Re: [xml-dev] Memorable quotes from Balisage 2013

[James Fuller <james.fuller.2007@gmail.com>]

On Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 5:51 AM, Ihe Onwuka <ihe.onwuka@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 4:29 AM, Uche Ogbuji <uche@ogbuji.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> According to
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Igbo_in_the_Atlantic_slave_trade 60% of
>>> African Americans have an Igbo ancestor -  a state of affairs which my
>>> forefathers are primarily responsible for as I am an Aro . I'm told we never
>>> sold our own, part of the reason why there have been calls for the Aro's to
>>> apologize and make reparations to the rest of the Igbos.
>>
>>
>> Wow.  I hadn't heard such calls.  That sounds like a sure way to open up
>> an economy sized can of worms!  I hear you, though.  My Mum's from near
>> Calabar and my Dad from near Owerri, and I've heard the joke before that my
>> Mum's ancestors used to be in the business of selling my Dad's.
>>
>
> My mum is from the Old Cross River State as well.
>
> According to my father other Igbo towns used to round up their troublemakers
> and hand over to the Aros for slave trading, which would make them willing
> accomplices (so much for the reparations argument).
>
> To end this historical off topic diversion, note from the wikipedia link

hell no, I like offtopic conversations every once in a while....

> "In the United States the Igbo slaves were known for being rebellious. In
> some states such as Georgia, the Igbo had a high suicide rate"
>
> Our people did not accept their situation passively.

which reminds me that folks still need to not accept this situation
passively, lest we think this is some historical anomaly;

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/06/a-fascinating-map-of-the-worst-countries-for-modern-slavery/277037/

by every measure slavery today is still as big a business as it was in the past.

apologies for the Monday downer/righteousness/opinion.

Jim Fuller