On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:38:33 -0500, Anne Pemberton wrote

> Was it not the Virginia Legislature that refused to follow the lead 
> of the Northern states who emancipated the African-Americans? Was it 
> not the Virginia Legislature that enacted the Slave Codes that 
> punished African-Americans who sought freedom, an education, or to 
> marry the person they loved? Was it not the Virginia Legislature 
> that enacted the "Jim Crow" laws in Virginia?

I know there are some pretty old people in the Va. Legislature, but I don't
think any of them served when any of those bills passed.

For the most part the old timers that are still around from serving in the
1960's have radically changed their attitudes to race and civil rights the
same as most people have. Many of them have admitted to being wrong in
resisting civil rights efforts.

It took a hundred years since the Civil War for real progress to begin.
Unfortunately it will take another hundred years for the pain to fade and for
racial distinctions to become irrelevant. 

As a child I felt uncomfortable to hear my grandfather refer to black people
as "nigras." My parents took great strides in preventing his racial attitudes
being passed along to us. My wife and I also have made sure our children don't
use race as a measure of a person. We happily live in a well intergrated
neighborhood and my kids have good friends of all races. To them race doesn't
matter. I think that is the best way to pay the debt owed to the African slaves. 

Regards,

Tom A.

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