Nanny's chums in the Church of England have got themselves into a bit of a state over slavery, which the British Empire abolished 200 years ago.The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has suggested that the Church might need to pay reparations, whilst the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has said that an apology is required.
Here's why they are wrong:
- Britain was the first country in the modern world to abolish slavery, we have nothing to apologise for.
- Genetic trees show that there are more than a handful of "white" Brits with African origins; to whom should we apologise, ourselves?
- The Greeks used slaves, the Italians used Greek slaves, the Nazis used European and Jewish slaves, the Americans used African American slaves, the Africans use African slaves, Japan in the last war used sex slaves from China and Korea etc etc. Will they all be apologising too?
- Slavery still exists in the world today. Africans use children to fight in wars and to dig for diamonds, and East European girls are trafficked into Western brothels.
- Africans were selling Africans into slavery long before Britain ever set foot in the place.
- The wealth of the Church of England, and Britain as whole, is in part built on the profits of slavery. An apology cannot undo that.
- The West enjoys cheap goods and foodstuffs manufactured by people in the Far East, living on very very low wages, will we stop buying these goods? To apologise for slavery, yet still consume these goods is hypocritical.
An apology cannot change the past, and does not address the problems of the present.
I do not deny that slavery was a terrible evil. But, as Ken points out, firstly, this country was the first to abolish this horrendous practice. Secondly, so many countries have been (and in some cases still are) involved in slavery that if everybody responsible started apologising and paying reparations it would be a farce. Thirdly, I REFUSE to either feel guilty about or to apologise for what happened before I was even born. Those who are demanding that we in the western world apologise and pay reparations need to get a life! They do NOT speak for me or in my name. As for the Church of England, it should put its own house in order.
ReplyDeleteWho would the reparations be paid to? Modern people who aren't slaves?
ReplyDeleteI have Saxon ancestors who would almost certainly have been serfs under the Normans. However, I also have Norman ancestors.
I also have Celtic ancestors, who were oppressed by the Vikings. However, I also have Scandinavian ancestry.
I may have slaver ancestors, but if I go far enough back, I must have African ancestors, too.
So I will promise to pay reparatiions for the depredations of my distant ancestors if I can receive an equal amount in compensation for what they did to my other ancestors.
Need to have a chat about the terrible treatment of European slaves by the Romans.
ReplyDeleteI have wasted many an hour being forced to attend church services and indeed at one point in my life was a enforced member of the school choir simply because I was not convincing enough when trying to sing badly.
ReplyDeleteIt was a shattering experience which destroyed any illusions I had about society and societal structure but offered no victim support to help me overcome the disquiet.
I think I am due some compensation.
To whom do I send the invoice?
Grant
Is not the "Outsourcing" of labour to Asia some form of Slavery, getting asian workers to work long hours for little pay smacks of hypocrisy when the EU champions the cut in the working week by the EWD.
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget the 19th Century officers and men of the Royal Navy and Marines who gave their lives, blood and health to supress the slave trade almost wherever in the world the White Ensign could be sailed.
ReplyDeleteSlavery was not abolished in Britain and the colonies until 1833. It was merely the carrying of slaves in British-registered ships that was made illegal in 1807.
ReplyDeleteGood points Ken
ReplyDeleteI for one will not be saying sorry for anything - least of all our good ol' boys and young lady being in the wrong water - pathetic. And anyway the word is not in Blair's or Bush's or any of our Governments vocabulary. Slavery was wrong - enough already.