Posted on 06/19/2002 3:26:43 AM PDT by kattracks
(CNSNews.com) - Promising that it will be one of the "most historic gatherings of African people in America," organizers of the Millions for Reparations Rally are demanding monetary compensation from the United States government and its citizens. The theme of the rally is: "They owe us!"
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND), and a critic of the rally, said, "If that many people have enough money to go to D.C. to march, then they don't need reparations."
The Aug. 17 event will take place in Washington, D.C. on the 115th birthday of the late civil rights leader Marcus Garvey. But Peterson said Garvey was an outspoken advocate of post-slavery self-repair for black people in America and would not support the idea of modern day reparations.
The Durban 400 and National Black United Front (NBUF), the lead organizers of the rally, claim their event is "simply an attempt to repair, to make whole, the descendants of the victims of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade."
At the urging of the Durban 400 and other groups, the United Nations' 2001 World Conference Against Racism declared the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade and the pre-Civil War slavery in the United States crimes against humanity.
NBUF National Chairman Dr. Conrad W. Worrill recently urged concerned "African people in America" to review and add to a list of nearly twenty atrocities that, according to Worrill, "they owe us for."
Among the atrocities on the list are the "Raping of African Women," "KKK Night Riders and Lynchings," "Mental Atrocities," the "Crack Epidemic," and "the 13th and 14th Constitutional Amendments."
According to Worrill, "The abolishment of slavery was really a constitutional scam and the 14th Amendment that allegedly made African people citizens of America was imposed on us. We were never asked if we wanted to be citizens."
But David Almasi, spokesman for the black conservative group Project 21, said those seeking reparations forget the benefits of living in America.
"What about the fact that now you're in America, the land of opportunity as opposed to being in Africa with malaria, dictators and things like that," Almasi said.
According to Peterson, "These organizations that are supporting this so-called Millions for Reparations are anti-American organizations anyway. They're communist/socialist organizations."
Peterson added that "so-called civil rights leaders" like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan have encouraged a culture of dependency among African Americans instead of self-reliance.
Peterson said he especially wants to encourage white Americans to protest those calling for reparations and "not have the fear of being called a racist" for doing so. However, he said, "As long as you give into these people, there is no stopping them. There is no end to their destruction if we don't stand up to them with truth."
The "truth," Peterson said, is that reparations are "a bad idea in that it is divisive, it is racist, and it's another form of using black Americans to gain power and wealth."
E-mail a news tip to Michael L. Betsch.
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I've heard blacks say that reparations wouldn't fix anything, but would be a good start. Back down a little, and they'll only come back for more. Reparations today, reparations tomorrow, reparations forever.
LOL, couldn't have put it better myself!!
The poverty pimps leading the reparations movement continue to shoot themselves in the feet. The more they howl about reparations, the less sympathy others have for the problems of blacks. I know I used to care, and frankly don't give a d@mn anymore. Ditto for hubby. We're both plain sick of the whining, blaming, and refusal to take personal responsibility for anything.
But you know the funniest part of it? They get upset when I suggest that maybe they should leave on their own accord if they truly feel that they are oppressed! I say, "Well, if you have the means to leave, why stay here and stay oppressed?"
They bounce like a pinball from the moon the the ground when that is said. It shows the irrationality hoisted upon a people who live in a Marxist laboratory. One day, a scientist must have left the cage door open. I escaped.
You're right. You are absolutely, positively, irrefutably, 100%, undeniably ......RIGHT!
But so are they. It's not fair that they are being held here against their will due to the sins of some peoples grandfathers. So as a one time and potential future taxpayer I give my full endorsement for the Federal Treasury to buy a one-way ticket on any conveyance of choice to the African nation of choice with help in obtaining citizenship there and renouncing citizenship here including related costs. No re-entry for life. And just to be completely fair and non-racist about it I think the offer should be extended to everyone residing in the U.S., citizen on non-citizen, of any race, color, creed, religion, ethnic or cultural background, hair color, style, length (or lack of) and disregarding any other possible distinction between one human being and another. One free one-way ride per person.
We'll call it "Project Enterprise; Sending disenchanted people where no American black has been before."
As for me, I'm an American. If they don't want to partake in this nation's blessings, then I would suggest that they should leave for their own mental health's sake. No need in going crazy over something you have control over, right?
There is a cadre of young, talented and articulate black lawyers who have announced that this issue is their life's work. They have a well thought out plan of action and a do-able argument. The argument is this....
US Corporations whose roots can be clearly traced to some corporate entity that profited from slavery owe some degree of their financial wealth to the descendants of those slaves. Insurance companies that earned revenue through premiums paid by slave owners for policies covering their "property" are the first target. If they find a sympathetic judge they could win. Judgement amounts could be in the hundreds of millions or higher. The effect would be to bancrupt the targeted corporate entity. The first round effect would be to drive the stock price through the floor. People out of work, pensions lost, 401k value lost, sky-high legal bills, civil discord would be the long term results.
I have heard the lawyers on the radio in NY. They very clearly put Sharpton and Jackson outside their camp, describing them as money hungry opportunists. These young, dedicated people are zealots, educated zealots. t is there efforts that need watching, not some feel-good rabble rousing video at eleven circus.
This brings to mind the Vietnamese "boat people" of the 1970s. These folks crowded boats and came over here with nothing but their clothes, LITERALLY. They saw the opportunity, worked hard, became successful and continue to flourish.
Their experience flushes all "reparations" arguments down the toilet.
(14th Amendment) Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Second Reason this is not going anywhere.
One of the reasons that the whole civil rights movement was successful in the 60s was because the majority in this country supported the movement.
I do not beleive that there is wide spread support for this reparations movement, in fact I suspect that there is a growing backlash for all these claims on public monies.
Politicians do things that will get them the vote, if they can do something that will gain a little support from one group, with out losing the support of another, they will do it.
I suspect that reparations will not fall in that category. Any politician that needs a wide range of support will not touch this. The only ones that you will see that support this are those that are in very safe districts, and there are not enough of them to get this passed.
5,632.3
I'm serious. He's rolled over and signed off on every other leftist proposal that's landed on his desk. The wimp.
It doesn't matter. It will be a million.
White men can't jump and Black men can't count.
How many showed up for the last 'Million' march?
I don't think that's the case, particularly, but the people saying "go back to Africa" to people who've never been there makes about as much sense as the people wanting to get paid for work they never did.
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