Black Demonstrators Demand Slavery Reparations

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | Sat Aug 17, 5:18 PM ET | Mark Wilkinson

[Chi-townChief]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A few thousand black demonstrators rallied on the Mall in Washington on Saturday to demand that the U.S. government pay blacks reparations for slavery and decades of discrimination.

"I want to go up to the closest white person and say, 'You can't understand this, it's a black thing,' and then slap him, just for my mental health," Charles Barron, a member of the New York City Council, told the crowd.

The demonstrators, numbering about 2,000 to 3,000, came from all parts of the United States, many traveling by bus from as far away as Texas. With the U.S. Capitol in the background, they chanted "Black power! Reparations!" and "Start the Revolution!"

"Apologize White America," said a sign carried by one demonstrator.

Barron, a self-proclaimed "elected revolutionary," said if the government did not act swiftly he personally would storm the Treasury Department ( news - web sites) and take the money for reparations.

Black activist Louis Farrakhan told the crowd, "America owes the black people a lot for what they've endured."

"We need land for political independence, we need millions of acres," Farrakhan added. "We need payment for 310 years of slavery, of destruction of our minds and the robbery of our culture."

The United States, torn apart by the Civil War, abolished slavery in 1865. Some people argue that even 137 years after abolition, blacks still suffer from the vestiges of slavery.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers, a Democrat from Michigan, urged blacks to press their elected representatives in Congress to deal with the issue of slavery reparations.

"We want reparations -- not next century, not 10 years from now, but now," Conyers said. "These wrongs can only be corrected in the House of Representatives, only Congress can do what we want now. All congressmen ought to be here today."

Conyers has backed legislation that would require the House of Representatives to study slavery's effects on blacks.

Demonstrators said blacks deserved "long overdue" reparations, noting compensation won by Jews in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust and Japanese-Americans for their internment by the United States in camps during World War II.

The turnout was smaller than the tens of thousands of demonstrators forecast by organizers of the "Millions for Reparations" movement. But those who traveled to Washington said they believed the rally would make a difference.

"You have to really make some noise just to be heard," Edna Russell, who traveled from Denver, told Reuters.

Kobina Abew, an American citizen from Ghana dressed in a colorful African gown, said, "It's going to be very effective. It's going to bring a solution to this problem, I believe."

[Chi-townChief]

"I want to go up to the closest white person and say, 'You can't understand this, it's a black thing,' and then slap him, just for my mental health," Charles Barron, a member of the New York City Council, told the crowd.

Charles Barron sounds like a real bright-boy!

[Crazymonarch]

50 percent of my income goes to either federal,state or local government taxes 30 percent goes to the bank...maybe I can join them with my white slaver placard.

[Crazymonarch]

oops 'slavery' placard I no longer work for the bank

[Dales]

These guys point out how there once was a wrong committed, a vile, horrible wrong. And they, who were not the wronged, want to collect a lot of money taken from people like me, who did not commit the wrong.

I just hope they realize that what they are really pushing for is a civil war. Because if reparations ever becomes anything more than a leftist carnival act, and actually becomes law, that is precisely what those pushing it will get.

[07055]

The turnout was smaller than the tens of thousands of demonstrators forecast by organizers of the "Millions for Reparations" movement.

Let's see...they say "millions" on their website.

The organizers predict "tens of thousands."

This article says "thousands."

AP says "hundreds."

Watching the rally on TV, I thought they had "dozens."

[Texas_Jarhead]

"Kobina Abew, an American citizen from Ghana dressed in a colorful African gown, said, "It's going to be very effective. It's going to bring a solution to this problem, I believe."

Someone enlighten me here. Would this person be eligible to receive reparations?

[SpringheelJack]

We need payment for 310 years of slavery,

1619-1865 = 246 years.

Ebonimatics, anyone?

[07055]

Would this person be eligible to receive reparations?

Being an African, this person should be *paying* any reparations. Not for what happened hundreds of years ago, but for the people being enslaved in Africa *today.*

[F16Fighter]

Quite frankly, if this absurdly divisive movement gathers enough steam to coerce and encourage the U.S. government into ANY reparations, America will no doubt be facing not only instability but chaos across the board....

The ACLU, Socialists, and One-Worlders no doubt will be thrilled.

[goldstategop]

I see AP bumped up the numbers. They're lyin' through their teeth. There weren't more than a few hundred in attendance there. As for Charles Barron's pledge, it'll be a cold day in hell before he breaks into Fort Knox. It ain't as easy as it looks. At least we know the reparations proponents have gone at one remove from a shakedown to outright theft. For those who don't know, that's called seizing the moral high ground! ;-)

[germanicus]

I want to go up to the closest white person and say, 'You can't understand this, it's a black thing,' and then slap him, just for my mental health," Charles Barron, a member of the New York City Council, told the crowd

Mr. Barron had better watch who he slaps. He may find his mental health splattered all over some sidewalk (by someone defending themselves, of course).

[mict42]

"You can't understand this, it's a white thing!There's right, there's wrong, and then there's an evolutionary thing called Common Sense. It's genetic.

[goldstategop]

Its also absent from the liberal gene. He needs to be slapped really good back into reality!

[TomServo]

"We need land for political independence, we need millions of acres," Farrakhan added.

It's just across the "pond", asshole. Knock yourself out.

[Chad Fairbanks]

A few thousand? Looks like those of us watching missed a few...

[oldironsides]

This will serve to separate the races. That is why they are having such a stupid gathering. There is an effort in America to divide and separate. It is becoming more transparent by the day. The biggest perps in the race baiting are the Democrats. They have become experts at disgusting election pandering. They are not speaking to Americans as a whole, they divide and stir the pot of mistrust and anger. This entire matter was instigated by the race baiting, church campaigning Democratic Party. They are totally to blame for fueling hatred and division.

[jgrubbs]

I can hear the chants:

"Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Give Us Money So We Aint Po!"

[gunnedah]

I will be glad when they do this,maybe then some people will realize it is not benficial to be a coward.

[goldstategop]

Along with this extra:

"Hey, ho, ho, ho, ho Whitey's Got To Go!!!"

[Sam Cree]

"50 percent of my income goes to either federal,state or local government taxes, 30 percent goes to the bank"

A fair amount of that 50% is probably already being payed to black people in the form of various government entitlements, which are beginning to be thought of as "rights." However, if reparations are paid, I think justice dictates that entitlements, affirmative action, etc. will no longer be required.