Xinomorph

The question of apologising for Britain's part in the slave trade seems just to not want to go away at the moment, so let's clear this up once and for all.

No, we should NOT apologise.

Any idea to the contrary is, quite frankly, utterly absurd. There's no doubt that horrible things happened during the trade, but to apologise for something for which we are not responsible - directly or otherwise - is not only ridiculous, but also trivialises the matter. No reasoned, balanced human being could possibly argue otherwise.

As if any further argument was needed, a recent Channel 4 documentary in which a black man traced his ancestors back to a village in Africa showed village elders saying that despite the horrors which went on, the slave trade was a GOOD THING, as it brought them the English language and civilisation.

Ultimately, if the people making these ridiculous demands really are so angered, then why have they not sought to undo the horrors of the past and return to their roots in Africa (or wherever)? They are total hypocrites, and do not deserve the column-inches which they are afforded.