Posted on 07/31/2008 4:24:29 AM PDT by shrinkermd
One of the most appealing features of the Barack Obama candidacy is the idea that Obama is "postracial"--that he is a candidate who is black and does not practice the adversarial politics of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton...
But a story in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin raises serious questions about Obama's postracialism. The paper describes an Obama appearance at Unity '08, "a convention of four minority journalism In this view, the following deeds are insufficient to balance the ledger between America and the descendants of slaves: the Civil War, the ratification of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the continuing practice of racial preferences. associations":
"I personally would want to see our tragic history, or the tragic elements of our history, acknowledged," the Democratic presidential hopeful said.
"I consistently believe that when it comes to whether it's Native Americans or African-American issues or reparations, the most important thing for the U.S. government to do is not just offer words, but offer deeds."
Exactly what Obama is advocating here cannot be determined, but it seems to be something of an endorsement of the idea of "reparations for slavery," which is usually taken to mean cash payments.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
How about paying up in conjunction with stopping all programs related to race in federal health, welfare, employment, and education. It might be a small price to pay.
Does the statute of limitations run out upon death of the perpetrator?
Are families of soldiers who fought on the US Government side of the Civil War exempt from paying reparations?
Are families of the Underground Railroad exempt as well?
If we are looking for reparations are we going to demand that the Arabs who profited from the trade in Africa contribute(in oil would be nice)?
Are we going to demand that the tribes in Africa that offered people as slaves to the Arabs for sale to the early Americas going to pay too?
What of those whose families had nothing to do with slavery or came to America after the civil war? If you don't hold the Arabs and tribes accountable why hold innocent Americans guilty?
Even if an American family had slaves in their past, but in modern times has worked diligently to remove discrimination etc. How could they be held guilty of a anything? Slavery was not a crime at the time is was happening. I am not saying it wasn't wrong, but what law is retroactive and allow punishment on persons generations removed from the incident?
And I agree with the earlier post regarding the numerous laws, amendments, etc. that have been created, enacted, and currently working are in fact deeds of the US Government to correct past wrongs.
I would support one way tickets to the African nation of their choice to any who feel they are entitled to reparations.
And here's one more question: If they're entitled to reparations, are US taxpayers entitled to bill reparations recipients for the cost of the Civil War?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Nope. They want to go, let 'em pay. I'm tired of the whining and guilt-laden rhetoric. I'm not paying one thin dime.
Good! Maybe a Obama train wreck will undo the damage elected republicans have done to conservatism. Unfortunately that will require him getting elected, sad to say.
Cost Of The American Civil War
In dollars and cents, the U.S. government estimated Jan. 1863 that the war was costing $2.5 million daily. A final official estimate in 1879 totaled $6,190,000,000.
Paging reparations proponents...
Trust me, it would be a bargain in the long run....
One more note to reparations proponents: Put a price tag on THAT.
Both of you have good questions. But will the do-nothings in Congress have the will to ask them should this come up on the floor? I doubt it.
agreed...they need to pummel hussien with questions asking him exactly what he means with strong follow up questions when he waivers...
Along with the bill for “reparations” for slavery, including every estimated hour of slave labor,
there should be a “debit” side bill listing the costs incurred by
$40 trillion in wealth transfer
the estimated opportunity cost (drag on the economy) of the above
the costs of property crimes committed by those of “slave blood”
the costs of violent crimes
the estimated loss of productivity of the victims of the crimes
the costs of effects of the thug/rap culture on productive citizens of other cultures
Add to the debit list as you think of things.
OK, let’s give them their reparations . . . but with a catch.
Each person who accepts his or her large reparations payment will then be ineligible to receive any further federal or state payments for welfare, food stamps, etc., for the rest of his or her life. Nada.
There should be a credit for white genes. The new genetic material diluted the all black African pool.
Those enslaved were the bottom of the African gene pool, being conquered and enslaved by stronger more vigorous people.
God help us if it gets to that point. This has to become common knowledge this election cycle. No way should Obama become President with this agenda in mind.
“My family immigrated to America in 1854. They were of German origin and settled in Chicago. They had nothing to do with slavery. I owe you and your Black community nothing. Nothing!”
Amen! My ancestors immigrated to America sometime before 1680. They settled for a while in Virginia until their settlements and families were ravaged by Indians, then moving to PA. Then they fought and died in the American Revolution to gain freedom for generations to come. A freedom that they protected throughout history, wearing blue during the Civil War. Tragic history? Obama has the audacity to say he wants the “tragic elements of “OUR” history, acknowledged.” Is it his white blood or his black blood that he considers “OUR?” The white man has paid reparations for over 230 years, not just for one race but for all who love freedom yet Obama wants to isolate the black race as the only ones who have experienced hardship and that is because he does not know, does not respect and does not love what this country has done for him.
There are two schools of thought on the whole “race” thing.
One is that some races are differently (ie, more/less highly) evolved than others. This was the assertion in the book that the ACLU was trying to keep included in the classroom during the Scopes trial - that “Caucasians” were the most highly evolved, and blacks and aborigines less so.
The other school of thought is that all humans are from the same original gene pool (created, perfect Man and Woman), and that separation and natural selection gradually lost information until only a certain phenotype human was present in an area.
The first position I view as abhorrent, but either position would be supported by your claim that mixing in other gene pools was beneficial to genetic diversity.
Excellent response.
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