I'm a leftish white liberal! Let's not get too stereotypifying. I think we should regret the behaviour of our ancestors who lived in morally different times, but we cannot be held responsbible for them. The queen, since she's been mentioned, responded in similar vein not so long ago about a massacre conducted by the British in India, stopping short of an apology but speaking with dignity and regret about the event. www.colinsalter.co.uk www.talltalesfromthetrees.blogspot.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: bristol_and_somerset-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:bristol_and_somerset-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of roy.stockdill@btinternet.com Sent: 06 February 2014 13:09 To: bristol_and_somerset@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [B&S] Notebook reveals chilling insight into Bristol'sslavetrade - Bristol Post From: "Tony Harrison" <a.harrison@tesco.net> > Whilst I would not use the phrase clap trap your reaction to Roy's > comments is not well reasoned. Whilst by present day standards the > slave trade was immoral most of us if we could trace our ancestors > back far enough would encounter serfdom a form of bondage or modified > slavery but if our ancestors were Lords of the manor and profited > from that should we feel guilt for their actions. History has modified > our views of what is acceptable and I am sure in the future some of > our present day actions will be considered immoral.> Thank you, Tony. Good point.I am sure most of us, if we dig deep enough, could find an ancestor who did something disreputable, but why should we feel guilt over it? It's a side issue, but I wonder if HM Elizabeth II ever feels a vestige of guilt over all the (sometimes innocent) people who were executed in earlier centuries by her ancestors? Just imagine if some of their descendants decided to sue for compensation, she'd never be out of the law courts! The problem with any rational discussion of slavery is that it is always dominated by leftish, white liberals expressing their guilt over something they weren't responsible for but fail to see it. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Famous family trees blog: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/tag/roy-stockdill/ Reach For The Stars blog: roystockdillgenealogy.com "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4259 / Virus Database: 3684/7066 - Release Date: 02/05/14 ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2014.0.4259 / Virus Database: 3684/7066 - Release Date: 02/05/14