Sen. Brownback wants apology to Indians, Rep. Cohen apology for slavery
Sen. Sam Brownback wants Congress to apologize to American Indians for the egregious federal actions committed against them, while a freshman House member wants the same courtesy extended to black Americans.
Mr. Brownback said he has introduced the legislation in the 108th and 109th Congresses, the bill being passed out of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs both times, but he has never been able to get the bill to the floor.
"The arguments against the bill are always that there were atrocities committed on both sides and that apologies lead to financial remedies, but this bill doesn't deal with that, and it is specific to federal actions, not what happened in some town or village during the Western expansion," Mr. Brownback said...
"We want to do a congressional delegation trip to Sand Creek, Colorado, to raise awareness of the atrocities that have been committed," Mr. Brownback said. Sand Creek was the site of an 1864 massacre of an encampment of Cheyenne women, children and elderly at the hands of 700 state militia...
Freshman Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee Democrat, has introduced a House resolution of apology for slavery and the 100 years of Jim Crow policy after the post-Civil War Reconstruction...
Mr. Cohen said he was inspired by President Clinton's sentiments of apology 10 years ago. "When Virginia did it last month with bipartisan, unanimous support, that gave me a sense that this could be done," he said.
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Mr. Brownback said he has introduced the legislation in the 108th and 109th Congresses, the bill being passed out of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs both times, but he has never been able to get the bill to the floor.
"The arguments against the bill are always that there were atrocities committed on both sides and that apologies lead to financial remedies, but this bill doesn't deal with that, and it is specific to federal actions, not what happened in some town or village during the Western expansion," Mr. Brownback said...
"We want to do a congressional delegation trip to Sand Creek, Colorado, to raise awareness of the atrocities that have been committed," Mr. Brownback said. Sand Creek was the site of an 1864 massacre of an encampment of Cheyenne women, children and elderly at the hands of 700 state militia...
Freshman Rep. Steve Cohen, Tennessee Democrat, has introduced a House resolution of apology for slavery and the 100 years of Jim Crow policy after the post-Civil War Reconstruction...
Mr. Cohen said he was inspired by President Clinton's sentiments of apology 10 years ago. "When Virginia did it last month with bipartisan, unanimous support, that gave me a sense that this could be done," he said.