Apology for Slavery

Speaking only for the UK it is very important that the government does not apologise for the following reasons. 1. The government represents only the present electorate. 2. An apology can only be given if the giver accepts that they are in the wrong 3. None of the present electorate were involved in slavery What people from this country did in the past confers no guilt on me. Furthermore, where do you stop? Are we to demand an apology and compensation from African Slavers that captured an entire English village and enslaved them? Or from Italy for our forefathers being enslaved by the Romans? Finally, let us not forget that UK was the first European power to abandon slavery and took active steps to stop other European powers slaving. Why are you not demanding that Arab nations, who practised slavery for far longer than UK apologise? Or Portugal, who were big slavers till we stopped them, apologise? Sounds like you are a little prejudice, to me. all the best urban

Well, if the govt sincerely apologises it's still better than nothing. But even if no compensation is given if the govt can start building these people that would be nice. I think it's time the govt starts taking things seriously so that there is wholistic development.

We have a slightly similar situation in Australia, where the government is refusing to apologise for taking over the land, breaking it's promises and taking children (the stolen generation) from their aboriginal parents and giving them to 'white' families. The reason they won't apologise is because an apology indicates a wrong doing, which then requires compensation. To them, it's not about right or wrong, it's about covering their own butts!