Only a small number of Americans had ancestors who owned slaves. Why should the rest have the need to forgive anything?
Those who had ancestors who died on the Union side have already paid “in full measure”. What about the African American’s who had ancestors that sold slaves to the slave traders in Africa. Seems like they should ask for forgiveness and pay reparations.
I noticed that too. I have done nothing for which I need forgiveness. In fact, all the blacks who have participated in the knockout “game” , or looted and vandalized, should ask for forgiveness. But we know that won’t happen.
You are making the logical arguments as to why reparations cannot work. And there are a lot more of them. My only problem with logical arguments in this issue is that they don’t address the moral and legal underpinnings upon which the US is based. Some could even claim that those making the logical arguments are supporting the idea of reparations - we just haven’t found the right way (yet) to pay them.
It seems the better argument is that in America, it is un-Constitutional to punish people for the crimes committed by others. There is no way around it - any form of reparations today will be un-Constitutional because innocent people cannot be protected from being imposed a burden for which they are not responsible. The federal givernment has no right to do this, else we are Amerika.