Williams quotes Rep. Bennie Thompson as saying, "(P)utting in a disclaimer takes away from the meaning of an apology." I would like to ask the Mississippi congressman this question: How can you take away from the meaning of something that's inherently meaningless to begin with? Assuming some freed slaves lived to be centenarians, the last former slaves died half a century ago. There are no former slaves, slave owners, slave traders, slave ship captains, or slave auctioneers still living. How can nonexistent people apologize to other nonexistent people? And if you respond by saying it's a collective apology -- sorry, I don't buy that. Society consists of individuals, and voluntary associations of individuals. There's no such thing as a collective.
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An official apology for slavery is unnecessary. Monetary reparations for slavery are nothing more than extortion.

Re: Scot Penslar

If paying Reparations for the Slave Trade is extortion, then what do you call giving Israelis $10 billion tax dollars EVERY YEAR while minorities go without health care among other things?