Thorndike says:

I live in Virginia. You can’t believe how ashamed most of us are about these folks.

Leland says:

You are right, he’s an idiot.

I never did get the formal apology thing on slavery in the United States. There are no surviving slaves left to apologize to.

Most of us agree that slavery was an evil practice and will publicly acknowledge that fact if asked. But some how “I most humbly apologize for the actions of my great great grandfather, who I never met and who’s name I don’t even know, when he held your great great great grandparents against their will in a forced labor camp” rings a little hollow to me. It sounds just like what it is, just so much lip service on the most recent politically correct fad to keep the lens hounds at bay.

Sadly, in places that have issued some kind of apology, the next thing we hear is a demand for “just and fair” reparations. For those of you that don’t know, that means someone wants someone to write a check to cover the damages for keeping slaves in the 1800s. As a rule the people expected to write the check are the taxpayers.

Unlike the Japanese that were herded off to camps after Pearl Harbor, there are no surviving slaves to write a check to. But once the Japanese were paid reparations for the injustices from World War II, some in the African American community felt they deserved a piece of the pie as well.

You just got to love Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, Al Sharpton and all the lesser lens hounds out there.

Andrew says:

I also live in Virginia, and I’m with you, Thorndike. Sadly, there are plenty of people who aren’t embarrassed about them. [sigh]

Leland, there is an argument to be made that the effects of slavery are still being felt today, but I’m with you on the issue of reparations. For one, my family didn’t immigrate until the late 1800s, so I should be exempt from paying anything anyway!

Emily says:

I think the entire debate about apologies and reparations is pointless but I have a question about the use of brackets, [], in quotations. The actual quote from Hargrove was, “I personally think that our black citizens should get over it.” So what is the rule/convention that turns it into “[b]lack citizens should get over it.”? If you can elaborate a little, I’d appreciate it. There have been many cases where I didn’t really get what was happening with the quotes.

Andrew says:

Emily — funny you should mention that. I’ve been mulling the idea of creating a “How Newspapers Work” document for lay people, that would include something on the use of brackets, ellipses, etc.

You typically put square brackets around a letter like that when the capitalization in the quote was different. So if someone said, “When you get down to it, to brass tacks, red is a nicer color than blue,” and I didn’t have room to quote it all, I might write:

“[R]ed is a nicer color than blue,” he said.

Compounding the problem is that I used it incorrectly in my entry — the B should have been capitalized! (I have since fixed it.)

In other cases, square brackets are used to clarify someone or add a word or phrase that the speaker didn’t use, e.g., to go from this:

“I think he played a lousy game”

To this:

“I think [Smith] played a lousy game” or “I think he [Smith] played a lousy game.”

Howzat?

Emily says:

Andrew, that explains it quite nicely. Thank you.

It’s a system ripe for abuse, which is why I always like to read the original source material and draw my own conclusions.

I’m looking forward to reading your “How Newspapers Work” as there have been other bracketed quotes that I could not figure out. I can’t recall one right now, but if I find another I’ll see if you can shed light on the mystery.

Andrew says:

What’s *really* ripe for abuse are ellipses, which are used to remove extraneous words. So when someone says, “I think Smith’s inventor, I mean invention, could make life easier,” I might write it as, “I think Smith’s … invention could make life easier.”

Of course, I could also turn this:
- “Mr. Jones is a genius, and he’s certainly not a jackass”

Into this:

- “Mr. Jones is a … jackass”

Of course, if I’m willing to do that, I could simply make up quotes out of whole cloth. Either way, I’m liable to be fired. :)

Emily says:

Yes, I’ve seen some pretty blatant examples like that. Another reason I like to check the facts myself.

Well, I don’t know how much your employer interferes with your blog. By your own admission, this is neither reporting nor journalism, so the only governing rules are your own morality.

We generally know when you’re full of it, so no foul. ;)

gnomic says:

I don’t get the apology thing either, but the state, in its official capacity, did participate in slavery and racist discriminatory behaviors. (And it still is, although gays have replaced blacks as the 2nd class citizen de jure.) But then I’m not the group that has been discriminated against. In this case, they aren’t asking for money, just an acknowledgment that past wrongs were committed and that the state regrets this. It doesn’t seem like much from a group that routinely wastes time acknowledging the Virginia dung beetle or macaca appreciate day resolutions all the time while being unable to pass a state budget that addresses the many transportation problems the state faces (West VA has better roads!). And while Hargrove is an ignorant, racist tool, its a representative democracy and its up to the fine white rednecks of Hanover county to vote him out or decide that his hate is their hate. Frankly, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

jazepentz says:

I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that slavery was a dark time in our nation’s history, but this apology and Reparation crap needs to stop. Why should we have to pay people for something that they did not experience first hand, and that we did not participate in???? I am half Native American…. should I be asking for money and apologies for stuff my people experienced hundreds of years ago? No. No one owes me a thing. No one owes the African Americans anything either. The Jews don’t go hunting down Germans to get reparations for the Holocaust! Hargrove did say one thing that I agree with…… ” Get over it!”

Leland says:

Actually jazepentz, you are not quite correct. Many Jews tracked down and recovered family property seized by the Nazis. Even the Swiss banks finally gave in and returned funds and property taken from Jews. Many more are actively trying to recover property taken from their families.

I think that qualifies as reparations.

gnomic says:

I’ve German and Jewish ancestry. I’ll be suing myself next Tuesday, once I get past this conflict of interest problem with my attorney since I’m representing myself on both sides.

If I were the Judge, I’d be my own grandpa.

Jazepentz says:

Leland, The Jewish people that are recovering property taken by the Nazis have every right to the property that they are seeking, as it was family property that was taken away from them. If the African American families of the slaves want their family property back, that’s one thing. If they want to go after people’s paycheck, that’s another thing entirely. You, Me and all who grace the pages of this forum(I hope,) do not keep slaves, therefore, we should not be held responisible for the actions of the people from the past. If I personally had employed slaves, then fine take my money, but I didn’t so I shouldn’t have to pay squat.

Leland says:

I agree with you. However, Jews are calling the recovered money and property reparations.

My kids thought I kept slaves when it came time to hand out the weekly chores. ;)

jazepentz says:

I used to feel the same way til I got my 10$