Posted on 06/23/2002 1:41:09 PM PDT by Valin
A lot of white people are upset with the reparations movement.
The reparations movement is an effort by people of African descent to be remunerated, compensated or indemnified for labor that our ancestors performed for white land- and business owners during the period of slavery in America.
Let us not deceive ourselves. Nothing the government or the people of America now possess, or are even willing to share, will come close to making up for the enormity of the moral, psychological, physical, cultural, economic and spiritual degradation that has been foisted on its black citizens.
Here is an attempt to begin to address one of America's most divisive issues ever.
Nobody disputes that people of African descent were held and used as slave labor. Some may differ as to the extent to which physical, mental and spiritual atrocities were visited upon our African ancestors.
Others would like to forget or feign disbelief as to the intensity, continuity and depth of the brutality imposed on my forefathers and mothers. And which extends to us today.
Still others will attempt to simplify the experience by saying: "That was then; this is now. Get over it! We, this generation, had nothing to do with it. Why should we bear the burden? In fact, I'm against slavery too." Others may chime in: "Besides, you've got affirmative action now. This amounts to reverse discrimination."
And most will totally reject the notion that America or Americans owe those who labored in bondage for two-and-a-half centuries.
Slaves were allegedly "freed" via the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, which declared free all persons held as slaves within any state or part of a state then in armed rebellion.
But Randall Robinson, in his brilliant treatise "The Debt," brought light to the subject: "No nation can enslave a race of people for hundreds of years, set them free bedraggled and penniless, pit them without assistance in a hostile environment against privileged victimizers and then reasonably expect the gap between the heirs of the two groups to narrow."
"Privileged victimizers" — an interesting use of words. Some Euro-American would say, "I'm not among the 'privileged' and certainly not a 'victimizer.' "
This brings us to the role that today's American whites play in daily increasing, extending and exacerbating "the debt." It is certainly true that most white people are, to some extent, disenfranchised themselves. Yet, it is also true that their white skin gives them advantage over the nation's darker-skinned citizens, as both seek the benefits of the richest, most powerful nation on earth.
White privilege simply assures two similarly situated people — one white, one black — that the white person will be given preferential treatment.
Yes, affirmative action was designed as an attempt to narrow the remaining gap in access to resources, opportunities and prosperity this nation has to offer.
Yes, some Euro-Americans will say that they were passed over so a person of African heritage could be promoted or hired. While there may be some cases to corroborate this experience, such is a very exceptional encounter.
Indeed, the quest for reparations can stand on its own merit. But, for those who need precedent, remember that after World War I, American allies made successful claims against Germany, as would Jews after World War II.
Japanese Americans re-covered from the U.S. government for acts against them during World War II.
Due to the forcing of Korean women into prostitution, they were compensated by Japan following World War II.
Historical and legal expert Dudley Thompson informs us that international law has many precedents in this area.
Some initial easy steps to solutions could include a national and state effort to:
(1) learn more about reparations and the conditions by which their necessity came about;
(2) look closely at today's conditions that cause continuation of these deplorable circumstances;
(3) develop a plan that would set up endowments, scholarships and other incentives for increased positive black involvement in American life; and
(4) enact laws that are effective and enforceable that would eliminate all acts of discrimination.
These are just a few ideas for a beginning toward full reparations.
McDonald, 70, of St. Paul, is one of eight Pioneer Press Community Columnists for 2002.
E-mail him at kmcdonald@ spokesman-recorder.com.
If a person is the great-great-great-great-grandson of a slave, let him prove it. Then he would have to prove who owned his ancestor. after that, he would have to find any direct descendents to sue.
Then take it to court and find out what a jury has to say. this process would have to be done millions of times, hopefully bankrupting the NAACP and all the other race hustling pimps.
Right now, they're only trying to soften us up until it is finally time for them to win. Same process that was used for making homosexuality acceptable.
I'll be hog-tied if I can figure out an answer to that little question.
Well considering you gave us Andy Stewart we can consider the account paid in full. :-)
We ought to make it right with non-monetary remedies. parsy.
And just what might those be?
Oh how right he was..Trillions of dollars in welfare transfer payments is not 'reparations'. 30 years of unconstitutional quotas which discriminate against more qualified whites in jobs and educational oppurtunities is not 'reparations'.
The truth is that whites have less rights in America than blacks. There are many places in America where whites can't go unless they are heavily armed. There are places in our own country where we can't walk down the streets without the almost certainty of becoming a victim of a horrible violent crime.
And how about those crime statistics. Black on white crime is far far far more likely than white on black crime. Vicious, violent black on white murders and rapes occur far more often than a white on black crime.
This is the true legasy of the so called civil rights era. How many whites have been the victim of black murder in the last thirty years? Oh it's not politically correct to even talk about the issue.
Yes of course I am a racist, even though I always praise Alan Keyes, Walter Williams and Clarence Thomas for being wonderful human beings.. Of course, it goes without saying that all three oppose reparations. But I don't play the 'politically correct' game that there is more than a handful of people like Keyes and Williams. There are a few others who post at free republic. However, the overwhelming majority of blacks in america hate whitey. That is why a white hater and America hater like Jessie Jackson received 95 percent of the black vote when he ran for the Presidency.
Actually, there should be more discussion of who exactly would benefit.. Of course, it will be lawyers, primarily black lawyers, and upper middle class Blacks who run the various foundations that will spend the money. It will bypass the govt/welfare beauracracy, and spread the wealth and power to those Blacks who don't see the welfare govt redistribution money. People like the Jesse Jacksons and Sharpton and Johnnie Cochran and so on.
It's a hustle by rich Black folk.
Has Jim/Kwame/Kweezy-MoFo (whatever his Nom du Jour may be) tried applying for a job in Civil Service? If both applicants are equal, the Black man gets EXTRA points on his exam...Witey loses.
And, if he sincerely believes this, what has been the result of the current Reverse-Racism that goes by Affirmative Action? Does he think that Whitey REALLY was the less qualified candidate?
And what is his stance on that consummate Race-Baiting Hustler Je$$e Jack(a$$)$on shaking down companies and threatening them?
He does not discount for the billions of dollars blacks have ALREADY received from the government.
He makes a false argument about the Japanese-Americans imprisoned during World War II. The GOVERNMENT did that, by Executive Order of President Roosevelt. (I wrote a book about that.) The GOVERNMENT of the US held no slaves.
He seeks to soak the American government. Does he not know that the slaves were brought to the coast to be sold BY OTHER BLACKS? It was the usual practice in Africa, imposed on the losers in any warfare. Taking slaves still happens in The Sudan. Has this man read his history?
This is both a wrong issue, and a dead issue. This man and his "thinking" are pathetically irrelevant. IMHO.
Congressman Billybob
Click for: "Talking without Speaking -- Hearing without Listening."
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