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391 Comments
- yoda715, on 10/12/2007, -12/+137Personally I think this action should never happen. Why should I pay for the mistake of my ancestors? I am not a racist at all. I have many friends of a different race than I, but it seems to me that the proponents of this cause are trying to make themselves feel better and get some money out of it.
- truspector, on 10/12/2007, -31/+138This is a STUPID idea. Should I get reparations from the British for what was done to MY ancestors? Any African American in America who is a decendant of a slave is ten times better off right now than they would be in their native land. Period. End of Story. BTW, at least 90% would just waste the money. Look at what happened to all the hurricane katrina "victims".
- truspector, on 10/12/2007, -5/+73@kylerainer
stole our land, killed our people, raped our women, and moved us out west. we did get some pretty cool casions however. :) - nreynolds, on 10/12/2007, -5/+41@ bodog2g2
the reason he said that 90% of katrina victims would waste the money isn't because they're black, it's because 90% of katrina victims WASTED THEIR MONEY. They bought diamond rings, and vacations. It's not because they're black, though many of them were. - jdh24, on 10/12/2007, -3/+38Nobody in living in America today ever held slaves. It would be a new kind of stupid to charge innocent people with a crime.
- psycobrat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+34what is done is done. and like my family, we are not guilty of any of that, but yet looking white i would be force to pay. besides, it was their tribal chiefs who SOLD them in the first place.
then there is the Irish slaves, what about them??? if the blacks get "payed back" then the Irish should also.... and then the Indians (who kill entire opposing tribes themselves!).... nasty nasty slope to slide.
let it rest in the past. besides, what is to PROVE that the receiving person is a slave descendant vs. a freeloader looking for $$$$?
sorry, this ***** gets me mad. there are people who owe me and i would NEVER go after their descendants to pay it back. they did the wrong to me, not their kids or kids kids. - jsd8cc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+33How about Massacre Reparations? I think my Native American ancestors had it much worse. Where's my money?
(Wait, I'm half white, too...would I have to pay reparations to myself?) - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -9/+39This is a great idea! Especially when black people are more racist now than white people are... im not even going to get started on this, id write a ***** novel.
- directedition, on 10/12/2007, -2/+32It isn't just an issue of family lines. I'm from an Irish family line and never owned slaves. Why should someone get a better life than me simply because of the color of their skin? What about what the damage the Union did to the south during the civil war?
Slavery reparation is the most blatantly uber-racist concept in the popular media. Let's not even get into the terms of the Emancipation Proclamation specificaly forbade manditory reparations, and that was in a time when the slave owners were still alive. - jdh24, on 10/12/2007, -3/+32I would also like to note that this slavery reparations program would lead to more racism against whites AND blacks. It really is bad for everyone.
- lordthor, on 10/12/2007, -3/+32I should not pay simply because someone (who I am nogt) did something to someone else (who the person I'm paying is not) a hundred years ago.
- kabewm, on 10/12/2007, -2/+30Maybe the Africans that sold the slaves should be the ones who pay the reparations. There are plenty of rich African princes with bajillions of dollars that they could go after. . .I get e-mails from them all the time.
- Smoove, on 10/12/2007, -25/+52I take a middle approach. It's true that if a thief dies and leaves stolen property to his heirs, it can still be recovered by the original owner (or the owner's heirs). So if a specific person can prove that he is the heir to a particular slave, and can locate the heirs of his ancestor's owner, then he can make a convincing claim for, say, back wages with interest, or damages for actual injuries.
A natural statute of limitations kicks in, however, because that scenario can only play out if (1) the slave's heirs know who they are, (2) they can find the former master's heirs, and (3) they can prove their case.
Generic reparations from people whose ancestors never owned slaves, to people whose ancestors probably weren't slaves in the first place, is as immoral as it is asinine. - DCMacHead, on 10/12/2007, -3/+28This is a bad idea. In fact, it p*sses me off that people are trying to stick me with a bill for something I didn't generate. What disgusts me the most is that African Americans of the current generation are a lot better off in this country than they would be had slavery not happened. Time to move on.
