Keyes won't back down on reparations

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 8/19/04 | SCOTT FORNEK

[kattracks]

His voice rising to a yell, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Alan Keyes told a bipartisan civic group Wednesday he "will not budge" from his belief that descendants of slaves should be exempted from income taxes to help heal the wounds of past discrimination and segregation.

The former presidential candidate disdainfully brushed aside questions over whether his suggestion should apply to rich African Americans such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or Oprah Winfrey.

"Do you know how many Oprah Winfreys there might have been running around in the 1930s or in the 1920s or in the 19-teens that got nowhere because the doors were shut in their face?" Keyes thundered. "If you think that because I wear a conservative label, I have forgotten that history and am not mindful of that injustice -- then I will tell you now that you are wrong."

Keyes delivered his blistering defense at a luncheon of the City Club of Chicago, scolding fellow conservatives who challenged his proposal and evoking the struggle of his African-American parents, saying they had talent and "hearts and spirit and strength and faith."

"Why didn't they get to a point where they could stand on this platform?" Keyes aked.

Vying against Democrat Barack Obama, Keyes drew heat from conservatives earlier this week when he proposed exempting descendants of slaves from income taxes for a generation or two, a view he insists "involves a traditionally Republican, conservative and market-oriented approach."

On Wednesday, Keyes ridiculed the fuss over his position, saying it is simply a tax break, something "Republicans and my conservative brethren" don't object to when applied to a "wealthy corporation."

Conservative activist Jack Roeser met with Keyes for what Roeser called "a long argument and an intense one" over the issue before the speech. A Barrington businessman, Roeser said he still is not sold on Keyes' reparations proposal, but still plans to support him anyway. "I will tell my friends that this is a good man, and we should support him."

[sheltonmac]

Reparations *ping*

[Brilliant]

Maybe so, but it depends on what you call middle class. Are the majority of blacks in the top 50% of income earners? I don't think so. The lower 50% pays virtually no income taxes. That's my point.

[nonliberal]

The guy is too arrogant to admit that he is dead wrong.

[Captain Kirk]

I agree with you on that point.

[nonliberal]

You fill out this form, and mark "yes" next to the question that says "are you a descendant of a slave?"

Wait a second...I am French Protestant on my mother's side. We were thrown to the lions. Where are MY reparations?

[stainlessbanner]

This is ridiculous. Two words for Keyes: Anthony Johnson

[EternalVigilance]

Anyone in Illinois know if Obama is getting any headlines? Sounds like it's Keyes coverage 24/7.

It is.

[T Minus Four]

Even if it made sense.. and even if it was constitutional.. what purpose would it serve????

EXACTLY!! Does anybody believe this will change the economic situation more than briefly for one single person?

[William Terrell]

A friend of mine emailed me this some time ago. I've posted it several times because it profiles the central flaw in any form of the reparations movement.

---

While travelling to work the other day, I happened to catch Michael Medved's talk show with some woman who is the head of one those groups demanding reparation for Africans in America due to slavery. Of course I'd heard of this before and had already decided it was ok by me as long as it was done fairly. Here's what I would consider a fair system of reparation to descendents of slaves:

First & foremost, reparation must include repatriation. Any African who doesn't want to be repatriated is admitting that they're better off in the US than they would have been had they been left in Africa. If having their ancestors brought here in slavery has made them better off than they would have been otherwise, then what claim do they have to reparation? Of course any repatriation would have to be permanent. Those being repatriated would have to give up their US citizenship.

Second, reparation dollar amounts must be based on the African enonomy not the US economy. If we have damaged some Africans by removing them from Africa, then obviously the amount of reparation we owe them would have to based on what they could be expected to earn in Africa not the US. If there income expectancy is higher in the US, then where is the economic damage? I have developed the following formula and taken wild guesses at the variables.

A 30 year old African decides he wants his reparation and he would like to be repatriated to Kenya. Ok, we find out the life expectancy in Kenya is 50 years. We also find out the average annual income in Kenya is $2,000. So we subtract his age from 50 and find out he has 20 years to live in Kenya. We multiple 20 times $2,000 and his reparation amount is $40,000. Plus we would give him free transportation to Kenya.

Since we have given him Kenya's average annual income for the rest of his life, he should be able to move to Kenya and live the rest of his life without ever having to work again. What more could a reasonable man ask?

It seems totally reasonable to me to base all of this on African life expectancies and African income levels because had we not enslaved their ancestors, then that is what they would have been born into. That is what they would have to look forward to. With the above two rules, I totally support reparation for Africans in America.

---

[T Minus Four]

we never had any slaves, but If they (the government )ever makes me pay for one, they better give me one!

Perfect! I may have a new tagline!

[T Minus Four]

one with no mispellings (sigh)

[T Minus Four]

misspellings.

Going back to bed now.

[EternalVigilance]

Alan only needs a small slice of the black Illinois electorate to walk away with this seat.

Beyond the intellectual exercise, this has blacks in Illinois actually thinking.

This cannot be all bad.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I am a victim of John F. Kennedy's decision to bail out on the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Send cash or money order to:

Victims of Anything that Could Pay Out Cash (V.A.C.P.O.C.)
One Pandering Blvd.
Hypocrisy, IL.
$22201

[cyborg]

"Do you know how many Oprah Winfreys there might have been running around in the 1930s or in the 1920s or in the 19-teens that got nowhere because the doors were shut in their face?" Keyes thundered.

*** If that the motivation he's operating from, Keyes will have to stop. I have to say that I've been disappointed in Keyes' position. He should know that no amount of money can make up for the social forces at work back then. Money won't help those people back then at all because they're dead. Money won't help today either, tax cut or not because just read some freepers' comments on this issue to get an idea. It's not worth it Alan Keyes'.

[EveningStar]

What a clown. To think that I almost voted for him in the presidential primaries last time.

Assclown is more like it. Keyes is our Al Sharpton. The problem: we don't need an Al Sharpton.

[stainlessbanner]

You got it. This is heading right back down the path to inequality. Two wrongs.....

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Alan only needs a small slice of the black Illinois electorate to walk away with this seat."

So, here's the plan against Kerry.

Bush will grant a general amnesty to all illegal Mexican immigrants in the U.S.; after all, all George needs is to slice off a small percentage of the Hispanic vote in the U.S. to walk away with this election.

Great conservative plan...do you agree?

[Reagan is King]

I think he just guaranteed himself a loss in November. He's not going to get the black vote that agrees with reparations because they're mostly hard-core Democrats, and he's not going to draw any Conservatives with that idea so I'm just amazed he thinks this is an issue he needs to campaign on.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Alan only needs a small slice of the black Illinois electorate to walk away with this seat."

Put up the numbers that you're basing this opinion on.