America apologizes for slavery. Now can we all get along?

Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen is in a tight race for his seat in the House of Representatives. His district is comprised of over 60 percent African Americans. He is in a very tight race with a formidable opponent. Cohen introduced a resolution yesterday that passed by a voice vote. The resolution is an apology from America, for Slavery. While I miss the relevance to the resolution, I didn't have an issue with it, until I read this. The House "apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow." Frankly if I were African American, I'd be insulted. I would be offended that Cohen was manipulating public sentiment, and rehashing 200 year old wrongs, for the sole purpose of winning the race for his seat in the house. Furthermore I'd prefer the House of Reps leave me out of it. Don't apologize on my behalf, for something neither I nor my ancestors were a party to. And before someone tries to school me on Jim Crow, I am well aware that the last Jim Crow type laws were passed in the mid 1960's. I'm well aware that there is still racial disparity. But a lame and pointless apology, that is nothing more than pandering for votes, doesn't change anything.

"Today represents a milestone in our nation's efforts to remedy the ills of our past," said Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. That's a really nice statement, touching sentiment, and probably the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard. First of all, the people who are owed an apology for slavery are dead, so we are a little late on this. The apology was also rendered for the institution of Jim Crow Laws, which were basically different state by state laws concerning segregation, also equally egregious. Again, I missed the point. Now before someone calls out the middle aged white guy, let me explain why this is one of the most pointless and meaningless resolutions to ever come out of the U.S. House.

While these douche nozzles in Washington are all slapping each other on the back, lauding this great milestone in the healing of race relations in America, it has not now, nor will it in the future, change the here and now. Rather than making token apologies so some politician can secure an election, maybe the House should be focusing on some of the relevant issues we all are facing today, black, white , brown, pick your pigmentation. If you ask the average person on the street, what is the most pertinent problem facing you today, I seriously doubt that they are going to go on a long rant about slavery. High gas prices, a broken education system, housing crisis, job loss, poverty, lack of health care, discrimination, whatever, pick your poison, but slavery ain't exactly a burning and current issue in 2008.

Is there still racial disparity and discrimination in America today? Sure there is. Was America built on the backs of slaves? Yeah, it was. Was slavery wrong? Duh. So what, if any, effect will this apology have on any of these undeniable facts? Is it a step closer to righting wrongs? No it isn't, in fact it will do just the opposite. Reopening old wounds just pisses people off, it certainly doesn't change the past, it doesn't right wrongs. There will be a certain section of white and black America that will grab hold of this apology and hold on to it tighter than a pit bull on a Postal worker.

Maybe a good way to heal the past, is to move on. Maybe we should focus on the myriad problems that face us Today. Perhaps we should fix all the shit that is broken in this country now, rather than playing on sentiments and emotions just to procure a seat in the House of Representatives.