WHITE PEOPLE...WHAT DO YOU...

I feel terrible watching this film, but NOT because im white. Slavery in general was absolutely wrong. To watch this series, it is awful to see people begging to keep their family together, for another person to decide that won't happen. Or to consider someone your property. But the reason i feel bad is the idea that conceited humans could act like that to another person, nothing to do with colour, (for me, though it obviously was an issue those days.) However, i DO feel it is nothing to do with me. I don't know, (or particularly care) whether MY ancestors were involved with slavery, its in the past. I know no further back than my great-grandparents. I'm sure there have been bad things in my ancestry, but that is not me.

I feel bad that slavery happened, but it did, and of course we have to care, but white people should not feel guilty. NOBODY alive today should take it personally.

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You are the DUMBEST, SMART person I have ever met!

I'm white, my ancestry didn't do this to blacks, in fact, less then 1% of all white people had ancestry of slave owners, I do appreciate the racist generalization though.

"THINK about this film and slavery in general? Do you really feel bad for what your ancestors did to blacks, do you care or do you feel it has nothing to do with you?"

Good movie. Slavery was a horrendous crime against humanity. I don't think people should feel personally responsible or guilty for something that they themselves did not do. My ancestors on one side were in Poland until the early 1900s and the ones on the other side were German immigrants who fought for the Union army, but even if my ancestors were the most horrible slaveholders and racists imaginable, I would not personally feel guilty. It's one thing to acknowledge something is a bad thing and it's another to feel guilt for something that happened before you were born and you had absolutely no control over.




Holding out hope for The Front Runner.

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Nope. I do not personally take any responsibility to slavery whatsoever. As I read further and further on to these posts, I am astounded by people's ignorance and anger in these threads. It makes me angy in every direction I look. Slavery was one of, if not the worst abomination to this country- contending only to the slaughter of the Native Americans. Which is worse is up to each party to decide. Both were deplorable and I whole heartedly agree. Theres really no doubt that America started off as a murderous country and thought it was okay- I dont agree with how it started, but am I going to change it in the here and now? NO...

I dont like, however, to be grouped in with people, who I am not related to, for either of these things. I am a white woman, living in the midwest. My family, and a great majority of other people's families that I know, had NOTHING to do with slavery. Nor did they have anything to do with the Native Americans. A vast majority of us horrible "WHITE" people were immigrants, who came to America through Ellis Island in the late 19th and early 20th Century. There were injustices to every single ethic group who came into this country at some point in time- maybe not for many British people- but where is Black America's distaste with them? Many of their ancestors were the ones who caught the slaves. Sold the slaves. Killed the Native Americans. Where's your problem with all of them?? Irish, Italians, Polish, Jews, Japanese and Chinese immigrants were ALL persecuted against as well. The list goes on.

With enough searching around through geneology, it can be proven where your family came from, when they were born, left the country and arrived in America. As some other posters I was reading said it was "impossible" to trace EVERY ancestor ever. Yea. It is. But as for direct decendants, they had nothing to do with it. And frankly, I dont really care what 8th cousin twice removed of mine did what to whom 300 years ago. What would some of YOU people calling US racist do if you found out your great great grandfathers cousins son's nephew or whomever was a BLACK slave catcher? Would YOU feel guilty? Because, God knows, those people had babies too. And THEIR ancestors are living in this country. So, just because there may be SOMEONE way back in SOME people's families were bad, doesn't mean it spoils the whole lot.

So, I guess my final word on this is that I do NOT in the LEAST feel responsible. Do a VAST majority of white people feel it was horrible? Yes. Do we wish it would never have happened? YES. Same goes for the Native Americans, the Holocaust, Etc Etc. Some people are inherently bad people and support racism in all forms. Thats not the majority. Not me. So back up off of me because some people who share my skin color with absolutely no ties to me did horrible horrible things 400 years ago. Just stop with the ignorance, and making us feel so goddamn GUILTY for all eternity over it.

We've got a black President now (half black half white, mind you)- someone who personally I voted for and put all of my faith and trust into, and hope NOTHING more than to see him- and America- climb out of the mess we're in and do better for ourselves, and our future generations. That really what we should be worrying about now...

What kind of a question is that?

Not all white people are the same you know. My family did not immigrate to america from Italy until after World War One. But I don't believe any one should feel "white guilt". No one alive today had anything to do with that.

I saw this movie. I was amazed at the sexism running wild in it. Should I hate all men because women have been enslaved from the dawn of time and through today's society?

The history books are full of groups of people persecuting and abusing other groups.

"You're not scarin me!"

As a white Englishman I can't really relate to - or rather, feel any direct guilt about America's enslavement of Africans (not that my country hasn't got its own ugly history, but then, whose hasn't?). Naturally, I abhor slavery (how can anyone not in this "civilised" age?).

I absolutely loved Roots. As well as being a brilliantly told story, it was a real eye-opener too. For example: It's one thing to be told in school that Africans were taken to America in ships, quite another thing to see the terrible conditions they were kept in on the ships.
I think everyone should see Roots at least once in their lives.

"Sir, let those laugh that win."

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