Do nothing Congress does more nothing (UPDATED)

On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives issued an unprecedented apology to black Americans for the institution of slavery, and the subsequent Jim Crows laws that for years discriminated against blacks as second-class citizens in American society.

Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, drafted the resolution. Cohen explains the apology's long journey for Congressional approval and the significance of its timing.

-NPR.

RevLurch, in a rarely seen flash of brilliance at The DesperatePreacher Site, sums it up for me:

And it means? Politicians get to act like they did something instead of actually doing something about gas prices, foreign dependency on oil, extremist terrorist groups, and the banking crisis. I'm so glad that my congressional representatives can make a meaningless gesture that does nothing to actually improve the lives of the citizens who voted for them and pay their salary. I'm glad the United States Congress has time for empty gestures.

Preach it brother.

UPDATE: RevLurch is battling the apology apologists:

Deke in TX wrote:  Empty to you, Lurch, but maybe, just maybe, it will mean something to some and aid in healing.

As for the agenda that you outlined - that will require more consensus then exists in both houses as well as the White House.

Aid in healing what? Will there now be fewer "racists" because of what congress did? Will fewer inner city kids grow up hopeless because of what congress did? Will schools be improved? Will I no longer have to be subjected to abusive "hate speech" masquerading as "diversity training?" I doubt it. This is just an attempt by a congress that has done absolutely nothing to make it look like they did something.

And guess what, when I pay somebody a six figure salary with generous benefits to do a job, that is difficult as you so succinctly stated, I expect them to do it. I know it's a tough road and there is hard work to be done. This kind of political posturing is just a waste of time. As you stated, it will require more consensus and to get there we need to be working toward that consensus. We need to not be dealing with past issues that are for the most part, not relevant to the current issues facing our country. If we work on those issues I brought up, it goes a long way to helping people of all races.

He has a blog here, I'm thinking we should go over and encourage him as he fights the nonsensical.

Comments

[Locutisprime]

Apologists one and all.

[Mommynator]

In addition to the excellent analysis by RevLurch, how about all those families who immigrated to the USA AFTER slavery was abolished? Why are we guilty? Of what exactly are we guilty?

My father and his fathers before him didn't own slaves. They owned businesses and were professional men.

My mother's family were farmers and craftsmen and artisans. Not a slave in sight.

For what exactly should we apologize?