Will someone please tell me why Virginia has to keep growing politicians this dumb:
Va. Delegate Frank Hargrove sparked furious denunciations in the General Assembly today after a he stated that black people “should get over” slavery.
Hargrove, of Hanover, made the comment about slavery in an interview published today in The Daily Progress of Charlottesville.
In the same interview about whether the state should apologize to the descendants of slaves, Hargrove wondered aloud whether Jews should “apologize for killing Christ.”
Alexandria Delegate David Englin, whose Jewish ancestors immigrated from Nazi-occupied Poland, criticized Hargrove’s comments today in the House of Delegates. In defending himself, Hargrove told Englin “your skin is a little too thin.” Other lawmakers gasped and groaned in disbelief.
Black lawmakers in the House denounced Hargrove’s comments.
Delegate Dwight Jones, head of the Legislative Black Caucus, said that he is “absolutely appalled” that someone would tell him to “get over” slavery.
January 16th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
Doug, the “apology” thing has just gotten old. Tell me how an apology from people uninvolved in a problem that happened to people that are no longer alive will help anyone? We have problems that need fixing now, like high taxes and mismanagement of transportation funds, and squabbling over an apology that likely will not be enough for some strikes me as pointless.
It frustrates me because we are now restricted in what we can say simply because we may “offend someone”. Perhaps Hargrove could have shown some more discretion in what he said, but being made to feel as though he and other caucasians were responsible for slavery is irresponsible. I think that putting so much focus on this, we only cause ourselves more harm as we continue to place greater divides. When I’ve done something to wrong someone, I would apologize; I have no reason to apologize for anyone else. Likewise, some within Virginia’s legislature feel the same way, and, newsflash, there is nothing wrong with that.
January 16th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Regardless of where one stands on the issue of an apology, what Hargrove said was just plain stupid. Also, since it was the Romans and not the Jews who killed Christ, it was historically inaccurate.
January 16th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
The Romans were the police and executors; the Jews were the judge/jury. That said, I do not demand an apology of the Jews. On the contrary, today’s Jews are not directly responsible for Christ’s death. Technically, we all maintain responsibility for it as we have all fallen short of God. At the same time, it is important that He did die the way He did; it is because of that death that we are saved.
January 16th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Let’s not turn this into a debate over something that happened 2,000 years ago.
The point I continue to stand by is that Hargrove’s comments were just stupid, whether he was right or not.
January 16th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
CR UVA wrote:
It frustrates me because we are now restricted in what we can say simply because we may ?offend someone?.
Funny, to me that sounds a lot a textbook definition of manners.
I really don’t have any strong feelings either way about an apology, but Hargrove is a bonehead.
January 17th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Aimily,
Yes ! That’s exactly what I was thinking.
January 17th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Misha sums it up nicely at:
http://www.nicedoggie.net/2007/?p=32
Perhaps he has been taking public speaking courses from John Kerry?
January 17th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Doug, you brought that part up, I only responded.
Aimily, if Hargrove is a bonehead, then anyone who has ever blurted something out off the cuff is a bonehead. Guess we all need some help for that.
January 18th, 2007 at 9:27 am
We may be missing the point. Comments like this — and earlier ones from another elected representative attacking an American-born Moslem Representative from privately taking his oath of office on the Koran — give the impression that racial and religious intolerance are alive and well in the Old Dominion.
I do not believe such comments made in a public forum well-covered by the media are “mistakes.” More likely, they are aimed at the voters in the districts of these politicians, people who find it reassuring that their elected representatives continue to defend ?traditional (white Christian) values? against blacks, Jews and Moslems. If I wanted to tar such men with their own brush, I would point out that it was precisely these groups who were the targets of the KKK as recently as the 1960’s. I will not do that, because it is not fair and does not help us resolve the issue. However, I have to admit these comments appear to appeal to the same mind set that once though the boys in white hoods were OK fellows.
In a reasonable world we could and should discuss whether compensatory programs, “reparations,” or apologies to descendants of slaves are appropriate. Not to discuss them is to ignore the history of slavery and to disrespect those to whom it is an important matter. In those discussions we should not pussyfoot around the issues, but we should not we attack our conversation partners or poison the atmosphere with loaded phrases like “killing Christ.” You can be tough and still be fair and polite.