Thank you standing your ground…I wonder was Mr. washington would say about me whose last namw is
McIntosh, that is only because of my Scottish/Italian husband. You know what they say about assuming it makes an ass out of you. kudos again…I'll have to look up up on Facebook!

I don't dislike Obama because he's black; I dislike him because he's red.

The Candice response makes me think of one thing, I read her response and could almost see her side, though not agree with it, but see it. Then I read "That’s small shit that really means nothing." and at that moment I just lose any respect for the writers idea or belief, just the simple act of using a curse word when trying to make a point lowers the person's intelligence to me. With our language there are so many nouns,verbs,adjectives to describe anything that when I see someone use a curse word crutch it loses merit to me…..and no I am not a prude in anyway shape or form, just a lover of good use of our vocabulary.

Oh, and BTW, I will not accept the title of racist any longer, I know better.

Michael, excellent job. My maiden surname is McClure, but Grandpa on mom's side rode the boat from one of the UK's poorer regions (Cornwall) in the early 1930s to America. Other relatives came over at different times from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Anyone assuming that the "Mc" prefacing a surname must have been a rich American slave owner, crikey… where in the world does that kind of knuckleheaded, biased thinking come from? I'm bloody weary of being told I must apologize over and over and over again for slavery and injustices that my relatives had nothing whatsoever to do with. Guilty by association because of my skin color, enough already.

Again, well done. However, I'm afraid it will be akin to taking an eyedropper of water to a blazing fire as far as changing racist preconceptions from both sides of the fence. There are those who are quite content in their anger, choosing to be consumed by slavery or racial issues from long ago rather than read, digest, learn, and grow. "Hope and change" would be a good mantra for this ongoing issue… thumbs up to you for trying to make a difference.

I was under the impression that Mr. Washington went to "rehab" for his hate and anger issues after slinging the F-word at his cast mate. Evidently he has relapsed.

Great point. Candace and Isiah Washington are both victims of the racialist mindset that liberals instill in them. Liberals understand that they need to balkanize America into agrieved groups in order to control it.

Furthermore it was the Republican Party who had voted overwhelmingly for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Few Democrats cared much for it. Anyhow the Democrats provide for us a wealth of ammunition for our success and yet our elected leaders fail to utilize this information. I hate to sound opportunistic but the Democrats engage in racial politics so we must fight back with racial politics to some extent. And Republicans are unaware of their tremendous advantage in this department. Conservative ideals are a great help as well and of utmost importance. But how many Republicans nowadays are willing to play hardball?

What bothers me about this particular area of disagreement is that those who complain the loudest seem to be those who have reached the pinnacles of their chosen profession. I find it ironic that someone of Mr. Washingtons' ability and talent, that has been recognised with critical acclaim for his film and television work, (to say nothing of the financial rewards for said ability, talent, etc.) should be demanding reparations from those of us who realistically are using our talents just to survive, period. Please, methinks thou doth protest too, too much….

I'm a taxicab driver in the ghettos of Philadelphia and I'm sick and tired of all of this "racists" talk.

I see how these people live. I see how these people act. Enough already. They have lost all credibility in my opinion due to their behavior.

…he must be above average in his obnoxious quotient.

ROFL – a brilliant "steal-worthy" phrase. Thanks for the laugh, SQT.

Is it activism that is destructive? Or self-victimization?
There are going to be some people that never want to take self-responsibility for their lives. They will blame others whenever possible, even when it is patently ridiculous and fraudulent to do so. There are those looking for excuses for their failures beyond themselves, because BETTERING YOURSELF IS HARD. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY IS HARD. ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR SHORTCOMINNGS AND FAILURES CAN BE PAINFUL.

And I hate to say it to you, AtheistCon, but having God in one's life can make that hard road easier. If more people went to church, they might be better equipped to face their demons and heal their lives, and stop blaming others.

I have several compelling arguements to share on this topic, but at the risk of being called a racist I will simply defer and agree with Mr. Washington. I know this makes me a coward to US Attorney General Holder, but I would rather be labeled a coward than a racist.
And yes it is my full intention to completely marginalize the views and opinions of black people by simply agreeing with them on any and all issues. But, the race card has been played one time too many with our new President, so this is how it is going to have to be. I invite all of you to try this with your black friends and then ask them how it feels to know that the only reason you agree with them is because you would be a racist if you didn't.

"Very few blacks had sacrificed anything to end slavery."

Have to disagree. They endured slavery until public opinion and war finally ended it. That's sacrifice to me. And their endurance, and the lives of many white Americans during the war, is what allows their descendants to be free people today.

And while we're at it let's see some gratitude for all the Jews who put everything on the line to help the civil rights movement — in fact whose pro bono support was crucial — but whose thanks have been a lot of slander and hate and now the most anti-Israel administration in memory.

But Raven, sacrifices have to be made, Barry knows best …yuk!

I think that every single day!

