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 ...
LOL!!!
"It's funny because it's true."
You're just assuming he meant that.
Not assuming - I'm basing that on EXACTLY what he said, which I have pasted above for your convenience once again.
Okay. I went back and read your posts on this thread. Not the ones to which you responded, so sometimes I got only half the conversation. Now, instead of seeing your post as a goal-post moving effort, I just don't understand what blacks still not being equal immediately after slavery had to do with my initial post of government discrimination being wrong.
Whatever problems certain people are having today can't be solved by money or anything else materialistic. It's something that only God can provide.
But, I notice you avoid the actual substance of the post. Says alot about you, it does. ;0)
Then go after the perpetrators of discrimination and don't make an entire society responsible for the actions of a few. If your neighbor commits a crime, should you be forced to do his time?
No one is going to disagree that slavery was bad (although legal at the time and had been for thousands of years) or that blacks had it tough due to bigotry and discrimination. We as a society have tried to correct that through the sixteenth amendment, the Civil War and enacting legislation making it a crime to discriminate. If someone has been the victim of discrimination, let them announce the perp, take him to court and let a jury decide.
To criminalize an entire nation over the actions of a minority runs counter to everything our constitution and concept of individual liberty stands for.
The Irish and Welsh chose to come here for the most part, most blacks (prior to 1865 at least) did not. Even the Irish used as indentured servants were not slaves- their children were not born indentured servants/slaves, they were free after seven years, and once free they had the same rights as other free whites. The children of slaves were born into lifelong servitude along with their parents. Slaves could not marry, learn to read, or testify on their own behalf.
The Irish and others had it hard in the United States, but it was not the same as slavery.
Tangential. Is it a legitimate issue? Are slaves and their descendents due reparations for their unjust suffering?
Look how many people are turning against him on this thread-
This should be less of a consideration than getting at the truth.
There's been no substance in your posts.
QUESTION: How do you prove your ancestors were slaves? What about Black slave owners? What about people who are half black and hald white? What about people were are from Africa who were never slaves? What about people who were slaves in other lands before coming here from Jamaica or Brazil? This is a can of worms that should not be opened.
Actually, that 7-year figure isn't always accurate - some whites were brought to this country as "indentured servents" and it was for life - not just seven years.
If I lose my arm because of a doctor's negligence our judicial system would attempt to compensate me with monetary damages. This wouldn't "solve" my problem, but the settlement would be just, more just than providing me with no compensation at all.
Therefore, I demand equal treatment! :-)
Uhhhh....?
This should exclude SS. Anyway, the really positive part of this is that they will have to earn more to save more. Those contributing nothing but griping will see a big fat goose egg. Those making something of themselves will be rewarded.
Actually, you've not addressed one valid point and can do nothing but post idiotic attacks when you can't address the facts and truths that I speak.
The end of slavery did not spell automatic equality for black people with all the rights and privileges that white people enjoyed. People forget that when having these discussions. Treating people equally under the law is only a recent trend. Reparations is a bad idea though, just look at this thread.
It looks like Dr. Keyes has created a lot of confusion doesn't it?
They will ignore it completely but use it to legitimize their own demands regarding reparations.
True, but if you lose your arms due to a doctor's negligence, and you get nothing, does that mean in 140 years your decsendents can file a suit demanding his descendents pay you?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.