- yoda715, on 10/12/2007, -2/+27Exactly, but some people don't care about that. Some people want that. I.E Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, etc. How else would they be popular and get money?
- cawpin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+25Boy, the British are just screwed all around then. My ancestors are Scottish. I'm pretty sure
I could make a case.
Edit: @littlebluedevil - Excuse me? Just because I don't have very many black friends and would have to think about it to tell you how many doesn't make me a racist, it makes you a moron. - evangelion01, on 10/12/2007, -3/+27I'm aztec! but then my gran gran gran mother was raped by an italian and then their children was raped by a french and their children was raped by a spaniard and here i am :)
- Boohickey11, on 10/12/2007, -5/+28This should happen. If blacks get reparations for slavery then the case is settled. Blacks will never again be able to play the race card because we don't owe them anything anymore. We get to get rid of affirmative action and section 8 housing. Yessiree, no more blacks asking for a free ride.
- OneEye, on 10/12/2007, -3/+25So, if my mother is white and my father is black should I write myself a check?
Money grabs like this shouldn't be given any consideration, but the politically correct crowd and the race profiteers (Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc) will push us into this taxpayer-funded fiasco, anyway. - DeezKnots, on 10/12/2007, -3/+24"I'm aztec! but then my gran gran gran mother was raped by an italian and then their children was raped by a french and their children was raped by a spaniard and here i am :)"
Well, according to the thought behind this movement, you should be able to rape an Italian,Frenchman, and Spaniard, or get paid by them. Or at least start a rape-victems group for French-Italian-Spaniard Raped Aztec-Americans mutt group.
The real criminals are the Africans that sold thier own people to us for goods and money and the people who bought them. Not me, so lets take that crack pipe out of our mouth for one second and get a clue. I don't owe them ***** nor does our government. History is tough, no way in hell thier is gonna be some kinda payment plan. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+23Not to sound racist, but WHY THE HELL SHOULD THEY BE COMPENSATED!?!?!?!
Yes I know, my ancestors were ***** towards them, but that does not mean that I should have to pay money.
Just like I don't demand money from the germans. - vern01, on 10/12/2007, -12/+30Not to make a big to-do over this, but dont we already pay most of these people??
Either in social security, food stamps, or medical care, our tax dollars are already being used to pay for many of the people whose ancestors were once slaves or had massacred ancestors.
I, for one, disagree with this idea, but I also think its already too late to prevent our tax dollars from supporting these people. - dongiaconia, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20...and what about families that didn't even come to this country until the 20th century?
- Goldteef, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17Look at Lincoln's Second Inaugural address. He says everything that needs to be said on the subject.
Slavery is America's original sin and the bloodiest war in our history was the price we paid for tolerating an absolutely abominable institution. Grant and Sherman destroyed the south -- a century later it had not yet fully recovered.
Sorry, but no reparations are owed. Whatever we owed slaves was paid in full with the Civil War. - yoda715, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18It gets me extremely mad as well to think people would go to this level just for some money. Man, just think what the world would be like if people spent more time forgiving others and trying to better the world. It would be a much better place if people didn't spend so much time on selfish acts.
- KyleRayner, on 10/12/2007, -7/+21tru, I thought you were saying your ancestors were settlers or pilgrims, and they deserved reperations from the British. Ive never understood what exactly the pilgrims had so bad that they needed to get away.
BTW, what tribe are you? Im Waccamaw Siouxan, eight generations back on both sides. - PR3DAT0R6sic6, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16If we gave reparations this is exactly what would happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnloMMvC_8k - goat77, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15It's idiocy. Pure idiocy.