No apology will ever be sufficient for racist blacks. This eternal excuse for remaining noncompetitive in nearly every aspect of contemporary life will never die. Washington and his ilk could be lobbying for ending slavery in Sudan, Mali, Chad and Darfur, instead of scapegoating white Americans who bear no blame for past history. Refuse to accept this extortion. Stay away from racist black people. And Washington and Candice BTW, have never been "enslaved". They live in LA. They're probably both entitled, spoiled, tiresome actors.

I have no apologies, and no one is going to force one out of me by any means. Seems to me there's a sense of entitlement to being a victim if one is not white. I really don't care if any apology is sufficient or not, because I don't think any apology is warranted. It's as clear as the sun on the horizon why racism is still an issue. Kind of like an annoying friend, or a nagging spouse….you really want to be with them, but they just won't move past it. Sooner or later you just turn off the switch.

Mr. Washington seems to have missed the elephant in the room that Bill's commentary relates directly to his own employment demise on Grey's Anatomy. I'd think a guy who got fired supposedly for using "hate" speech toward another actor would connect the dots. If the stories were true he turned himself inside out to prove how PC he was… and they still fired him. As with all kool-aid addicts you can't confuse them with the facts.
Excellent piece btw!

Depressed level of social capital? What does that mean?

I believe a larger percentage of blacks than whites are racist. I believe the continuous promotion of victim-hood and enslavement of blacks by Democrats is evil. I believe Isaiah Washington is an idiot. His response to you was nonsensical and he clearly is an angry person. I don't feel any white-guilt nor do I need any forgiveness..

[...] True Colors: A Race Discussion With Isaiah Washington This entry is filed under America – Blogs, Big Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this [...]

Thanks!

Truth be told, racial/homophobic incidents aside, Washington has a rep for just being a d**k. He's laying in the professional bed he's made over many years of being a right proper @$$h***e at his job. To look for more profound explanations is a waste of time. Peace to all.

Well, you'll certainly swiftly eliminate your black friend issues with an insulting, patronizing attitude like that!

While I don't disagree with the entirety of your post, I do have to point out there's a lot of different reasons for the relative poorness of the South compared to the Northeast and West Coast. Some of it has to do with the agrarian society that was dominate even up to modern times, but you have to remember why modern manufacturing began in the Northeast rather than the south, and it had nothing to do with slavery or population demographics, and everything to do with geography.

Modern industry started with the watermill. In the south, most major sources of water a wide, relatively slow moving rivers with a gradual decent. In the northeast, swift moving streams with sharp decent are more common. In other words, the northeast is better suited to watermills than the south was (yes, there are places in the south with swift moving, rapid falling streams, the mostly inaccessible at the time Appalachian mountains). This caused early industrialization to focus on the northeast over the south. When newer forms of industrialization came along, the built in areas where the expertise to work in manufacturing already existed: the north. That said, with modern industrialization, factories started to spread. But compared to the north, even the biggest industrial town at the time, Richmond, was small fry.

The "Reconstruction" period after the War Between the States certainly did not help, as the Radical Republicans took extensive efforts to punish the south for the war, effectively stunting their growth. Further, during this period, the main source of possible new wealth in the south, the rich natural mineral resources of the Appalachian Mountains, were practically stolen from poor southerns by northern companies and carpetbaggers due to their ignorance of the laws involving mineral rights and the true value of such materials. The collapse of the old economic system of the south, as grounded in slavery as it was, did not help matters, but it was only one part of a much bigger set of problems that took generations to recover from.

Read the sentence before you comment on it.

Roughly 360, 222 of the Union's best men died to end slavery. A little gratitude from Mr. Isaiah Washington (and some others apparently) is desired but not expected. These soldiers–a majority being Caucasian–were slaughtered so Mr. Washington could enjoy his apparent success. A comparably small number of black men were killed in battle for this same cause–in other words, a slave is does not become automatically a soldier in Lincoln's army. And Isaiah Washington, Whoopi Goldberg, Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, et cetera ought to be confronted with this fact which apparently is unknown to them. So far nobody confronts them about these sacrifices. As for the sentence in question, the key word is "end"–"Very few blacks had sacrificed anything to END slavery." My ancestors sacrificed their lives, not to be slaves, but to free slaves. A freedom fighter is one who fights for freedom; not just one who lacks freedom altogether. But the point here is Mr. Washington's shallow grasp of any history prior to 2007. My response is my response.

Kindly spare me the statistics, and don't assume I'm ignorant of history. But it's childish at best, insulting at worst, to place those who fought slavery above those who actually suffered its evils for centuries, and that's the overwhelming impression given by your original post.

<<in other words, a slave is does not become automatically a soldier in Lincoln's army>>
I have no idea what this means.

Wow aren't you quite the tolerant enlightened one. Off your meds, or did you just get back from the bar?

