After a number of states have paved the way, the U.S. Senate apologized for the institution of slavery. The next step is a joint congressional resolution for the federal government to take responsibility for 2-1/2 centuries of slavery.
I completely support such apologies and I believe they have a lot of power. Some people think these resolutions are nothing but empty words. What they fail to appreciate is that one of the chief powers of apology is that it corroborates the historical record. For victims of historical injustice, this property of apology--we acknowledge the legitimacy of your grievance--is sometimes more important than the remorse piece.
The text of the resolution is here.
But as much as I cheer the arrival of these legislative apologies, I wonder why they all:
· Take the form of resolutions, with an endless stream of "Whereas" statements
· Sound like they were written by a committee of high anal-retentive people who don't socialize much
· Are passed by acclamation instead of roll call vote. Are legislators really afraid of recording a vote on this issue?
· Include explicit disclaimer language that nothing in the apology authorizes a claim against the U.S.
The last piece, of course, is designed to shield the apologizer from claims of restitution or reparations. I wonder if it's necessary given how much it dilutes the apology. I can understand that the U.S. Senate is afraid that some victims will use the apology to bolster their claims for economic reparations for slavery. I think the fear is not warranted by experience. In any case, the disclaimer makes the apology much less effective.
In order to really move past the tragedy of slavery, this country needs more than a confession, although that's a necessary first step. We need to face the fact that slavery was a systematic theft of economic value and that value may be quantifiable. We must face the truth that permanent healing is not possible until we make a national attempt to redress that historical injustice.
Apology is not cost-free. Those who fear that a full and effective apology for slavery will impose costs on society share a reasonable fear.
But those "costs" merely represent the value of what was stolen. If someone steals your car, it's impossiible to accept their apology if they end up with your car still in their driveway.
Moreover, the status quo, the details of which are described in the Whereas statements of the resolution, continues to impose considerable costs on our society. And these costs by far exceed the sums that may eventually be transferred by an effective apology that will truly put the continuing legacy of slavery behind us.
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