- cdlavalle, on 10/12/2007, -6/+18Hmm...maybe the Catholic Church can pay reparations for taking over Europe and tuning most of the population to serfs....Everyone's ancestors were wronged in some way. Jeez.
- cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15Hmmm, wonder where I would fall...
I'm part Cherokee, so, reparations for me?
I'm part Irish, so shall I get reparations for the treatment of my ancestors when entering this country?
An ancestor of Mine was an officer for the Confederacy in the Civil war, so I guess I have to give back all I've earned. No, wait. The ancestor to whom I refer, the officer for the Confederacy was an abolitionist (he really was) so I'm back in the money. I have ancestors who came over on the Mayflower, so my roots go deep, so I guess I'll have to spend some serious hours on ancestry.com figuring out how much I get... Or have to give...
See how ***** stupid the entire idea is? - Gir53457, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Hmm... By that logic:
Germany owes me restitution for the Holocaust (German Jew); the US owes me land (Native American); I Deserve payment for slave ancestors (African American); I need to pay for my ancestors owning slaves (White Plantation Owners); Winchester owes me thousands for funeral costs (11 Old west settlers); and a house (Japanese interment).
Lets just say that my family gets around. - yoda715, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12But why should I pay for what my ancestors might have done?
- maiku00, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15black people are just as- if not much more -racist than most white people.
Just STAND next to a group of black teenagers in any city in any state - TheThirdWheel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13Egyptians should pay reperation to the jews. Or at least let them have the pyramids.
The fact that this arguement is even being considered is insane. My family came from the north, we were poor irish, I'm not paying for something just because my skin is the same color as someone who did a bad thing hundreds of years ago. That would be f'n rascict! - thenativeraver, on 10/12/2007, -5/+15Give me rent money.
- themulf, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Money wouldn't solve racism.
- heysuburbia, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12I'm sorry
For something I didn't do
Lynched somebody
But I don't know who
You blame me for slavery
A hundred years before I was born
Guilty of being white
I'm a convict
Of a racist crime
I've only served
19 years of my time
Guilty of being white - gjscds, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9While this belief is probably unpopular, I say--absolutely no. No reparations. Period.
Take a look at your average black American, and notice the education and opportunities that they have--simply due to the fact that they are American. Now--look at your average black African. Notice there education and opportunities--simply because they are in Africa.
Who do you think wins? And I'm sure some liberal will whine that the black inner city schools suck. Well, they may very well suck. But last time I checked, those kids aren't getting their hands lopped off by other tribes. And if there is tribal (i.e., gang) warfare, it's black on black; they're doing it to themselves.
My point is--ultimately, our lives are our own responsibilities. And I would wager quite a bit that your average American, regardless of their situation, has more life opportunity than your average African. Think Americans are poor? Go to Africa, and ask them what poverty is.
/rant. - tekmage3000, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10I didn't have any slaves and no living slave exists from that time. You all ready have Affirmative action, which means it's OK to cheat a white guy because of his color. How about just moving on. I'm Irish and none of us are screaming for cash due to the "No Irish need apply" signs. I worked for what I have and I don't need to give anything to anyone so they can feel better. My taxes are high enough. The people of the past paid for the freedom of slaves in blood, it was called the Civil War. Funny how it seems to be lost on people so often!
- OBKenobi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8[quote]The British ARE your ancestors.[/quote]
The US was NEVER solely British. The colonies weren't solely British. Britain at one point gained control of the US (only a small part of what it is today), the colonists came from all over the world. - PunkRampant, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10The interesting thing is, it's mostly white people that are pushing for reparations. I would respect this article a lot more if it were a black person in that picture instead of a white lady. I don't know a single black person who has ever complained that they should get money for what happened to their ancestors, unless they were joking.
If they're right about this issue "gaining momentum," then this will end up being another pointless topic in Congress, right alongside same-sex marriage and video game violence. - lnknpk04, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Doesn't matter to me because none of my ancestors owned slaves. However, I am part Souix native american, a race that hasn't gotten any reparations from the people that wronged them Whats done is done. Move on
- smurfmaster, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Why should people who never held slaves pay money to people who were never held as slaves?