We should stop trying to convince ourselves that it doesn't matter how much or how little material wealth was had by our grandparents and great grandparents. It matters. Wealth is passed down and so is poverty. The reason white people are so dismissive of the economic suffering of black people is because they're so afraid that somebody else might get more than they "deserve" that they bend over backwards to get there first. I'm a white person from a conservative family and I tell you it never ceases to amaze me the way they just assume that other people's lives are so easy. I can't tell you how many times my grandmother has made the claim that white people have had it just as bad as black people, that white people lived through the Depression, etc. Well, if you didn't live through the Depression as a black person, I don't see how you can sit around saying you had it just as bad. You have no basis for comparison. The reality is that judges, politicians, CEOs, high-ranking military officers and high-ranking police officials are, by and large, white. It's not fair. But the conservatives in my family will be the first to tell you that fairness doesn't matter and neither does equality. But then they'd turn around and, in the interest of fairness, support eliminating food assistance programs for people in need just to deprive the undeserving. They'd also be first in line to use the government programs they don't even think should exist, for example Social Security or Cash for Clunkers. They are such selfish hypocrites, it's infuriating. They are completely ignorant of history and uneducated and committed to not changing one iota no matter how
wrong they are. And there are millions just like them. This is what we're dealing with. Good luck to all rational and just Americans.

You sure have a lot of hate going on. Are you always this entertaining at the dinner table as well?

Here is the one and most important question I want answered: What will it take and under what time frame will it take for white Americans to be forgiven? I feel like I am playing a baseball game, ahead by 10 runs, but the umpire will not tell me what inning the game ends. So, just tell me, please! I will do my best.

Mr. Michael you will never get an answer to when Mr. Washington will be happy or forgive people like you or me for that matter. He's having to great a love affair with his self- righteous anger. Because without it I suspect there's not a whole lot really going on. I do hope he comes around and sees the truth and common sense you put before him for his own sake.Then he can join the human race. Who knows he might even like it. After all we're all in it Together. Fine article. Thank You.

The issues is not the relative poorness of the South, but its lack of social capital. While these things may be causally connected, it is the lack of social capital that has retarded economic growth, not vice versa. None of the factor you mention would much explain the results Robert Putnam found. Turchin suggests a similar long term "mass slavery" effect for Sicily.

It means a good many Union soldiers had suffered slow and agonizing deaths–minus anesthesia–towards the end of liberating countrymen of whom they had never met. Limbs were sawed off, families pulled apart, and entire armies ravaged by disease amidst the poverty of military life in those days. Of course slavery is rough. So is sacrificing your life and comforts for another man's benefit. Now enough of this condescending nonsense by which a soldier's blood means nothing. A soldier's blood means everything. Perhaps my anger would subside if more of my fellows had understood as much. And I will never apologize to you or anybody for my words or for these heroic and dead white men and their sacrifice. My words offend you? Indeed, the slaves had nothing they could sacrifice to begin with–only chains and humiliation. The troops, on the other hand, had everything some of us consider most important–wives, children, jobs, freedom, et cetera–and they willingly sacrificed all of it for freedom and unity. Thus the troops had sacrificed more than anybody.

Watch Blazing Saddles two times and call me in the morning.

My ancestors emigrated to America in the 1850s and settled in Maryland. They not only never owned any slaves, but they enlisted in the Union Army. So screw Isaiah Washington. I have nothing to apologize for. But even if my great-great-great-great-grandfather was "Ames", the evil overseer from "Roots", I'd feel no need to apologize. I've done nothing to apologize for.

On the subject of history, does it matter to any of these knuckleheads that Barack Obama has absolutely no genetic connection to American slavery? As the descendant of an East African Muslim tribe, he has no more connection to the West African Animist black tribesmen who were brought over here as slaves, than I have to the Norwegians because my ancestors came from Italy.

If it's just about the color of our skin, Vijay Singh is "blacker" than Obama, and he's from Fiji.

Where do you get this MLK was a Republican crap? Do 5 minutes of research and maybe next time you won't make fool of yourself. King endorsed Kennedy and Johnson and denounced Goldwater. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/arti...

Work hard get an education in this country and anyone can succeed. Sit around bitching moaning and complaining and you will be a certain failure, or prisoner of the state, under the boot heel or your local Democrat politician.

Sadly, I went to the same high school as Mr. Washington and he's on a Wall of Honor at my school. Meanwhile, I can't find a military veteran anywhere on the wall.

I have ancestors on my father's side who fought for the Confederacy. I have ancestors on my father's side who fought with Lincoln. I have apologized to myself and paid myself a huge sum of "guilt money." I have no dog in this fight any more and declare myself done with it.

(I am selling "guilt credits" if anyone who doesn't have the pedigree I have. I figure if algore can make money off of carbon credits, I can too. My idea makes as much sense as his.)

This slave crap is just that — crap. There has never been a group or a race who hasn't been enslaved at one time or the other in their history. The Romans enslaved much of the world. Are Africans howling about Italian reparations? Hell no! Why? Because the Italians would laugh at them if they tried. My Viking ancestors terrorized England and Scotland for a couple hundred years. Are the Danes supposed to give back the Danegeld? What about the Spanish Inquisition? Jews and Muslims might want to hit up Spain for a few million whatevers as payback. And how about Germany in the thirties and forties? They ought to fund Israel for the next hundred years for THAT!

