Why obamas apologies make sense

What if the person expressing the apology doesn't draw attention to it? Those are questions that some tribal citizens are asking upon learning that President Barack Obama signed off on the Native American Apology Resolution Dec. The resolution originated in Congress and had passed the Senate as stand-alone legislation in the fall. The House ended up adding the resolution to their version of the defense bill in conference.

Sam Brownback, R-Kan. The version signed by Obama became watered down, not making a direct apology from the government, but rather apologizing "on behalf of the people of the United States to all Native peoples for the many instances of violence, maltreatment, and neglect inflicted on Native peoples by citizens of the United States. Even with the more general language, the apology is historic, but the White House has made no announcements to date about it.

Nor has Obama expressed an apology to any tribes or Indian citizens, despite saying on the presidential campaign trail that he thought an apology was warranted.

The resolution Obama signed specifically "urges the President to acknowledge the wrongs of the United States against Indian tribes in the history of the United States in order to bring healing to this land.

Or, does he have an obligation to say the apology out loud and to let tribes know he signed the resolution? According to White House spokesman Shin Inouye, there are "no updates at this time" on how Obama might proceed.

Inouye also confirmed that a press release was issued by the White House regarding the president's signature of the defense appropriations bill, but not one on the apology resolution - nor did the defense release mention that the apology was part of that legislation.

When other countries have apologized for travesties against their own indigenous populations, their leaders have been more up front than the Obama White House to date. In June , Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave a widely noted speech to parliament and tribal leaders, apologizing to survivors of the country's residential boarding school system.

It was well-received by many First Nations individuals, and some said it helped them feel a sense of healing. Before that, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized in parliament to all aboriginals for laws and policies that "inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss. LZ Granderson says he's glad for apologies by President Obama, such as for the unintentional burning of Qurans in Afghanistan. Story highlights Republicans have criticized President Obama, saying he apologizes for the U.

LZ Granderson says Obama has rightly admitted mistakes the U. In , not long after attending a historic meeting with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin and mere weeks before dying, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress. Frail from years of declining health, Roosevelt was forced to give his last report to Congress sitting down, but many of the words he spoke that day were strong:.

It cannot be a peace of large nations--or of small nations. It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world. Over the past few months we have heard a lot of rhetoric from Republican candidates about the supposed weakness of President Obama in relation to foreign policy -- specifically his willingness to apologize when the United States has inadvertently hurt or offended another nation.

LZ Granderson. It seems his challengers' idea of strength is to never admit that you are wrong, which any therapist will tell you is more of a reflection of a person's insecurity and weakness than of resolve or strength. And given the number of times the Reagan administration apologized -- to countries like Japan , China and Poland -- you would think this bunch of Reagan wannabes would want to be more careful in describing the behavior they consider weak.

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