> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020326/ts_nm/rights_slavery_lawsuit_dc
>
> Am I the only one who wants to smack these people around? Oh boo-hoo. People you never met who lived 200 years ago were slaves, and people you never met who lived 200 years ago owned them. Poor you. I think you should get money for that, since you suffered all that injustice and hardship. I feel oh so bad for you. I may take myself out in to the yard and whip myself until I get your forgiveness for all the wrong I've done. And my 2 year old cousin, I'm going to whip him too. I hate him for what he's done to the poor black people. These people give blacks a bad name, and if I were a black person I would sue *them*. Right before going down town and stealing a tv.



I don't understand why this whole issue doesn't fall under the umbrella of ex post facto laws, which were explained to me as: If I spit on the sidewalk yesterday, and today it becomes against the law to spit on the sidewalk, I can't be prosecuted for spitting on the sidewalk yesterday.
I do understand that it's a civil issue as opposed to a criminal one, but since civil liability results from law as well, I don't see how suits like this aren't constitutionally disallowed.

Moush