Sooner or later someone who doesn't mind being called a Racist is going to point out that blacks in America have it a whole lot better than their counterparts in Africa but if they disagree and are willing to return, maybe then reparations would be in order — to pay their way back first class and support them for five years on the African economy until they can learn the language of the country of their choice and set up a business or enter a profession. Paying them reparations to live in the greatest country in the world is beyond nonsensical. It's flat out stupid.

I believe white guilt got Obama elected. Apparently that feeds the con.

"3) White polluters do steer poison into communities of color. If this weren't true it wouldn't be the case that the blackest neighborhoods are also the dirtiest while the whitist neighborhoods are the most pristine."

There is actually a tiny fraction of truth to this but you have the label all WRONG – all of those neighborhoods that you reference are generally always DEMOCRATIC districts, where the citizens always vote for the Democrat because he promises to "help" when in fact he's legislating in such a way that the neighborhood never improves and neither do the chances of the people to lift themselves up. It can be very hard to find healthy food in some urban neighborhoods and that is directly tied to the way the citizens VOTE, not the color of someone's skin.

It will never end. It can never end. Much like a parent that uses guilt to manipulate a child (including adult children), the manipulaters can't give up their power over the manipulated. And let's finally get this right: It's all about power. Forgiveness is not an option. It can not be.

Funny thing is, my ancestors were poor white share croppers and Scots-Irish that came in the last great wave of immigration from Northern Ireland, after the end of the War Between the States. The reason that it's funny is I'm considered guilty because of my skin color…. And I am always the one who is considered a racist.

The very people who decry racism the most are the ones most responsible for perpetuating it.

i have said it before: we must hit back on every slur, every fight, every bit of nonsense the libbies throw at us. we have let the little stuff slide for so long that they think they get a pass on something like this.

note to isaiah and his libbie defenders: NO SIR. not happening anymore. you have been served notice. we ARE mad as hell and, if you haven't noticed, we aren't going to take it anymore.

"Why should I pay reparations for slavery when my great-great-grandparents were little more then slaves under feudalist systems?"

I'm not in favor of reparations for what happened to black families in this country, but the answer to your question is that your ancestors were "little more than slaves" in another society. When they came to this country, they were given freedom and the opportunity to work hard and better their circumstances.

What happened to black families in this country–both slavery and Jim Crow–was done by this nation. Much of that harm is still being suffered, whatever else is going on, and our nation still enjoys the benefits.

Rigorous thinking on an intersesting issue.

Thanks

PS- The idea of "apolgizing" for something you did not do, that occured 100-150 years ago is absurd. If my Dad was Hitler, he was Hitler. How does this make me a bad guy? What does apologizing for someone else's actions actually accomplish for anyone. Is this simply a feel good exercise or is something more at stake?

If the US apologizes for Hirhoshima, do we dig up Truman and ask him to make the apology for his decision>? Are American Blacks expected to apologize for Hiroshima? If not, then why am I apologizing for American Slavery? My ancesters came here 60 yrs ago. How am I responsbible for slavery or its effects?

Frankly, to me this is simply a silly exercise that Black Pols engage in to keep themselves relevant. Charlie Rangel is example 1.

Brucelee, the U.S. has apologized for its actions before, and in cases much less serious than enslaving millions of people. Do you believe the U.S. should never apologize for anything?

Very good argument. My point was that the exceptional slaves, ie. the participants in the underground railroad, etc. were not the only African Americans (pardon the PC term) that made a sacrifice. I tried to consider whether I would be able to perservere in bondage.

There's iron in those words Patti, love it!

What did this accomplish please? Did it make Congress FEEL better. Did it make YOU feel better? That's nice.

That is my point! Does the US govt make mistakes? Sure. Is it appropriate at times for the govt to apologize? Sure.

Is that what is at stake here? You know the answer is no!

The US government and US residents died in multiples to end slavery. After that, the US governments have spent TONS of money to make amends. Laws passed, programs enacted.

When will it be sufficient?

The answer is never. You cannot fill the hole that is self created.

So, since I am not a racist, I refuse to apologize for the actions of someone else, dead or alive. And I am not asking for anyone's forgiveness either. If this clown Washington holds me responsible for slavery, he will have to take it up with someone who cares.

Pure and simple. Just not easy for many to accept.

Depression Era people who suffered from that economic downturn recovered from it in a few decades and you don't hear them asking for help or money or sympathy b/c of it.

Slavery ended 150 years ago, yet the moaning continues and the demands for pay-outs continue as well.

"Cash for Clunkers", indeed!

