African slavery apology 'needed'

[ccharles000]

Traditional African rulers should apologise for the role they played in the slave trade, a Nigerian rights group has said in a letter to chiefs.

"We cannot continue to blame the white men, as Africans particularly the traditional rulers, are not blameless," said the Civil Rights Congress.

The letter said some collaborated or actively sold off their subjects.

The group said it was time for African leaders to copy the US and the UK who have already said they were sorry.

It urged Nigeria's traditional rulers to apologise on behalf of their forefathers and "put a final seal to the history of slave trade", AFP news agency reports.

Civil Rights Congress president Shehu Sani says they are calling for this apology because traditional rulers are seeking inclusion in the forthcoming constitutional amendment in Nigeria.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8356357.stm

[Number23]

1. Wow! Charles, you post some really good stuff around here

I wonder if this means that black folks in America will get promises of reparations and 40 acres, but actually GET nothing, from two groups of people now??

This is the wildest thing I've seen today. There is truth to this and there is always room for repentance but I'm not sure how this would benefit anyone.

Thanks for posting. Happy to rec.

[smalll]

2. Slavery, tribalism, feudalism, unfreedom -- this was the standard of ALL civilizations....

throughout most of history. People today like to remember when Europeans did these things over the past two or three centuries -- while ignoring the fact that it was European civilization (over the past two or three centuries) that (out of the dumb luck of history) was able to bring to life a system that made those constants of civilization no longer constants any more.

[imdjh]

4. Why is it the dumb luck of history? Is it so fucking hard to give credit to western culture?

This gets so fucking old.

[Igel]

5. I prefer to read the post charitably.

There's nothing special about the genetic stock in Europe that gave rise to western culture. Therefore, it was the dumb luck of history that it was Europeans that promulgated the ideas that finally won out, in many respects and in most places. That could have happened had melatonin been positively selected for by northern latitudes in paleolithic times, presumably.

Sadly, it's true that a lot of people can't see beyond their own tribe for assigning blame for bad things or credit for good things, just as many others can't see how their own tribe could possibly bear any blame for bad things or be denied any credit for good things. Sometimes for reasons of ego and honor, sometimes for reasons of greed and covetousness, sometimes for simple political power (which, of course, is universally acknowledged to be rooted neither in ego nor in covetousness :-)

[Biker13]

3. Thumbs Up...

K&R

[kwassa]

6. I wonder what constitutional amendment the traditional chiefs want to be included in.

The article doesn't say!