144 years and 151 days after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation officially freed Alabama’s slaves, Gov. Bob Riley signed a resolution expressing “profound regret” for his state’s role in slavery: “We apologize for the wrongs inflicted by slavery and its after effects in the United States of America.”
And on October 29, 2151, I plan to apologize for calling Alabamans a bunch of gap-toothed, inbred crackers.
What’s your hurry, Goldy?
Yeah, at least wait until 2525 or so, you never know if they aren’t going to backpedal this somehow.
Alabama is the kind of place where Faux News Channel is taken seriously, where brother and sister are usually married and where education, healthcare and anything that might possibly actually improve the quality of life is immediately shunned in favor of more prisons for blacks.
Goldy — aren’t you from Pennsylvania? You should know that Pennsylvania still had slaves in 1865, when the 13th Amendment was adopted making slavery illegal.
http://www.afrolumens.org/slavery/
Has the Governor of Pennsylvania ever “signed a resolution expressing “profound regret” for his state’s role in slavery” and “apologize[d] for the wrongs inflicted by slavery and its after effects in the United States of America.” Somehow I doubt it.
Does this make Pennsylvanians “gap-toothed, inbred crackers”? Even though no one from Pennsylvania today was alive back when that state had slaves? Presumably, this label should also apply to people from Pennsylvania, even if none of their ancestors were living anywhere in the United States back when Pennsylvania had slaves.
Bullshit, Richard: http://www.ushistory.org/presi.....10403a.htm
Do some fucking research. And the slaves in 1848 would have been hypothetical.
It’s not that they are all retarded Goldy. Just the ones that think Bush is a good president.
It must really suck being a Republicon these days.
You wouldn’t dare tell anyone you don’t know that you are a Republicon. They might ask you what crimes you committed…..
SeattleDan @ 5
There were still hundreds of slaves in Pennsylvania in the 1850 census. None of them were slaves for life. They were children of slaves, which the law held in bondage until their 28th birthdays.
http://www.afrolumens.org/slavery/faq.html
And in 1860? And what’s your source for 1850? The point is that PA was for all intents and purposes a free state by the time your citing. And your point is stupid anyway. What are you getting at? Nothing important, I’m sure. But give me some sources.
Richard is suggesting that Northerners are just as prejudiced and prone to inflicting involuntary servitude as their Southern brethren.
Wage slavery is very much like real slavery, except you have to pay rent for your shack.
Read it again, Richard. You’re wrong. Completely wrong!
The law did not emancipate a single slave – anyone who was a slave the last day before it went into effect March 1, 1780, remained a slave until death unless freed by his or her owner. All children born of slaves after the law took effect could be kept enslaved until age 28. So it would have been possible for a slave girl, born on the last day of February 1780, to live out her life in slavery. And for her children, theoretically born as late as 1820, to remain slaves until 1848.
Total abolition didn’t come to Pennsylvania until 1847.
Timing is everything, Goldy!
Seattle Dan @ 10
Read my link, okay? The 1850 census didn’t have any slaves for life, but did have hundreds of servants bound for a term of years to their masters. I understand your logic. However, the 1780 law was often interpreted differently, and the children of female slaves under 28 years of age were often registered to be slaves until 28 years of age themselves. If this were not the case, it would have been basically impossible to have bound servants on the 1850 census. The definition of “slave” was different back then, too. “Slave” usually meant property, that you were owned for life. The children of “slaves” were basically in the indentured servant category — i.e. bound for a term of years. We would call an indentured servant a “slave” under modern law of course. And modern “slave” masters certainly wouldn’t want to be responsible for their victims for life — just to exploit them while they are most productive.
The electoral college was created for only one purpose: To preserve slavery by maintaining the voting balance between free and slave states.
Will it take another 225 years to get rid of the outmoded, anachronistic, and useless electoral college?
There is no link to the 1850 census. Whatever. There were different degrees of serivitude. I’d argue, much as Marx did, there was wage servitude as well. In any event, I don’t see the relevance of your original post. Why should the current Govenor of PA have to aplogize for something that was legislated out, wherein the Gov. of Alabama shouldn’t apoligize for a state where slavery wasn’t made illegal until the 13th amendment (and the Emancipation which I will take for law).
I have a modest proposal — if people are responsible for the sins of their ancestors, they should get some of their benefits as well. One of my ancestors 12 generations back owned some farmland in the Dutch New Netherlands colony, which is presently in the state (and county) of New York. Maybe he was a slaveowner, maybe not. But let’s assume that he was. I will be extremely happy to apologize for his (possible) sins, if I can just have full legal title to all the farmland that he owned (including all improvements presently contained thereon).
