters AND loose money.

I think that this debate could go on for years. I mean did the Japanese government ever apologise for the POW camps?

I think that although we can deeply regret the actions of our forefathers, we can never really apologise for something if we cannot feel the emotion of apology, which means even if there was an apology, it would be almost without true feeling, thus the only purpose it serves is for litigation or publicity.

[Mark]

I think that this debate could go on for years. I mean did the Japanese government ever apologise for the POW camps?
Yes, they did, several times, but I'm not sure how 'official' those apologies were and their sincerity has been questioned. There are issues to this very day (the latest being over sex slaves).

[Will]

I'm in 2 minds on this. I think the gesture is worthy and honourary (as much as Tony Blair can be). However it's in the past, it was part and parcel of the times, it's what was done at the time and it helped numerous nations get to where they are now. Yes it was a bad thing but it still continues to this day - rather than apologising about the past, why not be more proactive about the future and current situations?

We had a dark past, skeletons in our closets, but it's done, dusted - it's over. Dwelling on the past is not a way to move forward. Remembrance, grievance is perfectly acceptable and maybe even required. However making a big point about it all now and people expecting "more" as a result of it is plain daft to me.