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Keyes has plans for reparations
Chicago Tribune ^ | 8/17/04 | Allison Benedikt and David Mendell

Posted on 08/17/2004 5:58:48 AM PDT by Aquinasfan

One day after their first meeting, U.S. Senate hopefuls Barack Obama and Alan Keyes were back on the campaign trail again Monday.

Speaking at a news conference at the Hotel InterContinental in Chicago, Republican Keyes added to his now familiar talking points his stance on slavery reparations.

Prompted by a reporter's question, Keyes gave a brief tutorial on Roman history and said that in regard to reparations for slavery, the U.S. should do what the Romans did: "When a city had been devastated [in the Roman empire], for a certain length of time--a generation or two--they exempted the damaged city from taxation."

Keyes proposed that for a generation or two, African-Americans of slave heritage should be exempted from federal taxes--federal because slavery "was an egregious failure on the part of the federal establishment." In calling for the tax relief, Keyes appeared to be reaching out to capture the black vote, something that may prove difficult to do, particularly after his unwelcome reception at the Bud Billiken Day Parade Saturday...

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: apologistsforkeyes; atotalnutcase; flipflopalan; keyes; panderalan; pullsracecardagain; reparations; solomonsplitlibbaby; taxwhitesonly
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To: TigersEye
Yes, that's right. And what conditions existed that made that possible?

The slaves were freed. They chose not to take the intuitive. They were free to choose any path. They chose.
There is no guilt trip here. I believe slavery was wrong, but if they were left in Africa, they'd be a hell of a lot worse today. They're only victims of themselves if they're not taking advantage of what their new land has offered them.

221 posted on 08/17/2004 8:18:39 AM PDT by concerned about politics ( Liberals are still stuck at the bottom of Maslow's Hierarchy)
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To: Diddle E. Squat
Solomon suggesting they split the liberal's baby in half?

The more I think about it, the more it sounds like that. This debate is worthwhile.

222 posted on 08/17/2004 8:18:47 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: OldFriend

I'll say none based on the people I meet. Most black people I meet don't want reparations. The few that do are on welfare so you can draw your own conclusions about that.


223 posted on 08/17/2004 8:18:54 AM PDT by cyborg
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To: Non-Sequitur
Having gone on record as being in favor for reparations ...

BS. He's on the record saying this:

Paid in blood

"Yet, lawsuits have been filed. Those responsible propose to settle the accounts of slavery leaving the Civil War out of the equation – complete and utter nonsense. The price for the sin of slavery has already been paid, in blood."

224 posted on 08/17/2004 8:19:14 AM PDT by TigersEye (Are your parents Pro-Choice? I guess you got lucky!)
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To: evad

I'm in Chicago, I heard the actual tape, Keyes voice, on the news. He most certainly put this bull in the china shop.


225 posted on 08/17/2004 8:19:31 AM PDT by Right_Handed_Writer (Keyes is Making Sense, Obama is Making Excuses.)
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To: Aquinasfan
Keyes proposed that for a generation or two, African-Americans of slave heritage should be exempted from federal taxes--federal because slavery

First he became a carpetbagger like Hillary, now he is beginning to sound like her...

226 posted on 08/17/2004 8:19:50 AM PDT by killjoy (Democracy spawns bad taste)
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To: Aquinasfan

The duty of the State is NOT to redistribute my blood and treasure, either...


227 posted on 08/17/2004 8:20:04 AM PDT by Old Sarge (ZOT 'em all, let MOD sort 'em out!)
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To: Aquinasfan

If they can identify descendants of slaves then fine. Not all blacks are descendants of slaves. Some proof should be required.


228 posted on 08/17/2004 8:20:11 AM PDT by Naspino (HTTP://NASPINO.COM)
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To: concerned about politics

They chose not to take the initiative? Please. I'm against reparations but not historical ignorance.


229 posted on 08/17/2004 8:20:13 AM PDT by cyborg
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To: Non-Sequitur

I doubt the left will say anything as this is a fringe issue brought up by a fringe candidate. Even Democrats can count- non-blacks are against reparations by about 95%/5%, non-blacks are 87% of the country.


