WHITE PEOPLE...WHAT DO YOU...

I'm responding to this without reading the responses of anyone else ....... as a white American ...... do I like this part of our American history .... of course not and I think it's horrible it happened and I don't think it should be forgotten and if you're an American (no matter what color you are - white, black, or any shade in-between) this period of time is party of the history of the country you live in. As far as "Do I really feel bad for what my ancestors did to blacks?" ..... no, because my ancestors lived in the northeast United States and did not own slaves and did not take part of the slave trade. Do I feel bad in how whites in general treated blacks during during the time of slavery ..... of course I do. Do I feel bad in how some whites treat blacks now ..... yes because those whites make the rest of us look like *beep* which we're not. (I also think reverse discrimination exists too. SOME blacks hate whites just because they're white, which is wrong too.)

God, why does there always have to be some idiot that takes away from the greatness of this series to be totally ignorant and want to pick a fight.

RE: WHITE PEOPLE?

Give me a break! What a tool.

Jeez...

Doesn't it suck that there is always some nimrod troll on these boards at all times?
Instead of meaningful discussion about a great groundbreaking film that brought the reality of slavery to every household in America, a beloved film to so many, both black and white, is lost by some ignorant lout that spouts hate.
"The white man is the devil!"
It's stupid generalizations like this that formed the slavery mentality and continue to pollute our country to this day. This angry, ignorant person is so caught up in his own hate and shortcomings, he uses this discussion board for this great film to spout his extremely narrow view of the complex reality of slavery in America to reverse racist tirades.
Every white man in America does not have ancestors that owned slaves, I am sorry to inform you, you ignorant, uneducated sorry excuse for an African-American.
Quit playing the race card (Which I'm sure you've been doing all your life) and make something of yourself; make the world a better place in even the smallest way and let go of your hate and self-loathing.
Quit projecting your failures upon everybody else, and contribute something positive instead of placing blame on every Cacausian on the planet. That thinking is old and outdated, much like slavery and white supremacy.
But sadly, there are still scores of uneducated masses who stand on the extreme right and left when it comes to the subject of civil rights in this country and the history of slavery.
You sir, are the embarrassing stereotype that educated blacks shun; you are the first one in the crowd to hurl a brick, the first one to lose control and strike out at anyone because of the way they look and the color of their skin. You would be the first to start looting in a riot. You are no different from the white trash that don their hoods and burn crosses. You are the opitomy of hate and ignorance who's only recourse is to hurl blame and create chaos.
You are the nightmare in Martin Luther King Jr's Dream.
You are hate, mob mentality, jealousy, a real loser without a clue or purpose in life but to post hate propoganda on a board that doesn't deserve your negative thinking.
"Roots" was a great mini-series that made history and opened many eyes and many doors to Afican-Americans. The film stands on it's own and will always be something very special in many peoples lives. Don't use this board for your hate propoganda. Give this film and board the respect it deserves.
At least think about it.

I replied to this thread about 50 posts ago and I realized from subsequent comments tha I forgot a major point that needs to be made.

I essentially said that, being whitek I was appauled at the treatment of slaves but I also felt that I never opressed anyone (on purpose) and thatwe should be paying attention to now, not then.

What I would add now would be that I never actually expressed the greatness of this series. Yes some of the story may have been, um, .. less than true and whatnot, but it still gets across the magnitude of the institution of slavery.

On a related subject: Me and my stepdaughter recently took a class call "Inercultual and Women's film." About halfway through the class She pointed out that she though that classes like that, instead of helping kill sereotypes, keep them alive by teaching them in a classroom environment.

I don't know if that's true or not but I do know that Roots has the ability to open old wounds... on the positive side howeveer, it also has the ability to be a cathartic experience and help heal wounds.

I further believe that if you are caught in a cycle like racism or being the victim of racism. I think you would be helped by watching Babylon 5.. yes it's Science Fiction.. but I see in that show the beginnings of our society healing.. You have to watch the whole thing though :)

So there are some random ideas for you. Hope one or two help.

My name... is GEO!!!

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If you read your Bible, when Moses led the Israelite slaves out of Egypt, the Egyptians were black, and the Israelites were white. As a black person, do you feel bad about that? Didn't think so.

The fact is that the reason this country grew and prospered as quickly as it did is because of slavery. This country was built on the backs of the African slaves.

It is also a fact that the vast majority of the slaves were sold to the white traders by their own people. Or do you honestly think a slave ship crew of 20 men could capture 200 Africans on their own land without any help?

I'm white, and I have no feelings about this. Whites have had their turn at slavery, the country is what it is today because of slavery, and if you think about it, the blacks did this to themselves. As DC Talk said "We're Colored People, and we live in a tainted place. We're Colored people and they call us the Human Race. We've got a history so full of mistakes. We're Colored People, and we're saved by a Holy Grace." (The song is called Colored People, in case you can't tell)

"I'm not A1nut because I'm normal...."

John "A1nut"

I feel no guilt, then again my ancestors were not slave owners so I should feel no guilt nor should any other living white person to be honest. Should black people in Africa feel guilty for letting their own people be sold or captured? As far as I know most Africans dont even consider american blacks to be african, talk about emancipation...

Well, considering that my own Scandinavian ancestors enslaved each other, and also my Germanic ancestors were sold in the Roman slave market....I don't really think about it much.