..........I send a "way to go" out to the Commonwealth of Virginia!!!

Actually, that is sarcasim in the biggest way. The Commonwealth of Virginia just announced that the state of Virginia is officially going to apologize to African Americans for the enslavement of their ancestors. I don't know if it gets any worse than this. I will not apologize for anything that I did not have a hand in doing. That apology should be a great "vote getter" for the upcoming elections in 2008. The black community (why don't I have a community based on my race - as far as I know, I'm just white) vote is in question. I never take the word of anyone who is not sincere with an apology to me. This is certainly not sincere. If all the colonial and post colonial slave holding states in America are to apologize for slavery, then should we not ask all the present-day countries on the west-African coast to also aplogize? How about all the governments in the Caribbean? I think we should even take it one step further to include all the families of black slave hunters who still live in the USA; because, didn't they betray their own people? What a stupid waste of someone's time. What a stupid waste of legislative time.

Don't get me wrong; I have nothing aganist black Americans. I hate the fact that we ever had slavery in this nation, but it was a part of society when this nation was colonized. The economy depended on slavery at the time and it was legal. As time passed, the better part of human nature in America got rid of slavery. So, why is there not a big "thanks" going out to all the relatives of the Americans who gave their lives and life's efforts to abolish slavery? I think it is very clear. It would almost be like offsetting penalties in the NFL. I hope that does not offend anyone, but we rarely hear much in the way of "thanks" to the white race for the abolition of slavery. The black community does not want equality of race in America. Without inequality to fuss about, there would be a great many folks out of work. The obvious answer is to keep stirring the pot with racism. Slavery is ugly. We saw it was not right, and we got rid of it - enough said. I hope the Commonwealth of Virginia is poised for the lawsuits that will surely ensue from those whose ancestors were slaves in Virginia.