Time to stop the hand-wringing...

It wasn't Just William...

The hand-wringing is beginning to get to me.

Tony Blair has spoken of his 'deep sorrow' . The Archbishop of York John Sentamu said Blair needs to go further. Personally, I don't think so. What so many commentators seem to have forgotten is that 200 years ago, the slave trade was a global phenomenon of which Britain was only a part. If our political leaders are to apologise for slavery, should they not also apologise for every act of genocide, starvation, war and every other injustice that Britain or its citizens have ever been party too? Slavery is but one example of man's inhumanity to man.
The point of history is not to cherry-pick incidents through which we can tell ourselves how much better we are than our forebears. Surely it is to learn from past mistakes and successes? Personally I think it is to this Island's credit that we were the first major nation to abolish the vile trade of slaves in this country and put pressure on other nations across Europe and the America. How ight one descendant of the Bristol slaver, Pinney was when he refused to apologise to the BBC - (itself what an insufferable request) for the deeds of his forefathers.

We are all responsible for our own actions but surely not those of our ancestors?