@9 “Richard is suggesting that Northerners are just as prejudiced and prone to inflicting involuntary servitude as their Southern brethren.”
That’s true, but we don’t call them slaveowners anymore, now we call them CHEAP LABOR CONSERVATIVES, but it’s almost the same thing.
@12 What would you call a waitress making $2.13 an hour plus tips?
13 In answer to your question, Robert, it’ll probably take that long and longer. The problem is that after every presidential election, the winner ain’t about to make a fuss about messing with the system that put him there.
@15 What this boils down to is: Richard’s panhandling.
Richard has spent his entire adult life trying, unsuccessfully, to get a job paying $5,000 a year.
@18 Who’s Robert?
Don’t sell Alabama short, folks. The politics there are actually more complicated than they look from the opposite corner of the country. And making fun of “dumb crackers” is just another prejudice. Hell’s bells…some of those “crackers” had a lot to do with getting us to the Moon.
21 I meant “Roger”. Dammit, it’s getting late.
Richard @ 15
That’s poop Pope. A silly misdirection, comparing road apples to oranges. Or perhaps you’re also arguing that you’re not entitled to any Constitutional Rights because you weren’t alive when the Constitution was ratified and that your not really an American because you weren’t there at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
America’s Dark Age
Here’s a little light reading for righty traitors trying to justify their mindless, sycophantic, sucking-up to various corporate overlords:
“‘Good-bye America: How the GOP Subverted American Ideals & Values
“America is no longer the country I knew and grew up in. I loathe the values the GOP would ram down our throats. … The GOP is dead wrong. … I know who fucked up America and if I should fail to point an accusatory finger I will not have done my job.
“The American right wing in cahoots with the big corporations have bent America over and screwed her silly. This pack of liars and crooks partnered with Ronald Reagan to outsource the very soul of this country.
“They waged war on all working Americans and small business. They conspired to create a corporate, fascist state. They conspired to destroy the labor movement. They divided the nation into haves and have nots.
“They stole the American air waves and gave it to the likes of Clear Channel, FOX, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. They divided the nation along religious lines, rewarding fundamentalism with your tax dollars. They built up an empire and called it a ‘war on terrorism but, in fact, they made terrorism worse ….
“They outsourced your job! They devalued the dollar. … They … care nothing about global warming, and … deny science, reason and free enquiry. They destroyed … the integrity of the electoral process.
“The effects are not only economic, though … Reagan’s policies ushered in the present era characterized by obscene disparities of income. The effects are … deterioration of education and the mass media. In both instances, reason and science are … under attack by the forces of superstition, mumbo jumbo and pernicious ideology.
” … Ronald Reagan’s … was the first ‘voodoo’ administration, characterized by meaningless, feel-good platitudes, nonsense, lies, religious ideology …. It was all GOP code words and consultant crafted jargon. Some thirty percent of the population didn’t care if Reagan was telling the truth … whatever he puked up made them feel good about themselves. Ronald Reagan elevated stupidity and inarticulateness to hero worship status. …
“It was not only Democrats who suffered in this new dark age. It was also articulate Republicans like Nelson Rockefeller and John Anderson. There was no place for them in the new GOP. There was no place for intelligence in medieval America. There was no place for enlightenment …. There was no place for debate when brute force and stolen elections guarantee a win.
“George W. Bush took up where Reagan left off – elevating the cult of the stupid, blazing new trails for inarticulateness, making a half-baked omelet of scrambled thought processes. …
“I believe Cindy Sheehan’s plaintive adieu to be symptomatic of a new American malaise, the palpable sense of despair and helplessness felt by all Americans as their beloved America, an ideal of Democracy, slips inexorably into a black hole of right wing lies and malevolence. … One has nightmares about America’s descent into darkness and self-created hell … a dark vortex threatening to suck up … the world we knew.”
Quoted under fair use; to read the entire nauseating truth about rightwinger traitors and/or copyright info see http://existentialistcowboy.bl.....erted.html
If you don’t believe America is entering a Dark Age in which corporate interests run amok at the expense of ordinary citizens, look no further than the Busheviks’ anti-labor agenda:
“Pro – Union Bills Are Veto Bait for Bush
“By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Published: May 31, 2007
“WASHINGTON (AP) — Labor legislation that is a priority for Democrats has become the definition of ‘veto bait’ for the White House. Five of the 24 veto threats President Bush has issued since Democrats took control of Congress target bills with provisions that benefit unions and their members.