230 posted on 08/17/2004 8:21:20 AM PDT by LWalk18
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To: TigersEye

He's also on record as saying he disapproved of carpet bagging. But now he wants slavery paid for in tax breaks for a select group of people in addition to the blood he spoke of. It seems that he is changing his position on a whole bunch of things, doesn't it?


231 posted on 08/17/2004 8:23:24 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur (Jefferson Davis - the first 'selected, not elected' president.)
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To: Old Sarge
The duty of the State is NOT to redistribute my blood and treasure, either...

Okay, then no taxes for two generations for those who have had their blood and treasure redistributed.

232 posted on 08/17/2004 8:23:37 AM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1 (Lock-n-load!)
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To: cyborg
Reparations would create a racial quagmire that would make Vietnam look like vacation. Look at how some people react when talking about indians and casinos.

You're right. But failing to make reparations has a downside as well. Overall, I see the dangers outweighing the benefits. Still... using tax breaks isn't a bad way of going about reparations, if it's going to be done at all.

Additionally, Keyes' spokesman said that it can be seen as part of a plan to roll back the federal income tax altogether.

233 posted on 08/17/2004 8:25:15 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: cyborg

True. And what about Blacks who came here post-slavery?


234 posted on 08/17/2004 8:25:25 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks (Real Men Like Bush)
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To: Catspaw
It sounds more like Keyes let his mouth get away from him and his spokesman had to come out and do one of those "what Ambassador Keyes meant to say was" clean-up jobs.

Could be. Hopefully Scarborough will ask Keyes about this on his show tonight on MSNBC at 10 ET.

235 posted on 08/17/2004 8:26:13 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: ItsTheMediaStupid; Aquinasfan; All
I am all for getting rid of tax's. For all but if only for blacks that is OK too.

{smile} I think that Dr. Keyes and you may be on to something there....

The slaves were promised their 40 acres and mule (as Sharpton points out, but don't shoot the message due to the messenger). Did they get it? I put it to you all, that this is something to seriously pondeer.

Let's not be knee-jerk conservatives of the status quo. Let's give this some research and reflection.

236 posted on 08/17/2004 8:26:17 AM PDT by unspun (RU working your precinct, churchmembers, etc. 4 good votes? | Not "Unspun w/ AnnaZ" but I appreciate)
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To: TigersEye

And since when is "reparations" part of the Conservative Agenda?


237 posted on 08/17/2004 8:26:18 AM PDT by Chad Fairbanks (Real Men Like Bush)
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To: harrycarey

Psssst: Alex Rodriguez isn't black, as far as I know.


238 posted on 08/17/2004 8:26:37 AM PDT by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (Some of my best friends are white, middle-class males.)
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To: cyborg
They chose not to take the initiative? Please. I'm against reparations but not historical ignorance.

What would they be doing today if after being freed they were moved back to Africa? America had everything to offer considering the alternative.
I feel no guilt. My ancestors didn't own slaves. There's no scar on my conscience.
How many other nationalities came here with nothing but a dime in their pocket? How many slaved just to stay here? There were other slaves that built this country, not just African Americans. Let's be honest here.

239 posted on 08/17/2004 8:26:51 AM PDT by concerned about politics ( Liberals are still stuck at the bottom of Maslow's Hierarchy)
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To: concerned about politics
The slaves were freed. They chose not to take the intuitive. They were free to choose any path. They chose. There is no guilt trip here. I believe slavery was wrong, but if they were left in Africa, they'd be a hell of a lot worse today. They're only victims of themselves if they're not taking advantage of what their new land has offered them.

Ever heard of Jim Crow? Plessy vs. Ferguson? The South took their anger over the Civil War and Reconstruction out on the newly freed slaves, with the compliance of the North. Black were essentially second-class citizens up until forty years ago.

A case against reparations can certainly be made without ignoring history.

240 posted on 08/17/2004 8:27:01 AM PDT by LWalk18
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