Dear Santa: Bring Reparations For Christmas

For some time I have refused to give the issue of reparations any serious thought, however, inundated by constant and persistent articles and comments on the subject, - I thought now may be a good time to weigh in my opinion. If reparations to African Americans is defined as the payment in cash by the United States government to the descendants of Africans for 300 years of enslavement and all that is associated with that condition, - then, reparations takes on the equivalent of waiting for Santa Claus. For those who want to compare African American reparations with the recent and continuing compensations given to Native Americans, the Japanese and Jews you are again misguided, here’s why.

A close look at African Americans since their arrival at the shores of America reveals an enslaved people with no land to claim or defend, no citizenship only a heritage. Moreover, African slavery fell upon many heathen nomadic and bush tribes unassociated with or detached from the protection of more powerful and established Kingdoms at the time. Regarded as expendables, African Kingdoms sold these blacks into slavery thereby facilitating their nowhere nobody status and the horrible conditions they suffered in the new world.

As a consequence, toil and not humane treatment was the only value the black slave possessed. This attitude about black toil in one form or another has persisted for hundreds of years essentially unchanged in the minds of ordinary whites to this day. Still, the insertion of the Holy Bible in this argument is relevant in understanding how the ordinary whites lived with the day-to-day horrible condition of slavery.

The Bible teaches that nakedness is a sin thereby mitigating Columbus slaughter of the heathen Indians he encountered on the island of Hispaniola in 1492, the curse of Ham the father of Canaan, (still taught by many white preachers) is the justification for black slavery and servitude. Thusly, the Holy Bible socially and spiritually exonerated white society and allowed them to lay for centuries in the same bed with the unimaginable violence and the horror of slavery.

Therefore, before any check for reparations for slavery can be written, the attitude white society continues to hold about slavery and their descendants represent a major psycho-sociological hurdle and must be changed. But, a white attitude about race fails to sufficiently explain why the United States government paid reparations to Native and Japanese Americans and not African Americans?

Since the 500 years war and the voyages of Columbus, Europeans have only understood and responded to violence and death. For many centuries prior to the arrival of white settlers in America, Europeans on the continent have known nothing but death and destruction. Therefore, the implicit violent nexus between European and American history is undeniable.

Scrutiny of America’s past and present signifies the high value white Americans place on their ability to bring violence and death upon anybody anywhere at anytime. Nevertheless, Native Americans were indeed the occupiers of America when the settlers arrived, violence between the two groups naturally occurred as whites settled on land Indians perceived as theirs. But the settlers’ inability to enslave the Indian coupled with persistent Indian wars lead ultimately to the annuities Native Americans receive today.

On the other hand, World War II clearly and unquestionably demonstrated Japanese ability to bring horrific violence and death upon the American populace. Japanese propensity for mayhem and their post World War II economic hegemony may have served as the impetus for US reparations for Japanese internment. The Jew, for whom euphemistically speaking is interchangeable with European, - has a violent past replete as victims somehow managed to receive reparations in the form of Israel. Perhaps the United States took note of their historic European caricature as greedy financiers, entrepreneurs and scientist.

In any event, Toussaint’s revolution and Harpers Ferry aside, the Negro slave in America was defacto complicit for 300 years in the social order of the time. History cites a variety of reasons for this complicity and explains why slave rebellions happened in Haiti and not in America. But the fact remains that the Native American and not the Negro was the only group within American boarders who brought to the door step of the white oppressor the only thing he understands, - sustained violence, brutality and death!

In conclusion, the United States has never respected any nation or people who could not bring sustained death and destruction upon Americans; this unfortunately includes their former slaves. American imperialism is predicated precisely on this point. Reparations for the descendants of American slaves will have to be violently extracted in the same context as Hamas is extracting revenge from the Israelis.

I can assure anyone that no matter what happens to the Palestinians, the Israelis will never forget the death and destruction of the suicide bomber! Unfortunately, the American slaves left no such legacy. Continuing to beg whites who only respond to and respect violence for past reparations only reinforces the true powerlessness of African Americans. For more discussion on this article and to see what others have to say click on the link below to go to discussion forums.

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