“Measures … making it easier for unions to organize workplaces, stiffening penalties for union busting or establishing more collective bargaining rights for federal employees are among those under veto threats. …
“‘There’s really a lot of examples where he’s looked at legislation, it seems, from the perspective of, “Will this help workers?” … And if the answer is yes, he finds a reason to veto it,’ said William Samuel, the AFL-CIO’s chief lobbyist. …
“The president has been no friend to unions since winning the White House. …”
Quoted under Fair Use; for complete article and/or copyright info see http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin.....ref=slogin
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Republicans hate workers, which is strange because workers create all of Republicans’ wealth; and without workers, Republicans would have to work.
On the Republicans-are-incompetent front, the GOP is using taxpayer-funded public broadcasting stations to help middle eastern terrorists broadcast message to their supporters.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/thebl.....ent_g.html
Republicans Love Convicted Felons
“WASHINGTON – A federal judge said Thursday he will release more than 150 letters he received regarding next week’s sentencing of former White House aide I. Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby. The letters are expected to show that, despite his conviction in March of perjury and obstruction in the CIA leak case, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney retains support from current and former government officials.”
Quoted under fair use; for complete article and/or copyright info see http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200.....ak_trial_4
More GOP Scandals Are Coming …
“GOP fear fallout from new ethics probes
“WASHINGTON — A half dozen federal investigations into the activities of Republican lawmakers are raising new worries for GOP leaders …. Democrats say at least six GOP House members are under … Justice Department scrutiny ….
“At a minimum, … the growing list of GOP incumbents under scrutiny is a distraction and nuisance for a party … struggling with an unpopular president and … an unpopular war. … The situation troubles some conservative activists.”
Quoted under fair use; for complete article and/or copyright info see http://www.chron.com/disp/stor.....48509.html
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Don’t worry, we’re going to build enough new federal prisons to hold them all.
We’ll put these to good use. http://www.freedomfiles.org/war/fema.htm
Stand Up and Cheer
There’s at least one Democratic legislator who has a backbone. http://www.horsesass.org/?p=2975#comment-666233
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says education is more important than roads. In particular, he thinks expanding the state’s 4-year college system should have higher priority than making the Seattle-Redmond commute easier. http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....mer01.html
Lake Okeechobee At Record Low
But not to worry; in a few years, it’ll have plenty of water — when it’s part of the Gulf of Mexico.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....ake01.html
Government of the Rich, by the Rich, for the Rich
“White House Follows New Path to Secrecy
“By PETE YOST
“AP
“WASHINGTON (June 1) – A newly disclosed effort to keep Vice President Dick Cheney’s visitor records secret is the latest White House push to make sure the public doesn’t learn who has been meeting with top officials in the Bush administration.
“Over the past year, lawyers for President Bush and Cheney have directed the Secret Service to maintain the confidentiality of visitor entry and exit logs ….
“‘The scary thing … is the power grab part of it,’ said Tom Blanton, head of … a private group which uses the FOIA law to pierce government secrecy. … ‘This White House has been infinitely creative in finding new ways and new forms of government secrecy.'”
Quoted under Fair Use; for complete story and/or copyright info see http://tinyurl.com/3yd89w
Roger Rabbit Commentary: A Democratic consultant summed it up: “The question it raises is what are these guys hiding?” It’s not hard to figure out why Republicans love secrecy — it’s the same thing as taking the Fifth; they hope to stay out of jail.
Another reason Republicans don’t want the public to know what they’re up to is because no one would ever vote for them if they knew.
Should Liberty University’s Law School Accreditation Be Revoked?
If Monica Goodling is representative of the kind of people they’re awarding law degrees to, the answer should be yes.
You don’t have to be very smart to be a lawyer; but you’re supposed to know your asshole from a hole in the ground.
Goodling’s job is to hire staff attorneys for federal prosecutors. It’s against the law to screen candidates based on party affiliation or loyalty, but that’s exactly what Goodling did. She claimed she didn’t know better.
To believe that, you have to believe she was unaware of the most obvious and important law governing the performance of her specific job. In any other job, that would be considered terminable incompetence.
More likely she’s just another Republican perjurer.
My mistake, should be Regent University Law School (Pat Robertson’s outfit).
