Comments on: Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/ Progressively writing Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:04:12 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: April http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-6493 April Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:51:34 +0000 http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-6493 Bill, if you read this before we see each other again, here is a link I found (took me a while to find some decent records...): http://aagriots.org/kentucky/Breathitt/1860ss.htm Ben had told me about this (Thomas, G.W.'s first cousin). Perhaps our cousin from the Sunshine State didn't know this or made presumptions about the two workers G.W. had late in life. Bill, if you read this before we see each other again, here is a link I found (took me a while to find some decent records…):

http://aagriots.org/kentucky/Breathitt/1860ss.htm

Ben had told me about this (Thomas, G.W.’s first cousin). Perhaps our cousin from the Sunshine State didn’t know this or made presumptions about the two workers G.W. had late in life.

]]> By: April http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-6492 April Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:55:16 +0000 http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-6492 Thanks for sharing your perspective, Cousin Bill. I am surprised you found the essay almost two years after it was written. My source of information about G.W.'s slave ownership, however, had no motive to misrepresent the facts to me. Or at least no motive I can imagine. Perhaps this is something that "just wasn't talked about..." which is why you apparently never knew. If you want to know more about the source of my information, I'd be glad to share it. Love, April Thanks for sharing your perspective, Cousin Bill. I am surprised you found the essay almost two years after it was written. My source of information about G.W.’s slave ownership, however, had no motive to misrepresent the facts to me. Or at least no motive I can imagine. Perhaps this is something that “just wasn’t talked about…” which is why you apparently never knew. If you want to know more about the source of my information, I’d be glad to share it.

Love,

April

]]> By: Cousin Austin http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-6448 Cousin Austin Sat, 18 Oct 2008 21:52:43 +0000 http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-6448 I second that. Thanks Cousin Bill. I second that. Thanks Cousin Bill.

]]> By: Bill Sewell http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-6447 Bill Sewell Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:05:12 +0000 http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-6447 Dear Cousin April, GreatGrandfather Sewell never owned any slave(s). Hence you do not have to atone. Love, Cousin Bill Sewell Dear Cousin April,

GreatGrandfather Sewell never owned any slave(s). Hence you do not have to atone.

Love,

Cousin Bill Sewell

]]> By: vjp http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-30 vjp Thu, 18 Jan 2007 01:36:29 +0000 http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-30 Catzmaw - sounds like you had the same history book as I did in the Hampton schools. As for the apology - long overdue. Catzmaw – sounds like you had the same history book as I did in the Hampton schools.

As for the apology – long overdue.

]]> By: CommonSense http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-23 CommonSense Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:43:00 +0000 http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-23 My mother's people were working too hard to stay alive in the mountains of Kentucky. My father's people were up in Michigan working on the Indian problem (no doubt that's where I get my cheekbones...) For the life of me I cannot see where a formal apology would do any harm whatsoever, and would do a whole lot of good. Just do it! It is time! My mother’s people were working too hard to stay alive in the mountains of Kentucky.
My father’s people were up in Michigan working on the Indian problem (no doubt that’s where I get my cheekbones…)
For the life of me I cannot see where a formal apology would do any harm whatsoever, and would do a whole lot of good.
Just do it! It is time!

]]> By: catzmaw http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-20 catzmaw Mon, 15 Jan 2007 16:05:18 +0000 http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-20 As one whose connection with the Civil War is peripheral at best (there's some rumor of my Irish ancestor possibly having been a bounty jumper who took the bounty money and headed for the coal country of Pennsylvania). As far as we know no one in my family was in the war on either side and no one owned any slaves. And they lived very hard and oppressed lives. My father and his siblings, all born between 1895 and 1916, told many stories of the virtual slavery in the mines, the control of all aspects of life by the coal company and the company store. Nevertheless, I agree with you that an apology is due from our Commonwealth for the institution of slavery. It's absolutely necessary to have it understood that this was not right. When I was a child in Fairfax County grade school we had a social studies book which actually said that although slavery was not a good thing, many slaves were well-cared for by their masters and didn't mind slavery. Appalling. I remember asking my teacher what the slaves did during the Civil War and she obviously didn't know, but told me that they just waited to see what would happen. No stories of the Colored units during the war. This may have contributed to my parents' decision to send us to Catholic schools, which were run by no-nonsense nuns from Philadelphia. As one whose connection with the Civil War is peripheral at best (there’s some rumor of my Irish ancestor possibly having been a bounty jumper who took the bounty money and headed for the coal country of Pennsylvania). As far as we know no one in my family was in the war on either side and no one owned any slaves. And they lived very hard and oppressed lives. My father and his siblings, all born between 1895 and 1916, told many stories of the virtual slavery in the mines, the control of all aspects of life by the coal company and the company store. Nevertheless, I agree with you that an apology is due from our Commonwealth for the institution of slavery. It’s absolutely necessary to have it understood that this was not right.

When I was a child in Fairfax County grade school we had a social studies book which actually said that although slavery was not a good thing, many slaves were well-cared for by their masters and didn’t mind slavery. Appalling. I remember asking my teacher what the slaves did during the Civil War and she obviously didn’t know, but told me that they just waited to see what would happen. No stories of the Colored units during the war. This may have contributed to my parents’ decision to send us to Catholic schools, which were run by no-nonsense nuns from Philadelphia.

]]> By: Laura http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-17 Laura Sun, 14 Jan 2007 05:33:37 +0000 http://thewomenspost.wordpress.com/2007/01/12/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/#comment-17 Well said, April! It wouldn't hurt us; in fact, we need to do this. Well said, April! It wouldn’t hurt us; in fact, we need to do this.

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