If that comes through, I'll demand reparations because the Romans invaded my country 2000 years ago. For starters, their descendants could give me the World Cup. :-p - fyngyrz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Ok. My ancestors were involved in the underground railroad. They fought slavery. Quite a few died in the process.
Who's going to compensate me for all those lost family members? What about property that was confiscated and burned? No one, of course. Nor should they; it's stupid. Those issues are CLOSED.
The sins of the fathers are NOT the sins of the sons. If your dad is a convicted criminal, YOU are NOT, and you owe society NOTHING, and society has no valid position it can take against you. Likewise, no matter what side your ancestors fought on, it is OVER and it is a matter of historical interest, nothing more, at this point in time. If your father saved someone's life, regardless, YOU did not; regardless of the reward he received (or not), you are in NO way entitled to one.
This is one of the biggest crocks of ***** to ever wend its way through that legislative toilet they call congress. Do you have to have an IQ of 80 to be electable? - fozzie, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9We should give them each $999.00 and then bill them $2000.00 for the money we paid their parents to get them plus interest.
- designer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7All this will do is make piles of money for the lawyers who take the cases.
- Wandrer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10Wasn't this already covered by Penn & Teller ??
http://www.sho.com/site/ptbs/prevepisodes.do?episodeid=s4/reparations - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12And families that fought for the north. I have ancestors that wore blue. They paid their dues already. I'm paying for welfare right now...
- NSMike, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I want reparations to pay back my tax dollars taken by abusers of welfare.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9/bury me because facts are racist... but how about reparations for the approx 1.4 million white victims of black crime that happen just last year? Isn't murder and rape a horrible crime just like slavery?
http://www.amren.com/color.pdf
Blacks committed 51.5% of all homicides between 1976-2000. Whites (which also includes all Hispanics!!!) were responsible for only 46.4 % of all homicides for the same period. Remember, blacks are only 12% of the population, whites almost 70%!
And a direct quote from the FBI/DOJ:
"Blacks were over 7 times more likely than whites to commit homicide in 2000".
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm
A black male at birth today has a 28.5% chance of going to prison in it's life time. The chance for Hispanic males is almost half at 16% and white males, only 4.4%.
(Do Hispanics really have it THAT much better than blacks as far as poverty, drug use, gang violence, drop-out rate, single parent families, etc that they are only half as likely to end up in prison?
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/llgsfp.pdf
Blacks make up 48% of convicted violent offenders in prison
Blacks commit 25% of violent crimes against children although blacks are 12% of the population
Blacks commit 53% of all violent crimes against adult victims
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvvoatv.pdf
9% of all blacks are under correctional supervision (in 1997, up from 7.6% in 1990)
2% of all whites are under correctional supervision
Blacks make up 47% of all yearly admissions to Federal and State prisons
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cpus9701.pdf
Blacks commit 27% of all murders of people over 65
Blacks commit 32% of all non-lethal violence against people over 65
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cpa6597.pdf
21% of blacks in prison possessed a gun during their offense vs. 14% of whites
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fuo.pdf
7% of all black children, 1 in 14 have at least one parent in jail/prison
.8% of all white children, 1 in 120 have at least one parent in jail/prison
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/iptc.pdf
Blacks commit 44% of all rapes, despite being only 12% of the population
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/soo.pdf
Blacks are responsible for 40.8% of all domestic violence cases
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/vi.pdf
Blacks commit over 30% of all workplace violence yet make up less than 10% of the nation's employees.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/vw99.pdf
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/ascii/viocrm.txt
"Homicide data were reported on 25,180 offenders in 1992. Of these
offenders for whom sex, age and race were reported--
*90% were male
*50% were age 15-24
*55% were black."
yet they are 11% of the population. -
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