Archive

Would you feel guilty if....

  • ManO'War
    coyotes22 wrote:
    ManO'War wrote: So should a black person feel guilty if they learned that their ancestors were involved in the triangular trade from the African side??
    Are you saying there were black people in Africa, selling their own people?
    Pretty hard to round up 6 million people without some inside help. Not all of those 6 million came to the US though. A lot went to South America and Central America.
  • HitsRus
    No guilt and no shame. I will not judge an 18th century man ...including my and or anyone else's ancestors...by 21st century standards...and then hold their progeny accountable.
  • Gardens35
    No.
  • Society
    In this class, do they also teach you how black people owned slaves of the same color?
  • coyotes22
    Society wrote: In this class, do they also teach you how black people owned slaves of the same color?
    You're just teasin!!! Black people did not own black slaves!!! :rolleyes:
  • tk421
    Nope. I don't even know or care about who my ancestors were.
  • iclfan2
    tk421 wrote: Nope. I don't even know or care about who my ancestors were.
    That's weird.
  • UA5straightin2008
    coyotes22 wrote:
    ManO'War wrote: So should a black person feel guilty if they learned that their ancestors were involved in the triangular trade from the African side??
    Are you saying there were black people in Africa, selling their own people?
    yes, Africans did sell other Africans..i believe the movie said it was usually Kings/Leaders, etc
  • tk421
    iclfan2 wrote:
    tk421 wrote: Nope. I don't even know or care about who my ancestors were.
    That's weird.
    Why? Not everyone cares about genealogy. What difference does it make to me who my ancestors were?
  • Sonofanump
    Apple wrote: Probably the only way I would feel guilty is if my family has "old money" that can be directly traced to slavery.
    I was thinking close to this, that the only way I would feel guilty is if I lived on a southern plantation.
  • majorspark
    Sonofanump wrote:
    Apple wrote: Probably the only way I would feel guilty is if my family has "old money" that can be directly traced to slavery.
    I was thinking close to this, that the only way I would feel guilty is if I lived on a southern plantation.
    Do you feel guilty about living on land taken from native Americans?

    I have no control over what some distant relative may or may not have done 150 years ago. So I do not feel guilty.

    As for the slavery issue many of our ancestors shed alot of blood over the issue. The Civil War took the lives of just under 2% of the population of the US at the time. That would equate to around 5.7 million dead using todays US population. I would say it had quite an impact on most of our ancestors.
  • UA5straightin2008
    majorspark wrote:

    Do you feel guilty about living on land taken from native Americans?

    good point there, i may bring that up in class as a way of defending my opinion
  • Upper90
    Majorspark, good post.
  • Timber
    No... not guilty. Uncomfortable... definitely. I have been to Charleson, SC... and I have seen buildings that held slaves, and I have been to the straw market where slaves were sold at one time. Any self respecting person can not help but feel something...

    I remember sitting with a buddy on a bench in Savannah, GA (while the women were powershopping) and we talked about the slavery issue a little. Simply agreeing that it was hard to believe there was a time... that slavery was acceptable. I do understand that it was relevant culturally at that time... and not against the law. Just sad.
  • Bio-Hazzzzard
    Upper90 wrote: Majorspark, good post.
    +1
  • Society
  • dancinbear
    absolutely not. can't change it, it is what it is. without that history we wouldn't be where we are today. do we have more work to do as a nation? yes. but still, our scars are proof of reality and growth.
  • bigkahuna
    HitsRus wrote: No guilt and no shame. I will not judge an 18th century man ...including my and or anyone else's ancestors...by 21st century standards...and then hold their progeny accountable.
    That is kind of how I feel.

    Also, the Native American Post was a Good Point.


    Playing Devil's Advocate here. If you are of German Decent; would you feel guilty if your ancestors were Nazi Officers during the Holocaust? Being this was only 50-60 years ago, "intelligence" was more advanced.
  • BRF
    Society wrote: In this class, do they also teach you how black people owned slaves of the same color?
    Well, well, well, well.....................I'm clearing my throat and now typing that I like a post from Society!

    I guess that (on this thread) only you and I know that your statement is true.

    Research it. And you'll find.....................FACT.

    Fortunately for me, I have no guilt, because all my ancestors were simple Ohio farmers.
  • UANyg
    proud - no. ashamed - a little. guilty - no.
  • Sonofanump
    majorspark wrote:
    Sonofanump wrote:
    Apple wrote: Probably the only way I would feel guilty is if my family has "old money" that can be directly traced to slavery.
    I was thinking close to this, that the only way I would feel guilty is if I lived on a southern plantation.
    Do you feel guilty about living on land taken from native Americans?
    Not really, I figure it is my wife's (Cherokee decendant) land and what is her's is mine. Plus, natives to this land did not really believe in land ownership. It was more communal.
  • hasbeen
    UA5straightin2008 wrote: We are supposed to discuss the movie next class, and I feel as if I will come off as "racist" if I bring up how I truly feel.
    1) I would feel 0 sentiment for what my ancestors did to some other dudes ancestors. Shit happens and this time I didn't take the squat.

    2) If someone accuses you of racism, say you do not believe that any race is superior to others so therefore you are not a racist. Then go on to say that the fact that if you, as a white male, are critical of the black population are called a racist then that is really discrimination against you. Freedom of speech doesn't stop because the asshole is black because there are just as many black assholes as there are white assholes.
  • UA5straightin2008
    pnhasbeen wrote:
    UA5straightin2008 wrote: We are supposed to discuss the movie next class, and I feel as if I will come off as "racist" if I bring up how I truly feel.
    1) I would feel 0 sentiment for what my ancestors did to some other dudes ancestors. Shit happens and this time I didn't take the squat.

    2) If someone accuses you of racism, say you do not believe that any race is superior to others so therefore you are not a racist. Then go on to say that the fact that if you, as a white male, are critical of the black population are called a racist then that is really discrimination against you. Freedom of speech doesn't stop because the asshole is black because there are just as many black assholes as there are white assholes.
    ^^true that, good advice
  • Strapping Young Lad
    UA5straightin2008 wrote: We are supposed to discuss the movie next class, and I feel as if I will come off as "racist" if I bring up how I truly feel.
    You need to go to a different school if that's the case....
  • UA5straightin2008
    Strapping Young Lad wrote:
    UA5straightin2008 wrote: We are supposed to discuss the movie next class, and I feel as if I will come off as "racist" if I bring up how I truly feel.
    You need to go to a different school if that's the case....
    disagree with that...its one class for one semester...black teacher who obviously feels strongly on the subject..im not sayin she will think im racist, im just afraid that she might...im not too worried about what the other students think, out of the 18 in the class only 2 are black and they didnt really seem to think much of it today in class while watching the movie...