Bush Calls Slavery Historic 'Great Crime'

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GOREE ISLAND, Senegal - President Bush (news - web sites) paid homage Tuesday to African slaves who passed through the port here, calling slavery "one of the greatest crimes of history" that nonetheless stirred America's commitment to freedom.

"Liberty and life were stolen and sold," Bush said after touring a centuries-old house that was used as a processing center for countless thousands of Africans who were herded aboard ships that took them into slavery in America.


"Human beings delivered, sorted, weighed, branded with marks of commercial enterprises and loaded as cargo on a voyage without return," Bush said. "One of the largest migrations in history was also one of the greatest crimes of history."


Bush did not apologize for slavery but noted Americans throughout history "clearly saw this sin and called it by name."

More: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030708/ap_on_re_af/bush_africa&cid=515&ncid=716