An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Cohen’s “Crime” Against The Taxpayer
Cohen’s slavery apology fuels global stir, local consternation
The congressional apology for slavery, passed Tuesday, made headlines across the country and generated calls to U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s office from newspapers and radio news outlets around the world.
But in Memphis, the message was mixed, measured by more than 200 comments posted on The Commercial Appeal’s Web site. Some called the measure, which Cohen introduced in the House in February 2007, an effort to pander to black voters less than 10 days before next week’s Democratic primary.
I, personally, didn’t bother to leave a comment on their website. Why bother? The timing is quite interesting though.
One of Cohen’s opponents, airline lawyer Nikki Tinker, while agreeing with the resolution in principle, found the timing of the House debate and vote suspicious.
“An apology is long overdue for the atrocities of slavery, but it is pure politics and symbolism without a plan that addresses the many people who continue to live without a proper education, health care and economic stability,” Tinker said.
I beg to disagree. If there was going to be an official apology, it should have been after the War of Northern Aggression. An apology 145 years after the fact is pretty much meaningless. Also, Ms Tinker, ask yourself just WHY there are people living without a proper education. Could it be because of the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who have made a rather lucrative living on the backs of those they profess to represent? Continually creating the “victim” mentality?
As for the timing, he said he has been working 17 months to bring it to the floor. He said he considered postponing it until after the election so that it wouldn’t distract from the “momentousness” of the occasion, but he was urged by staffers to “strike while the iron is hot.”
Well, it’s “hot” alright. Campaign season started at least 17 months ago, and I guess he figured it was a good time to show the folks of Memphis how well he represents them. Not that he’d do anything REAL, like addressing the crime and failing education. No, he spends time on useless bills, wasting the taxpayers money. HEY! That makes him….gasp…..a DEMOCRAT Congressman. Fits right in!
Cohen also explained how efforts for a companion Senate bill slowly fizzled even after Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, agreed to sponsor the measure. He said Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, would support it, but only if it stated specifically that it was not calling for reparations for the descendants of slaves.
Reparations? For whom? A fat cat lawyer in Seattle? Or a certain Congressman in New York? What about a Supreme Court Justice? Don’t forget the numerous mayors of cities all across the country. No, no doubt said reparations would be for people who have failed to use the services available and get an education for themselves that would add to their worth to themselves.
Cohen said the White House and Department of Justice objected to proposed Senate language that would have called American slavery a “crime against humanity,” which might have prompted lawsuits for damages in the International Court of Justice at The Hague in the Netherlands.
Why on earth would the U.S. Senate play into the hands of such idiocy? If such language does become part of this foolishness, we might as well close the door, and hang up the “out of business” sign. There are very real, very current “crimes against humanity” going on, and dragging up the past solves NOTHING.
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Ms Tinker doesn’t have to look any further than her own school system and TN legislative contingent which nearly runs the House Education committee for the answer to why people in her district are ‘without a proper education’. I believe that with that proper education Memphis voters would no longer return to office the self-serving v. public serving politicians they’ve had in Memphis for far too long. It shouldn’t take the FBI to clean house over there.
@Kay Brooks:
Hence, the reason to keep folks ignorant of reality. It’s a no win situation for the voters. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Oh my! You just took the words out of my mouth!