Hilary (part 2)
""But the conservatives in my family will be the first to tell you that fairness doesn't matter and neither does equality. But then they'd turn around and, in the interest of fairness, support eliminating food assistance programs for people in need just to deprive the undeserving. They'd also be first in line to use the government programs they don't even think should exist, for example Social Security or Cash for Clunkers. They are such selfish hypocrites, it's infuriating. They are completely ignorant of history and uneducated and committed to not changing one iota no matter how wrong they are.""

This is a bit convoluted but I'll try to respond.
When I was a little child and would complain to my Mom "It's not fair that ….(fill in the blank)! She would turn to me and say "Do you really want what is fair?" Always made me stop and think.
The Declaration of Independence states "All men are created equal" but is it so? What about the 'blind' child or the one missing a limb? (Or born into poverty or great wealth) Does this statement then ring false? Were our forefathers on 'Crack'?
Maybe they were just stating that we all enter the world small and helpless, and all have the ability to grow past that, by our own efforts, that governments should not interfere with the endeavor. The resources of the 'New World' should be open to all citizens. Education had been used as a tool against the poor in other countries. Here it was and is free to all. The debt of your parents was passed to the child in other countries, here you were not born into the debt of your parents.
Do you believe that 'by the sweat of his brow a man shall eat'? or do you believe that by the toil of others you should eat?
Americans are some of the most generous peoples on earth. If there is a fire, earthquake, famine or oppression, we are willing to open our hearts, pocketbooks and borders in compassion. We do this out of the generosity of spirit that grows from having struggled and overcome odds, and wishing the same for others. That being said, Americans are also contrary. We are more than willing to give, we just wish to be the ones to decide who we will give to. If two of my neighbors are in need and I am able to only help one, I have to make a choice. Do I give to the one who rarely makes an effort to support himself let alone improve, or do I give to the one who tries everything to get ahead and through no fault of his own suffers a set back? My dilemma, my choice.
Contrast that with the alternative, government programs. The government takes 'My' money and the government 'Decides' who is the one that should be helped. Do not say that with the government running the 'program' both will be helped. That is Utopian and not true. Either both will be given insufficient help or one will go without (There are never enough resources to help all. This is sad but true.) the other down side of government programs is that overhead comes into play. Instead of me going to my neighbor and giving what I have to give, directly to him. What I have goes to the government and a portion is used to pay the people who give it to my neighbor, a portion to the person who files the paper work, some for the bldg.maintenance, some for the heat and light,etc.(No where near as efficient in my book.) Instead of thanking me and going on with his life, possibly helping others as he was helped. He begins to feel he was entitled to the help because it was only the government that gave it to him, not real people.
…………..part 3 will be why I think you are wrong on SS and may be right on CC.

Hey, Old Tom.
See your points are going up!

Don't kid yourselves, this is not about "the nation" (who is that anyway?) apologizing for anything. This is about reparations and the continued mental enslavement of American Blacks by their current owners, the Jesse Jackson's of the world.

Do you think that Jesse would be happy if Black America woke up tomorrow prosperous and whole? No, he would be out of a job. Who needs a Jesse if there isn't someone DOING it to his folks?

No, this will never go away unless we start to simply call it what it is. Otherwise, everyone loses.

Good point. I guess THAT kind of treatment is OK as they are both special.

After reading Thomas Sowell,s Black Rednecks and White Liberals I understood how much history I was'nt taught at school. I recomend it to all and wish it was mandatory at about 5th grade. I think we'd all get along better If we had a true understanding of our history

This is such liberal nonsense; it’s amazing so many democrats have heads of mush. What other nation goes around flogging itself over its past sins? Do you see Germany groveling before the world for forgiveness over WWI, WWII and the Holocaust? Are the Africans nations on their knees asking forgiveness for butchering tens of millions of their countrymen? How about the Japanese for their treatment of the Chinese?

The only ones who behave like this are mentally ill American democrats/liberals. All nations make mistakes; only American liberals feel compelled to incessantly apologize for sins that are no way unique to America.

Considering vast numbers of soldiers in the conflict were draftees or paid substitutes, not volunteers, I'l wager that not every sacrifice was willing. (and we certainly know that few Union soldiers joined with the sole, noble purpose of ending slavery) No-one's saying a soldier's life means nothing. Far from it. But it's a foolish comparison to say one group had a lock on suffering or noble sacrifice. The truth is always messier.

"was done by this nation"

…..as well as by by the African chiefs who captured them, and the Arab traders who bought them, and the Portuguese, Dutch and English captains,who in turn bought them, and the Spanish brokers who…. get the idea?

One of the most successful infiltrations of the Narrtive into our education has been the notion that the shipment of African slaves to North America is somehow unique and singularly awful, and its largely effective suppression of the fact that slavery has been part of the human condition in virtually all times and places since the beginning of time. In particular, slavery was the norm among African tribes centuries befor the first European ever landed on the Gold Coast: those early captains weren't even looking for slaves, but gold, ivory and spices: slaves were the trading stock the locals had available.

And the United States only accounted for 5% of the Atlantic trade; and the Atlantic trade only amounted to a quarter of the far, far older Arab slave trade north and east into the Dar al-Islam (in parts of which black chattel slavery is still practiced today).

