U.S. Senate Apologizes to African-Americans for Slavery

First off, this is not a spoof, a joke, or an Onion article.  In what might be thought of as the biggest case of government procrastination in history, yesterday the U.S. Senate finally got around to apologizing for the U.S. government-sanctioned slavery and slave trade which was written into the Constitution. I'm sure many people will agree when I say, "Thank you... and it's about freakin' time!"

The resolution which contains the apology is official, but not legally binding in any way.  So while African-Americans may feel slightly better that their government has at least officially and publicly acknowledged the grave injustices done to them and their ancestors, the government still makes no promise of reparations or compensation for any slave descendants. 

On the issue of reparations, Randall Robinson, author of "The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks," said

Much is owed, and it is very quantifiable. It is owed as one would owe for any labor that one has not paid for, and until steps are taken in that direction we haven't accomplished anything.

So while I might applaud the government for finally and officially naming the evil of slavery and acknowledging the people whose lives it destroyed, I think this apology poor comfort for the homeless African-American men who live on my block and struggle with addiction and finding work.  They are living out the legacy of injustice, inequality and slavery.

And I would ask the African-American readers of this blog.  Do you accept the apology? 

Image from blog.nashvillescene.com