Posted on 08/17/2004 2:38:57 PM PDT by unspun
By The Leader-Chicago Bureau (admin@illinoisleader.com)
CHICAGO -- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes has just released a statement clarifying what appeared to be a surprising position he took at a news conference yesterday.
"I think a cogent argument could be made for reparations in principle," Keyes is quoted as saying to reporters yesterday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Chicago Tribune expanded:
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."
The response from conservatives was immediate. "Who downstate will now vote for Keyes?" wrote IllinoisLeader.com reader Randall Mead of Springfield today. "I certainly won't."
This afternoon, Keyes released the following statement, clarifying his position:
I have consistently opposed the effort to extort monetary damages from the American people. As I have argued in the past, the great sacrifices involved in the Civil War represented the requital in blood and treasure for the terrible injustices involved in slavery. In this form the so called "reparations" movement represents an insult to the historic commitment that many Americans made to the end of slavery, which included the sacrifice of their lives.I have also consistently maintained that the history of slavery, racial segregation and discrimination did real damage to black Americans, left real and persistent material wounds in need of healing.
In various ways through the generations since the end of slavery, America has tried to address this objective fact, but without real success. This was at least in part the rational for many elements of the Great Society programs of the sixties, and for the original and proper concept of affirmative action developed under Republican leadership during the Nixon years.
Unfortunately, the government-dominated approaches of the Great Society, which purported to heal and repair the legacy of historical damage, actually widened and deepened the wounds. They undermined the moral foundations of the black community and seriously corrupted the family structure and the incentives to work, savings, investment, and business ownership.
The idea I have often put forward to address this challenge involves a traditionally Republican, conservative and market-oriented approach: removing the tax burden from the black community for a generation or two in order to encourage business ownership, create jobs and support the development of strong economic foundations for working families.
This has the advantage of letting people help themselves, rather then pouring money into government bureaucracies that displace and discourage their own efforts. It takes no money from other citizens, while righting the historic imbalance that results from the truth that black slaves toiled for generations at a tax rate that was effectively 100 percent.
I have also made it clear that while I believe that the descendants of slaves would be helped by this period of tax relief, my firm goal and ultimate objective is to replace the income tax, and thereby free all Americans from this insidious form of tax slavery. It is well known that this is one of the key priorities of the Keyes campaign.
In response to Keyes' statement, conservative Jack Roeser of Family Taxpayers Network told IllinoisLeader.com, "I expect Keyes would say this is one of those interesting subjects to be talked about among people sharing ideas. Reparations is an impractical concept. Everybody in every category has been wronged in one or the other, and you cannot single one out."
Roeser continued, "Keyes is a man of ideas, and I expect he gets into discussions like this that are proper in their proper place, but that he would never vote for reparations. The problem with American politics is that people don't get into deep discussions."
© 2004 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved
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He wasn't f-bombing you, he was playing far dirtier than that.
He was carpet-bombing you with the "values-clarification" drug.
That's the virtual WMD of dishonest debate.
No, I'm MOCKING you and him for your duplicity! And you both deserve it.
But yes,the GOP in Ill, is just waiting for someone to pull the plug and Alan is doing just that and more.
I tell you what, smartass: you run into me in real-life some time, and I'll explain it to you, real-personal. ;-)
Now if Obama decides to leave the reparations issues alone --- and I don't see how he's got a choice, the whole thing can be dropped.
FGS, don't give them any ideas.
For all we know -- and, of course, seeing as how he's changing his "values" the further he gets into this campaign -- tomorrow may be "Call for Open Borders" Day!
When it comes to the unborn? Absolutely.
I submit that this is your version of the "F" word to those who disagree with you.
And it is beneath you.
You're right. I apologize.
I doubt it --- reparations was their issue --- and now Keyes came along and changed it into some kind of income tax issue, a tax relief --- something they abhor, something they won't want to talk about. And Keyes brought up reparations before Obama had a chance to bring it up.
Don't bet the farm on that.
More likely, they'll shout from the housetops that "even arch-conservative Alan Keyes supports 'reparations'!"
Remember who we're talking about. These are the people who live, breathe, and spin... spin!
And YOU,who lives in Jersey,can't vote for him either!
Maybe "reparations" is to Keyes what "amnesty" is to Bush?
Nope,he is NOT all that principled at all.
I look forward to it. I'll meet you anytime anywhere between NYC and Philly. Other locations will have to be arranged. Where are you?
yes.
race based tax cuts are a no go for MOST real conservatives.
I don't care how pro life he claims to be about babies... if he steals the life from one group in the form of dollars and gives it to others via tax exemptions...
It clearly manifests a lack of respect for human life. What the hey, it's only 'whitey's' life's blood, in paper format...
you keyesters are amazing.
this idea is racist and wrong.
it shows a lack of respect for life, human life, and particularly the lifetime of the NON blacks who he wants to foot the bill for his race based tax plan.
They have an irrational hatred for him, IMO, because he is:That's just how I see it.
- Pro-life
- Conservative
- Black
- Independent
- Catholic
Don't bother flaming me, "moderates," cause I'm outta here for the night, and perhaps for a while. I'm sickened by what goes on here at this "conservative" board.
Not real sure who you're firing at there with that burst, but speaking solely for myself, I'm a "social conservative" who's inlaws are all Catholic, and who's steadfastly supported Alan Keyes for years -- until tonight.
Check this out:
http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/borderland/0817-story1.shtml
FBI looks for possible terrorists along the border.
A Saudi terrorist suspect might be making his way to the U.S.-Mexico border amid groups of undocumented immigrants, officials with the FBI and the U.S. Embassy said.
---- Bush actually might be advised to do a little closing of the border with the number of Saudis coming over it lately. I'm not sure another attack on Americans on US soil will help his election along --- they're up to something and getting through very easily.
good point
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