Would President Barack Obama Support Reparations For African-Americans Due To Slavery?

RFFM.org ^ | April 07, 2008 | Daniel T. Zanoza

[Daniel T. Zanoza]

RFFM.org Commentary

If former Republican Congressman J.C. Watts, who is himself an African-American, were running for the presidency of the United States, I would not be asking this question. Watts was and continues to be a conservative who believes in reasonable-sized government and fair taxation. However, I think it is a more than fair question that must be put to Democratic presidential frontrunner Barack Obama. After all, Obama did address the issue during his Senatorial campaign against former Ambassador Alan Keyes. Combine this with the fact it has been reported members of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, of which Obama is a member, are involved in the reparations movement and its pastor Jeremiah Wright, the junior senator from Illinois' spiritual advisor for 20 years, has been outspoken about the government's enslavement of the black community and the question seems even more appropriate.

During the Senatorial race with opponent Keyes, Obama said reparations for blacks would be appropriate in funding education [http://video.aol.com/video-detail/edwards-against-reparations-obama-suggest-money-for-education-instead/3126999430] But, if reparations were suitable for educational purposes, what about blacks who were beyond the age--where extending their education would be impractical? Would Obama favor these reparations for African-Americans up to the age of 18 or 22 or 50?

I suppose there would be blacks who would claim, because they were too old to return to school, they still should be entitled to a cash payout. In fact, I agree. Why should one segment of the African-American community receive "damages" when another segment of the same population would not be entitled to reparations for slavery which existed in the American south nearly 150 years ago?

Let me make this perfectly clear. I would be in full support of reparations for any former slave still alive in America today. But there are no former slaves alive in America today and I would not favor any form of reparations for blacks, even those who can confirm a direct lineage to a former slave.

In reality, more than 360,000 Union soldiers died during the Civil War and 275,200 Union soldiers were wounded. I think this is blood enough to compensate for the tragedy of slavery. I seriously doubt the leaders of the reparations movement are including the families of these casualties into their plans to receive a cash reward for something which happened with the help of many guilty parties.

What other guilty parties? Well, there were African tribes themselves who assisted Arab traders in the rounding up of unfortunate men, women and children on the African continent. Therefore, any plans for reparations must include individual tribes in Africa who must take responsibility for their actions. Then, we could include probably the entire Arab world itself and it would be interesting how that collection process would be undertaken. Next, we would have to include the Portuguese and English who played significant roles in the early slave trade.

But this is ridiculous, isn't it? So, let's get back to the original question. Would President Barack Obama support reparations for African-Americans because of slavery? The answer to that question seems to be "yes." Certainly such a program would rip America apart along racial lines, besides bankrupting an already fiscally-depleted government. Indeed a trillion dollars worth of reparations might well throw the American economy into a deep depression from which it could not recover.

Why hasn't the dominant media asked Barack Obama about the subject of reparations? The answer is simple. Such a query would put Obama in a political bind. He would have to admit to favoring such a program or explain why he changed his position on the issue. But, more important, the issue of reparations for blacks would drop on other Americans like an atomic bomb. The controversy over Rev. Jeremiah Wright would seem miniscule to the effect slavery reparations would have on Obama's presidential aspirations.

But it is still a legitimate question. People like myself would like to know the answer. Will Sen. Obama jeopardize the future of the United States and set back race relations forty years in the process, in order to please some blacks who hold radical views? Or would Obama tell individuals, like Jeremiah Wright, his country's future was much too important to be tampered with for the sake of political expedience?

One day, someone will ask this question of Sen. Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton won't have the courage to do it. John McCain won't either. It's going to take someone in the dominant media who has the juice to withstand the pressure that would soon follow. Will someone get me a press pass?

[Neoliberalnot]

Yes, but he might not call it reparations. Clearly, he is in favor of forcing others to pad the pockets of africans in some form or another.

[clamper1797]

yup ... right after he disarms the military and surrenders to his comrades in arms ...the muslims

[Young Werther]

According to the Mitochondrial DNA study it was found that all of humanity shares a common grandmother who lived approximately 200,000 years ago in the horn of Africa.

Cogito Ergo Sum

WE'RE ALL AFRICAN!

[Lancer_N3502A]

What about the $1 TRILLION dollars a decade for the last 45 years?

[Argus]

I’d like reparations from the British crown for the potato famine.

I’ll accept a voucher for one large order of fries at McDonald’s.

[donaldo]

Reparations: Extortion paid by those who were never slave owners to those who were never slaves.

[Apercu]

Us Neanderthals want reparations too!

[2ndDivisionVet]

PLEASE WATCH/READ AND EMAIL THESE LINKS OUT **NOW** TO YOUR FAMILY, CO-WORKERS AND FRIENDS AHEAD OF THE PENNSYLVANIA AND PUERTO RICO PRIMARIES!!

Obama’s Pastor Celebrates 9/11 (explicit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzhl-endvco

Obama’s Racially-Divisive Pastor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUbUBTlmAiA

Obama Disrespecting U.S. Flag and Anthem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8QCkgg5Kjo

The Audacity of Barack Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwjnT4eJJvs

The Audacity of Barack Obama 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeC8BE-2T_k

Is Obama Wright? - Pastor Wright & Senator Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72B3tUAqpo4

Obama’s Pastor - 9/11 Fault of Israel Association

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnI431s1r6s

Obama - Cult of Personality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP7lUGn7HWk&;;;;;;;;

Name Obama’s Accomplishments if you can #1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGeu_4Ekx-o

Name Obama’s Accomplishments if you can #2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFOOcEQtP0

Barack Obama: There Will Be Bamboozling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuB_W8o_UsU

The Two Things Senator Obama Accomplished

http://www.floppingaces.net/2008/02/27/obamas-empty-change-message/

The Jeremiah Wright Lifetime Achievement Award

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prhnc2fxAzg

Obama — We Are Building A Religion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xtNr5-up0U

The Obama File

http://www.freedomsenemies.com/_more/obama.htm

[Signalman]

Nobody in the MSM is going to ask Obama this question. They should, but they wont.

[Yorlik803]

Would he? only in a New York minute....
And that would spell the end of the USA....