The Romans, the Greeks, the Arabs, the Turks, the Egyptians, the Hittites, the Isrealites, the Chinese, in effect the Hindus, and of course the Africans: slavery was the human norm for millenia.

It was in the West- yes, the white, European west- that the notion first arose that slavery was a bad thing and not to be continued. First the American North, then Britain, then all of America both rejected it, and sent fleets to suppress the overseas trade. It was only the much-maligned European "scramble for Africa" that brought an end to slavery in (at least most of) Africa, a cultural tradition of centuries' standing. British general "China" Gordon gave his life at Khartoum trying to end the Nile valley slave trade. However, the practise continued unabated in Ottoman Turkish lands so long as the Sultanate endured- and while officially banned in places like Saudi Arabia in 1963(!!), it remains de facto wink-nudge tolerated in much of the Arab world.

You want reparations? Sue King Abdullah. We gave already.

My ancestors emigrated to America in the 1850s and settled in Maryland. They not only never owned any slaves, but they enlisted in the Union Army. So screw Isaiah Washington. I have nothing to apologize for. But even if my great-great-great-great-grandfather was "Ames", the evil overseer from "Roots", I'd feel no need to apologize. I've done nothing wrong.

On the subject of history, does it matter to any of these knuckleheads that Barack Obama has absolutely no genetic connection to American slavery (except possibly on his white mother's side)? As the descendant of an East African Muslim tribesman, he has no more connection to the West African Animist blacks who were brought over here as slaves, than I have to the Norwegians because my ancestors came from Italy.

If it's just about the color of our skin, Vijay Singh is "blacker" than Obama, and he's from Fiji.

MLK believed in judging in man by the content of his character not by the color of his skin, the antithesis of what democrats believe. As witnessed in this last election democrats elected a man based on the color of his skin not his character. If obama were judged on his character he would be lucky to be the congressional valet attendant.

Not the country of their choice…the country of their ancestral origin. That would be Ghana and Sierra Leone.

Line forms on the right…

All of those European nations have one thing in common: they're weak, corrupt to their core and in danger of losing their national identity to an influx of muslim immigrants.

I'd prefer to keep my distance.

Right. Except that very few fifth graders in today's public school system could read Thomas Sowell.

But social capital is largely a product of the growth of towns- and geography, niot slavery was the principal factor in the South's diffused population.

Indeed, the lowest levels of both social and economic capital are to be found in Appalachia- where there were almost no slaves.

Great job, Mr. McGruther. I loved LOVED your response to Mr. "15-minutes-of-fame-is-over" Washington. I'm always impressed by an articulate white guy who can stand up for himself without being bullied by the "caring" liberals who feel they're better than all of us because they toe the "all white people are over-privileged jerks because they're white" mantra.

Nice job.

Well, okay, you believe the nations of Europe are weak and corrupt. You might be right. I respectfully disagree, since I don't think they've had such influence since before WWII and they seem to be mightily resisting the change brought about by immigrants.

In any case, the point was that it's not true that other nations don't apologize for their actions. More importantly, perhaps, the U.S. has apologized for other national acts, and I don't hear anyone complaining loudly about those apologies. What it is about apologizing for our nation's terrible past with slavery that bothers people so much? True, we've never apologized, but then again, it was long ago and we all agree it was terribly wrong; what's the harm in saying that the U.S. regrets what it did and moving on?

I had this very conversation with a black friend of mine. She was ranting and raving about slavery and how terrible it was (I agreed) and how it was responsible for the terrible place blacks were in today (I disagreed) I went into a long detailed explanation that included welfare and the cycle of poverty and I'm sure it sounded like yada yada yada to her until I asked a simple question. If your great great great …however many great grandparents had not been brought to this country as slaves….where would you be living now? Would you be in America working two jobs while you finish college or would you be living in Darfur running from rape squads and feeding your children ants and mud? Perhaps you should thank whoever it is that you thank that your ancestors endured what they did, and that people fought to see that you could be free…and stop your whining. Conversation over.

Love that movie!!! I'll watch it-uncut of course-anytime!!

I agree with that 100% Now a little buyers remorse will settle in. One can hope, can't they?

I concur with with StanH! enough is enough!!! The boy can only cry wolf so many times, then no one listens anymore.

Well done Bohemond, get ready for the attack putting out facts that destroy myths.

No, don't apologize, you are not off-topic. I worked with people and sold package goods to people just like Nate. Fortunatly not all blacks are like your former workmate, Nate. As I became friendly with many of them. It is distressing to see so many people like I. Washington think and speak the way they do.

Michael, you won't hear back from Mr. Washington. You have been written off as an angry white unapologetic racist bigot. He will never see it. His ideology fits The Narrative and you're obviously a hateful idiot who just 'doesn't get it'. Sad, because the power whores are now exploiting this deranged myopia in a focussed attempt to bankrupt, control and ultimately oppress and enslave the free people of America. I rise each morning with a fresh shock to hear of the Left's latest assault on our freedoms — apoplectic that in the year 2009, after the clear illumination of history…that in America naked Marxism can gain such solid purchase.