Goodling has virtually no experience as a lawyer. After graduating from Regent U. Law School in 1999, she “worked alongside Tim Griffin as an opposition researcher for the Republican National Committee during the 2000 presidential campaign.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Goodling
(Translation: She was involved in carrying out the RNC’s illegal voter suppression operations, turning her into a criminal right out of law school, because these activities are a federal crime.)
Since 2001, she has occupied various political appointments under the Bush regime. Former U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins, a Republican, called her “inexperienced, way too naïve and … overzealous”. (ibid)
Inexperienced, naive, and overzealous — but a loyalist who could be trusted to wield Karl Rove’s hatchet. That describes the young bubblehead given authority to fire the DOJ’s division heads responsible for the department’s handling of civil rights, public corruption, and environmental cases.
The appointment of this woman, by itself, is all the proof one needs that the Bush administration is wildly irresponsible.
If you think Southerners are gap-toothed inbreds, why have them in the same nation as you? Let them leave the union.
Roger Rabbit: the sad news about Fred Thmpson
The actor and soon to be GOP heart throb has stolen the heart of Roger’s love, Jessica.
.. but please DO notice that the faux wife has no fet.
This raises serioous issues for the HA crows?
Is Roger Really a Republican?
Is Fred Thomoson real or virtual?
If the latter, does creat5ion in a Hollywood studio qualify him as “native born?”
Roger, with all due concern, we feel for you. Do not mourn this perfidious bunny. She is not worth a carrot! Maybe when she is First Lady, Jessica Thompson will invite you to a cabbage party?
Image at Seattle Jew
Pope, Pope, Pope:
One apologizes and expresses regret for slavery because it is the decent human thing to do. Has nothing to do with “sins of the fathers.” It is simply a recognition that it is wrong now, and it was wrong then. In other words, an attempt to build bridges as opposed to rubbing the noses of the descendants of American slaves in this particular shitstain in our history.
So this morning comes the news that Dan Bartlett, one of the members of Dumbya’s inner circle since way back when, is resigning “to pursue other opportunities and spend time with his family”.
Yeah, right. How shocked would y’all be if he turned out to be the “missing link” of culpability somewhere between Monica Not-So-Goodling and either Uncle Carl or Saint King Dumbfuck himself?
I meant Uncle Karl.
You wouldn’t expect Pope-A-Dope to act like a human being would you? He’s a Publican and probably doesn’t see anything at all wrong with keeping slaves.
Alabama or any state’s apology does not implicate anyone alive today. The government of the State is apologizing as a corporate body. It was around during slavery days. And should apologize.
It’s both presumptuous and empty — mere political grandstanding, really — to apologize for something you had nothing whatsover to do with. I think we all have enough actions of our own to apologize for if we need to do some apologizing.
Frankly, I find these sorts of “apologies” to be disgusting.
At least your heart’s in the right place.
Life’s funny little quirks – Get drunk and then get in a car and kill someone, and this is called an accident. Grow up as a gay person and this is called a decision.
RP @ 4
I never have thought you were dumb, or even intentionally obtuse. But this sure makes me wonder.
In no way did Goldy say or imply that it was the institution of slavery or slaveholding that made Alabamans “gap-toothed, inbred crackers.” Rather, he said that he would aplogize for what is clearly a wrong (slurring the fine people of Alabama) in exactly as timely a fashion as the State of Alabama did for their wrong.
Now really, what is hard to figure out about that?
46 Tuor
Then again, apologies are honorable, cheap, civil, courteous, considerate of the sensibilities of others, and little enough to do when great wrongs have been done.
You may be congratulating yourself for standing on some sort of principle, when you are instead seen as figuratively spitting in the faces of the injured.
@50,
You can look at it that way if you want. I know how *I* look at it that when when some chump, more than a century later, “apologizes” for something he had nothing to do with in order to score political points. Somehow, when I see a display of such complete cynicism, I feel offended.
I wasn’t talking about apologizing in general: usually, if you have done something wrong, it *is* proper to apologize for it. But that is not what is going on in this case, not in my opinion, anyway. The people who were injured are long dead, and those responsible for their injury apparently never apologized for it.
Maybe, wherever they are in the afterlife, some heart-felt apologies have been made. I hope so.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaay! Someone even more sardonic in view than I am. Will you have my baby? (not to worry, I’m old, I’m out of that game.)
Your blog is now at the top of my favorites list!
You’re my home-grown hero!
Notonabet! (somewhere in King County)