Reparations debate heats up - Push for slavery compensation enters political mainstream (BARF ALERT)

Houston Chronicle ^ | Aug. 11, 2002, 11:14PM | KRISTEN MACK

[Far Right Of Left]

Thank you.Unlike what mhking & rdb3 think,I wasn't refering to ALL blacks,just those with the insane notion that reparations will cure all woes.

[weegee]

They shake down the politicians as well. Even though this was purely a symbolic vote (and our approval would be for a plan that we would not even oversee or implement) it will be used in political campaigns for years to come.

I say this based on past experience with Houston politics where a mayoral candidate was the subject of a phone scampaign to black voters. He had not voted to support a symbolic measure to back hate crimes legislation. One of Byrd's relatives made a taped phone message to link the candidate to the dragging deaths.

Giving such political ploys airtime at council meetings (it was raised by Lee P Period Brown (the incumbent who ran against the unfairly maligned mayoral candidate)) is purely a political move at a time that city services are sorely lacking.

Some of the behind the scenes cause for the local black outrage for Berry is that he got support from the black community in his campaign for city council. One of the political movers and shakers, Sylvester Turner, claims that Berry made a pledge to him that he would not compete against Turner in the next mayoral campaign but he's already announced his intent to run for mayor. Turner is black. Berry is white. The "racist" mayoral candidate was a Cuban born Hispanic Republican. Any questions?

[T Lady]

Thanks for the post; Walter Williams is absolutely correct when he states that no President or Congress will ever approve reparations for slavery anytime soon. If that were the case, then Bill"America's First Black President"Clinton would have passed an executive order to get it done. As far as I'm concerned these bozos should either put up or shut up; preferably the latter.

[mafree]

You want an apology? I'm sorry anyone died to help free your ancestors,I'm sorry we've paid billions of dollars in welfare programs and most of all,I'm sorry we ever brought your sorry a**es over here in the first place. Apology accepted?

Yeah- next time pick your own damn cotton.

[RobRoy]

Their case has more holes in it than swiss cheese. How about this quote: "People want desperately to invalidate the claim." What a hoot!

The opposite is the actual truth: "People want desperately to validate the claim."

[RobRoy]

>>But proponents hope to have American slavery declared a crime against humanity, which has no statute of limitations.<<

Hmmm, was it a "crime against humanity" at the time. What statute was our government violating. Doesn't a law have to exist before you've actually violated it. Also, many slaves were treated better than many employees of today.

This thing is seriously rediculous and I really feel sorry for the lower class masses that really believe they can simply march their way to a windfall. I for one will opt out of an economy that will cater to such obsurdity. I can get a visa and just leave.

Oh, and if they do get it, the american indians will be right behind, of course.

Jeeze this is stupid.

[RobRoy]

>>I firmly believe (and, to be honest, hope) that any attempt to tax the people of this country to fund
reparations will result in the largest increase in the mortality rate of "legitimate" government officials
since the Revolutionary War.<<

I sincerely hope that if this thing does get legs, that your proposal is what it comes down to. This thing will bring this country down violently - and any politician with any sense at all is quite aware of that.

[jjhunsecker]

I for one say lets pay the reparations and get it over with.
Because once those checks are written and the African- American population have their pieces of gold and I am sure a Congressional Apology, thats it the guilt of white america will have been satisfied and neither group owes the other anything else. Of course this means no more social welfare programs, affirmative action, etc. that can be foisted upon the Whites to make them feel guilty about slavery and it's aftermath. It will be just like a law suit, money paid, guilt admitted and we move on.

[RobRoy]

>>Yeah- next time pick your own damn cotton.<<

You must be referring to Eli Whitneys cotton gin. Slavery is Soooo nineteenth century. We have technology now. We can afford to be nice - but not too nice.

[weegee]

...and I really feel sorry for the lower class masses that really believe they can simply march their way to a windfall.

If this were a democracy where the mob rules then they could march their way to money by demanding it with sufficient numbers. Heck, we could all march on Washington and demand our tax dollars back. Neither march would make the request "right". The number of people marching wouldn't do anything to make it "more right".

[RobRoy]

Yeah. That's why I cringe whenever I here someone call this country a democracy. To me, democracy and mob rule are exactly the same thing. I hear "mobocracy" when I hear "democracy."

Democracy is arguably the most dangerous form of government devised by man.

[Ancesthntr]

I sincerely hope that if this thing does get legs, that your proposal is what it comes down to.

I know what you are saying, but it wasn't and isn't a proposal. It is an observation or a prediction, and most emphatically NOT a call to action.

One must be careful about what one says in writing - you never know who is lurking.