Comments on: Owning Our Successes, and Our Failures

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By: fake but accurate

fake but accurate — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 22:49:38 +0000

Leftists are unreal. First of all let me say, if there is any way a murderer can be brought to justice, no matter how old the crime, I’m all for it, regardless of the cost. Just promise me if they are found guilty they will be executed.
Now lets talk about racism. How leftists who gravitate towards the dhimmicrat party think they hold the high ground in racial discussions, is totally beyond me. Lets remember who it was that was distributing anti-Semitic literature in conjunction with your make believe impeachment hearing. Dean even tried to distance himself from that moment of truthfulness, you know, Dean, the guy who wanted to be the candidate for the “Confederate sticker” crowd, who said the only blacks invited to Republican functions were the serving staff! Nice. And who is it that has a former organizer and leader of the kkk representing their party in the Senate? Yes, that crazy old Byrd, who not so long ago was dropping N-bombs in an interview, revealing more than just dementia. Speaking of the kkk, that organization was founded as the terrorist wing of the democratic party. The Republican party was founded to end slavery. Who is it that tries to use race to divide this country every election cycle? Who was it who called Judge Thomas, Gen. Powell and Sec. Rice, Uncle Toms? Liberals. Sharpton and Jackson, I could go on for hours sighting those two’s many racist actions. Who disenfranchised voters? I would say it was the party who was paying for black votes with CRACK! That’s “progressive” right there.
And why is it liberals think there is no place for democracy in the middle east? What is that based on if not a lowered expectation for Arab peoples? Speaking of lowered expectations, how is affirmative action reconciled with Dr. Kings dream? “Content of his character” indeed!
The Senate should be dealing with more serious matters, like securing the borders. But wait, now that debate is being framed as a racial issue, as if the dead illegal immigrants that are strewn across the ranches left to die of thirst and exposure, women and children left drowning in the rivers, or suffocating in trailers would not benefit by the deterrence a secured border would offer human smugglers. Let’s also remember that it is, for the most part, Hispanics who are preying on one another, raping and robbing these illegals, taking their money then leaving them to die.
You guys just keep on, 2006 is just around the corner, it looks as if you want to give Republicans another present. We will take it. You frame the murder investigations and the Senate grandstanding as related, to imply Republicans are against those investigations by binding them to a worthless Senate apology, is well, just what I expect from you.

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 21:30:59 +0000

Yes, it was tragic that the gov’t “eminent domained” the Native Americans off of their land.

Too bad a similar (but less tragic) thing is happening in Connecticut.

By: Mikey

Mikey — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 20:25:00 +0000

TT, I would ask the same monetary question before waging a war. I’m pissed that the Iraq war is costing taxpayers money, and more importantly human lives. And speaking of owning up to injustices, I don’t think we’ll see the final bill for Iraq in my lifetime. But my comment does not assume that the victims are only looking for money. If I am not mistaken, it was the government that re-opened the case, not any victims. And they aren’t looking for money in this case, but the potential exists is all I’m trying to say. If the formal apology was sufficient, why were victims also compensated monetarily? Was it a token gesture? I’m just saying let’s think about the ramifications of the precedent we are setting here before we get too far in.

By: TT

TT — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 20:06:50 +0000

Surely, mikey, how can you question the money involved in compensating victims when the US is currently waging wars with other nations, that is costing taxpayers billions of dollars of their money? Your comment also assumes that these victims are only looking for ways to benefit monetarily, and overlooks the point of the article. One can worry about the financial issues, but it’s secondary, even tertiary, to the ethical significance of acknowledging injustices made by a system that is designed to supposedly protect everyone. The article is asking Americans not only to own up to our failures but also to reevaluate our values and learn from past mistakes so that such injustices aren’t allowed to reoccur. The importance, for example, of Japanese-Americans’, who were interned in WWII, voicing the injustices done to them outvalued the few thousands of dollars they received for compensation. The formal apology they received by the US gov was acknowledgment of US gov’s blatant racism towards a group and its denial of its members’ basic human and civil rights and a hopeful step (although post-9/11 actions demonstrate otherwise) towards eliminating such institiionalize violations of rights.

By: Mikey

Mikey — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 18:31:29 +0000

You make several good points and I agree to a great extent with your views on taking ownership and accountability and righting the wrongs of our past. However, I’m concerned about the financial costs? Opening up closed cases at taxpayer expense is costly. And who’s to say that in 50 years time, someone might question the recent verdict in the Killen case and re-open it? Also, what happens when the descendents of the victim(s) seek compensation for the injustice? Do we own that too? I think we need to be careful or this can quickly get out of control. I agree that correcting injustice is the right thing to do, I suggest financial limitations be placed on the trial cost and any resulting monetary compensation.

By: calguy

calguy — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 18:05:39 +0000

Well said. amen.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 29 Jun 2005 17:43:19 +0000

For much more detail, see:

“Mississippi Wounds Still Unhealed”