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 ...
there's no compensation to be paid. They get a 100% tax cut. The rest get the low taxes Keyes always supports. The rat gravy train from DC gets cut.
What's your idea to get folks attn and short out the Chicago rat machine? None of the candidates in the IL primary had any and they're all out now.
Reparations is NOT a conservative or Republican value, no matter how you dress it up.
We are AGAINST THEM in any way, shape, or form.
You might address your remark to Alan Keyes.
Are you FOR some sort of reparations? Seriously?
I don't believe it.
What about reparations to be paid by American citizens for being swindled by the third world nations immigrating to this country and using the American welfare system to better themselves at our expense.
Fair point. The proposal is largely symbolic. It's akin to a class-action suit.
The fact is, blacks have never been compensated by the government for its failure to protect their rights.
Aquinasfan, there are no living slaves.
Honest question: Did you support the idea of reparations for descendants of slaves before this, or just since Alan Keyes came out in favor of it?
So now you are saying you don't agree with Keyes position but find it brilliant because its filled with strategery?
Why don't you outline them and tell us what Mr. Keyes should do to gain the IL Senate seat.
So, you think a specific class of people should have a 100% tax cut, while the rest of us pay taxes - whether they are low taxes, or not?
How does that jibe with the Equal Treatment Clause of the Constitution? Or, are you, like Liberals and Alan Keyes, viewing the Constitution as a "Living Breathing Document"?
No kidding? I assume that's why there's been all this love and peace on these Keyes' threads?
One thing these Keyes' threads are doing is separating out the people who have beliefs and are willing to stand by them.
Anybody who is in favor of this dimsh*t idea is NOT one of those people.
Well, get it from Alan Keyes' funds; the rest of us aren't going to pay this blackmail so Alan Keyes can get elected.
I understand, accept and stand behind his explanation for it.
Well, technically there is no need to. When they were enslaved, they were not citizens, and therefore had no rights guaranteed by the government.
Illinois is not my state, so I probably know less about the issues than Alan Keyes does, which isn't saying all that much, but I'd bet my house that abortion and slavery aren't at the top of the voters of Illinois list.
What we have here is somebody trying to jack up his speaker fees.
Keyes - "I agree that blacks should receive reparations from the government for centuries of oppression by the white man!"
Press - "Yes, we always knew Obama wasn't really black!"
My God, break out the Goofy Grape.
Okay, so you have trouble with the language - the point remains. No aspect of our system of taxation should be based on skin color, or on something that happened to an individual's ancestors.
And Keyes could have responded the way he has in the past, that reparations are unreasonable and unfair.
Absolutely.
And remember one other thing: for five years, all we've heard is that if only a real conservative could be placed on the ballot, why, then he'd win by a landslide.
So, for all intents and purpose, this is their "put your money where your mouth is" moment. Put up or shut up.
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