He was a Unitarian not Jewish!

Racism is a business and like every business, it has individuals who abuse the system.

That reminds me of JFK's comment on Washington DC: "a city of Southern efficiency and Northern charm"

But social capital is not really about charm, vivacity or immediate friendliness, it is about more enduring connections and deeper attitudes.

If you did a cross-tab with how rural a State is, it is unlikely you would find much correlation with the level of social capital. Indeed, it is part of Putnam's contention in Bowling Alone that rising urbanisation has seen in recent decades a decline in social capital.

Nor is slavery at all likely to be the only factor which affects levels of social capital. Very strong kinship structures can be bad for social capital since it encourages an "us and them" attitude. You can see this in Southern Italy, most of the Middle East and, I take it, Appalachia.

teh_Mob that's one on the great Walter Williams arguments, that as a black man he is thankful to be in the USA and not back in the home country, …anywhere Africa.

Never understood what he meant by "Northern charm." But maybe I just live too close to Manhattan.

After reading the 14 indicators of social capital, I have to conclude that his study is extremely flawed. Check out #s 2 and 3:

2. Agree that "Most people can be trusted"
3. Agree that "Most people are honest"

Are we talking about quantity or quality here?

Naaah.

James lighten up! Understanding history is an imperative for any society, but wallowing in guilt is unhealthy and leaves vacuums to be filled with the Al Sharptons, and Jesse Jacksons, of the world. Get over it or be subservient to race baiters or any other liberal charlatan that desires to extort your personhood, livelihood, using your guilt as a weapon. It’s childish, and only feeds the myth that only white Americans are racist, simply put it’s …hog wash!

Stan, this just isn't about guilt. This is about whether or not to turn a blind eye to how our nation's past, good and bad, affects our society today. Our history of slavery and racial discrimination has left enduring marks on our society, as anyone can see, and I think the best way forward is to acknowledge the past. We need to dispel the myths that so many Americans have about that history, discard the mistaken belief that it's "all the past," and work on finally moving past this legacy together.

If that's childish or immature, well, so be it ….

Putnam's original study was of Italy after the introduction of provincial government. He famously found that the strength of choral societies in a region predicted how well governed a province was. My original point was simply to suggest a way in which the legacy of slavery may still matter. The connection to economic success is a more complicated matter and not one I was alluding to, you brought that up.

Regions low in social capital are more likely to be comparative poorly governed, to have higher levels of social division and to have lower rates of economic growth. To put it another way, the less connected a society is, the poorer the information flows within it, the less likely effective citizen organisation to restrain office holders from being corrupt, inefficient and divisive is and the less likely people are to connect in mutually beneficial ways.

See, I'm still unconvinced. On the survey, my home state of Virginia placed relatively low, yet Virginia itself is economically strong, well governed, and one of the few states that boasts a AAA bond rating (and proud of it to the point where both republicans and democrats strive to keep it, it's a point of Commonwealth Pride).

That said, there are large gaps in social/economic division in the Old Dominion, so perhaps the idea is reflected. Still, it seems like a rather arcane legacy of slavery.

three hundred plus yearss…..blah blah blah. In the last 60 years about 60 million chinese were slaughtered in their own country…do they bitch about? No. They've moved on. It's liberal's that want you to live in the freakin' past. And if you are expecting a utopia…you're f*cked right off the bat, that ain't gonna' happen. And if you want a colorblind society, before you bitch about whitey you might try lowering that black male murder rate which is hovering around 20x the rest of society.

Thank you. That's EXACTLY my first thought. What the heck is Social Capital?

Some people are motivated by convenience – both the cognitive and physical kind – more than anything else. Mr Washington and those who think like him will not forgive because it works for them. It feels good. Hating on the Sierra Leoneans – or the descendants of the Arabs or Spaniards who traded slaves far longer than the Anglos did – does nothing for him, but in the USA there is so far no downside to riding white guilt all the way.

Obama's skin color has absolutely NOTHING to do with why I think he is a bad president. He could be pale white, blue eyed, and tow-headed and he would still be bad for the country! I think he is a bad president because: (1) he has singlehandedly forced this nation into an astronomical debt; (2) he is eating away at free enterprise; (3) he has surounded himself with out and out communist advisors; (4) he is trying with all his might to ruin one of the bext health care systems in the world; (5) he bowed to the Saudi king (American presidents do NOT bow to another nation's leader!); (6) he is "apologizing" for America all over the world (for WHAT, for God's sake? If we're so bad, why are people pushing down the doors trying to get in?); (7) he is pushing "Cap & Trade"; and finally (8) he is not the erudite, polished speaker he pretends to be…unless he has a tele-prompter in front of him! I'm sure there are more reasons I don't like him, but these were the first that came to mind. You'll notice "skin color" is NOT one of them!!!

