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 ...
And what downside is that?
Stupid idea generating more animosity by even the mere mention. I wrote a letter to the Keyes campaign including a link to this thread asking them for clarification. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
There is nothing factual about ""African-American", which is a PC term that basically means "Blacks"." Were there other people kept as slaves in America? Keyes was specific about 'slave heritage' so you are merely assuming he meant ALL blacks.
We'd have to keep listening to the whining for a lot longer?
And who promised them that? Was an act of Congress passed?
You changed the argument from reparations for slavery to inequality since slavery. Walk, quack, duck, etc.
Okay whatever.
Don't you want the Federal government to reduce its size? That's not very conservative.
Keyes comes across as a nut- reparations is a fringe issue. Look how many people are turning against him on this thread- I am sure there are many vin Illinois who will very reasonably refuse to vote for Keyes based on this issue alone. It does not matters if they don't vote for Obama, they will stay home.
All Blacks who have slave heritage - what about Indians, such as myself, with slave heritage? What about Whites who had slave heritage?
Do you not get it yet? He is targeting a specific race, over all others. That is wrong, and is in no way a conservative trait. it is a liberal trait, and I am shocked that Keyes would advocate something like that.
yep!
I'm shocked too. What was he thinking?
I can't speak for Bob, but he stated "Do you believe Congress will be reducing the size of the Federal government in direct proportion to what they won't be taking in in black personal taxes?" as a hypothetical question. It was hypothetical because the obvious answer to anyone who pays attention is "No, they won't" - which means the rest of us will pay MORE in taxes to pick up the slack...
We'd love to see the feds reduce their size, right Bob? But it will be a cold day in hell before they voluntarily do so...
He's probably thinking he can steal the black vote away from the democratic candidate... As Michael King stated, it's "Pandering".
Slaves, and now their descendents, will never have been compensated by the government for their unjust suffering.
You're just assuming he meant that.
No kidding! You have a hard enough time speaking for yourself. 8^P
You want to make this a North/South issue, Non? Today your yankee tax dollars are legal tender just like my Southern dollars. I would rather not see them spent on reparations. I'm surprised Keyes would advocate this.
Uh-oh. Was that a shark that Ambassador Keyes just leapt over?
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