Something quite remarkable happened in the Commonwealth of Virginia yesterday. The state legislature, which meets in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, unanimously passed, in both houses, a resolution that expresses "profound regret" for Virginia's role in slavery. Such a declaration, the first by any state, is especially signifcant this year because Jamestown, which celebrates its 400th birthday, is known not only as the first permanent English settlement in North America but also as the first port to receive African slaves in 1619.
The resolution regrets "...the involuntary servitude of Africans and the exploitation of Native Americans" and called for reconciliation among all Virginians (see the Richmond Times-Dispatch of 25 February 2007, www.timesdispatch.com). It also states: "...these transgressions include the maltreatment and exploitation of Native Americans and the immoral institution of human slavery, policies and systems directly antithetical to and irreconcilable with the fundamental principle of human equality and freedom." The legislature went even further as it decried the discrimination, segregation, and bigotry that continued even after slavery was abolished.
Critics contend that "profound regret" is not really an "apology"; apparently that word was in one of the early drafts, but a compromise was made and "apology" was deleted.
For someone who went to college in Virginia from 1966-70 and recalls the legacy of Harry F. Byrd, Sr. (see my 15 January 2007 post A Great Man, and Some Personal Recollections of the South) I am just about speechless. Two other states, Maryland and Missouri, are also pondering such resolutions. But I tip my hat to the lawmakers of the Old Dominion.
This is a big year for slavery. Two hundred years ago, the British Empire abolished the slave trade. The movie Amazing Grace documents William Wilberforce's 20-year effort in effecting that historic decision. Modern abolitionists are partnering with the film's makers to enlist supporters to end slavery (www.theamazingchange.com). The UN reports that there are still 27,000,000 people in "unpaid servitude" (hey, let's call it "slavery") - including 200,000 in the USA. Many are in the sex trade. And don't forget that slaves include child soldiers (read A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah).
The 21 February 2007 issue of the Christian Science Monitor (www.csmonitor.com) described the role of Zach Hunter, who as a 12-year-old in Atlanta, was distressed to learn that slavery still persisted. He and his friends collected $10,000 by starting Loose Change to Loosen Chains (LC2LC), wrote the book, Be the Change, and travels the country speaking about the ills of slavery and what people can do about it.
You can help by visiting www.theamazingchange.com or www.notforsalecampaign.org, the WWW site of Dr. David Batstone, a professor of ethics at the University of San Francisco. He penned Not for Sale: the Return of the Global Slave Trade and How We Can Fight It.
You can make a difference.
"Character is doing what's right, even if no one is looking."
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