U.S. Senate approves resolution apologizing for slavery
The U.S. Senate approved a resolution on Thursday apologizing for slavery and segregation of African-Americans, almost five months after Barack Obama was sworn in as the first black U.S. president.
While the Senate resolution acknowledged that an apology for centuries of wrongdoing could not erase the past, it said a “confession of the wrongs committed and a formal apology to African-Americans will help bind the wounds of the nation that are rooted in slavery, and can speed racial healing and reconciliation, and help the people of the United States understand the past and honor the history of all people of the United States.”
In an unusual step, the three-page resolution was read in its entirety in the chamber, where the first black senator, Hiram Revels of Mississippi, stepped onto the Senate floor about 139 years ago.
However, the resolution is not without controversy. Some are upset by the last lines of the resolution that include a disclaimer: “Nothing in this resolution — A) authorizes or supports any claim against the United States; or B) serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States.”
Democratic Senator Roland Burris, the lone African-American in the Senate, argued that the disclaimer should not prohibit future congressional action on the issue of reparations. Despite the concern, the resolution passed the Senate by voice vote.
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin noted that the Senate adopted resolutions apologizing to Native Americans, for the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and for not enacting anti-lynching legislation — but never slavery.
McCain stunned by Rep. Lewis comments on campaign
WASHINGTON – Republican presidential hopeful John McCain had previously made it clear he was a big admirer of civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis — but now not so much.
Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, said late last week that he was disturbed by the negative tone of the Republican’s campaign, accusing McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin of “sowing the seeds of hatred and division” and that it reminded him of the segregationist era of Alabama Gov. George Wallace.
The lawmaker later clarified his remarks, saying he did not compare the two to Wallace and that his purpose was to remind candidates that “toxic language can lead to destructive behavior.”
That clarification didn’t seem to make much difference. In an interview with CNN late Monday, McCain fired back calling Lewis’ accusations “so far out of bounds and so disturbing.”
“It stopped me in my tracks,” McCain said in the interview. “I never believed that John Lewis, who is an American hero, who I admire, would every make a comment of that nature. He even referred to the bombing of a church in Birmingham. That’s unacceptable. It is totally unacceptable. And of course I’m not going to accept it and I’m going to reject it.”
He noted Lewis was a widely respected member of the Democratic Party, not a fringe element on a rant.
“I’m so disappointed in Congressman John Lewis who I have admired and respect. This is not just some obscure party official. And that’s what’s so totally unacceptable about it,” McCain said.
Over the last weeks I have heard a few interesting reasons given as to why someone is going to vote for McCain.
One was because he wouldn’t vote for a black person.
I found that answer ignorant and offensive. I’m white.
A second one said “He’s a Muslim”.
Another ignorant response. As if somehow a persons choice in religion is a qualification for becoming President.
The third I heard was “I can’t vote for a guy whose middle name is Hussein”.
The third ignorant response. Seriously, what the hell does someone’s middle name have to do with anything?
Now if someone were to tell me, “I’m voting for McCain because I feel he can do a better job” or even “I trust him more”, well then I could accept that response with no problems even if I disagree. But at least then that decision isn’t based in ignorance and fear.
Sorry, but America doesn’t need a bunch of racists, bigots, and ignorant folks deciding who will run the country. We’ve had enough of that for the last hundred or so years 
Anyone who thinks Barack Obama’s presidency solved the problem of racism should read the comments on this post. I don’t see how anyone can minimize the impact of slavery/Jim Crow and say I should be grateful I’m not a slave, or in Africa somewhere and claim not to be a racist. We don’t look at Jewish Americans or Japanese Americans or Native Americans and say those things. We don’t turn our noses up and say we should never have apologized to them, or that the Holocaust, or Interment Camps, or Hostile Takeover of them and their land made their lives better because they live in the US now and that they should be grateful. Can you imagine someone saying “You should be grateful Columbus came and raped robbed and pillaged you guys. Look how much better everything is now. Get over it.” As if having your village burned down, anyone who resisted killed, women raped, and family kidnapped, being chained up on ships in feces next to dead bodies, children ripped from your arms to be sold to someone else, being sold as PROPERTY, being deemed 3/5ths of a person, divided by skin color and hair texture and taught to hate yourself over the course of 400 years and then, once slavery is “over,” being treated as a second class citizen, with the law rarely on your side, even if a lynch mob tarred, feathered, and burned you or your family members, or your friends alive. We don’t deny what happened during the civil rights movement, but I don’t think people have really made the connection between that and chattle slavery. Today’s government shouldn’t be dealing with this sort of thing in 2009. It should have done it a century and a half ago, while it was still Yesterday’s government.
The only thing I learned about myself in school was that I was a slave. Slavery ended, and then I was a second class citizen. I was either oppressed, or fighting oppression. Everything about my present culture is called “ghetto” or “low class.” I knew nothing about any kingdoms by black people, any form of civilization before slavery, I have no idea where I come from before life on the plantation. Africa is not a country. And yet it’s the only thing I can say about my ancestry. “Africa, somewhere.” And people say that that should be enough, while they trace their ancestors back to some specific village or some ancient custom, or some thing that the history books are willing to acknowledge because THEY aren’t BLACK like me, and telling these people that their people were once something more than chattle slaves won’t upset the status quo. Our history was destroyed. Our languages lost. Reparations will NEVER be enough. But this…this is a start. And frankly, it’s a long time coming.