Well, I was trying to figure out how people believing that most people are trustworthy contributes to high social capital, and I wondered if the assumption was that those people would be more likely to be open to the possibility of befriending/connecting with others, and might therefore be assumed to have successfully established close ties with more people. But it seems to me that just because a person might be more open to trusting others, they could end up having more acquaintances (quantity), but not necessarily more close bonds (quality).

In short, I think the study is extremely flawed.

How come these liberals ALWAYS resort to the Dixiecrat argument to try and absolve the Democrat party of it's history of racism? They want to be able to say and take credit for MLK, but the fact is he was a Republican and a conservative. They try and sweep under the rug that the KKK was a device used by the Democrat party. They want to act like segregation was something that didn't involve the Democrat party. And they attribute it to the Dixiecrats who eventually left the party. I just get tired of these liberal Democrats trying to run away from their past by revising history to suit them. But then again, they do it all the time. Even to this day.

September 6 at 3:05pm

Your Answer…

I will be "happy" when you join me on a trip to my homeland in Sierra Leone. You are more than welcome to join me in reversing the catastrophic events stemming from years of colonization, war and lack of education in West Africa. I implore you. Yes, I have put my own money, time and efforts in helping rebuild a African nation through science, economic planning and not with malice towards "whites" or runaway emotions. I have done A GREAT DEAL to support those in need here in America as well. Your obvious "hurt feelings" is what deeply concerns me when I don't have a clue who you are and your motives when you used words like…rascist, grudge, anger and bizarre to describe me and heavy handedly mislead your readership when it was YOU that commented on MY facebook profile. The First Amendment exists! Yes…even for me Sir.

Especially when you think are accused of doing something you have not. I completly understand your position. I've been there! Yet, you gladly took it out of context and felt the need to "spread" our public discourse on this Big Hollywood blog, and try to reignite "old news" about GA for what? To try and "hurt me" further with exploiting public opinion and evoking random animosity towards me from people who do not know me? Like yourself? How troubling. How predictable. How sad. What "troubles" me even more is that you feel that you are "entitled" to an apology by perfect strangers on MY facebook profile on the internet. You put yourself out there, then you should be able be objective an not assume that I am not being 'fair". Your betrayal my facebook friends with this petty (possibly liable) article and dangerous behavior is disappointing to saythe least Sir. I would LOVE to debate the "original" point and article posted on my facebook profile PUBLICLY with YOU anytime or anyplace! THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU…Shame on you MM.

IW

currently…in this climate everything trumps feminist…..

Focusing on the obvious typo in the word Filipino is not what this is about. I'm thrilled that you speak Tagalog but who cares? My wife does not really speak it although she understands it. Although her parents were born in the Philippines she was not. She considers herself an American first and her mom and dad made sure that the family understood the gifts of liberty that allowed them to provide a better life for themselves here than any other place in the world. They didn't have to abandon an appreciation of the culture and food they left behind but when you become a citizen of the United States and risk your life to be here you pledge an allegiance to United States and all she sands for in the world — the true land of opportunity, the world, the "shining city on a hill"

Your use of "MC" in my last name implied that you automatically thought I was Irish and therefore still upset about the plight of the poor Irish immigrant long, long ago. That's not being sensitive that's being sick and tired of the utterly false assumptions many people make about "white folk"

I haven't had a chance to read through all the comments but keep in mind that although Western civilization committed great crimes in the slave trade, it is that same Western civilization that ended that barbaric practice when the British in the 1800's cleared the seas of slave traders.

Something that has always bothered me, (other than the obvious injustice of blaming people for what some one in their family tree did) Why is it that people like Mr. Washington and Candice gloss over the entire Hispanic history of slave traders/owners, and lay blame only to the Northern-most European descendants? Are they not aware that at least 90% of the slave ships from Africa traveled not to U.S.A., but to South America? Do those descendants all get a free pass because they're tan? It truly baffles me.

Feeling the infuriating 'discomfort' of being hated or judged because of your name, lineage or skin color Mr. McGruther? Not a pleasant feeling is it Sir? Yes…I feel your pain…you'll survive and your pain will empower you to hopefully take positive and unemotional action. Be the leader you profess to be. You dont need me. You need my celebrity. (Whatever that truly means) Besides, I have a book to write and my hands are full trying to 'bridge the gap' between Africa and North America. Good luck with your battle against MSNBC. Unfortunately for me, I have had my fill with trying to take on the media's rascist "narratives".Maybe I will see you on The Hill…I'm there 4 times a year lobbying for humanity in Sierra Leone.

IW

Mulatto America: At the Crossroads of Black and White Culture: A Social History, by Stephan Talty (HarperCollins, $24.95). From jazz to sports, Black and White cultures have intersected since the founding of America. Here the author "vividly chronicles the hidden connections that have shaped American style and character" and contends that while the relationship between the two races has historically been strained, a powerful attraction has always existed "that led both races to mimic what they saw and desired in each other."

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