Annapolis Capital Punishment

CP supports a bill by Alderman Shropshire to have the city government recognize and atone for its role in slavery for very important symbolic reasons as we work toward full reconciliation and a full reversal of our collective legacy of buying, selling and owning human beings. Annapolis was the home of one such market where many were then sent to work the plantations of Maryland, owned by the gentility who built the magnificent homes we so relish today.

However, CP takes issue with the wording of one portion of the bill which is “Whereas European and African nations and the State of Virginia have apologized for their roles in what history calls the worst holocaust of humankind…” What “history” calls??? What history? Whose history? History does not call anything much of anything. It’s historians who call things what they believe them to be, and there are no “rules.”

There is no such thing as the “worst holocaust” nor is there any such thing as the worst atrocity, worst violence, worst slaughter etc. For clarification, “holocaust” with a small “h” means a great or complete devastation or destruction, esp. by fire, a sacrifice completely consumed by fire or a burnt offering, and has only of late come to mean a mass slaughter.

However, when used with a capital “H” as in Holocaust or The Holocaust, it means the period of the 1930’s and World War 11 when Nazi Germany undertook the nearly successful attempt to isolate, persecute and systematically murder European Jewry. In other words, it is tenuous to call the slave trade and the horrendous institution of slavery as a holocaust, for the most part, it was not about burning or burnt offerings. Certainly it was not a capital “H” Holocaust, for there was only one. So, let us be careful and not bandy this word about whether with a capital or a smaller case letter, nor try to somehow say one mass murder or one group’s suffering was the worst in history or that one was worse than another. Coming to understand the horror and evils of history, and how history affects, empowers or disenfranchises, haunts or enriches all of us as individuals and as a society will perhaps one day lead to liberation and reconciliation. Let’s support this bill, but be careful we don’t take it too far to places best left “not gone there.” And let’s also not forget that there are many Americans, and rightly so, who might say, “We fought a war over this, it split our country and millions died.” True enough, but all the wounds it has left all of us with have not yet healed nor has the complete legacy of slavery been erased.

Below are some of the comments collected by Alderman Shropshire:

“This is not an apology from the good citizens of Annapolis. Why should people who were never supportive of slavery apologize for something they didn’t do? It is an apology from the Annapolis City Council. It’s an apology for our municipal government’s past support and involvement in slavery and for the city government’s support of segregation for nearly 100 years.”

“It is meant to be a resolution that is part of a healing process; a process that still needs to take place even today in 2007.”

“A drive through Annapolis will tell you that for the most part our economy is thriving. Our city, in part, was built on the backs of slaves, and both our state’s economy, and our city’s economy boomed because of slavery. The Maryland and Annapolis governments simply ought to apologize for what we did. We need to say we’re deeply sorry.”

“An apology without concrete, subjective results is without power. We need to redouble our efforts to make certain that racism in our City and State is forever put to death.”

“It’s my hope that during our one Week of Reflection on slavery and segregation we will propose specific programs to help men, women and children who are living in community housing. I would expect that the overwhelming majority of them are descendents of slaves.”

“Churches, synagogues and faith groups are key to curing many of the social ills in our city. Only a very few are involved in helping families and individuals living in our community housing. They must reach out to this important segment of Annapolis society. For Christians and Jews, this is not even a choice; it’s a primary command of Torah and the Bible.”

“You don’t really see the ongoing effects of the African slave trade by a casual drive through the City of Annapolis. We’ve done a great job of hiding most of our poverty away from the main thoroughfares. And when it’s out of sight, it’s very often out of mine!”