Reparations (monetary compensation to slave ancestors)

PaperPlates

hailhailkc wrote:

Here's a thought: If some group of individuals had enslaved my ancestors for decades, and made them work sun up to sun down with no pay for all those years, and bought and sold them like cattle, and mentally and physically abused them...

Why, even 200 years later, would I want to ACCEPT that money from the current families of those who enslaved MY family?!?!

Wouldn't you just rather tell them to stick that money up their fucking ass, and say "No thanks, keep your blood money, I'll make it in life on my own."

Just my 2 cents.

But having it handed to you is so much easier. Why do for yourself what you can guilt others into doing for you>?

Abuskedti

truroute wrote:

What do you guys think about the Gov't or Corporations giving millions, possibly billions of dollars to "pay back" people today whos great great great maybe even greater grandparents were slaves?

Does anyone agree with the whole reparation issue? If so, why?

I personally think that reparations are nothing but a pathetic money grab. Nothing good will come out of it to help racial issues today.

some links:
A quick look at slavery reparations efforts
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-35/1152468561277940.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

some quotes on the question
http://www.nationalcenter.org/Reparations.html

I think its valid.. we took away the people of today's history - their ability to be educated and indoctrinated into the world. They had a handicap whether you like to acknowledge it or not. Every generation in my family has done better than the one before, which is a direct result of their sharing of what they learned and passing it down.

However, I do recognize the difficulty in its having the desired effect, and selling it as worth while to the masses that feel they had nothing to do with it. and the masses that will fight to the death any idea that will cost them.

I don't see it ever happening, but it is due.

Inkdaub

Like the art the Nazi's stole, it's a great wrong that will probably never be righted. Discussion is good but the money will probably never be repayed.

FiveB247x

Anyone - no matter what race, ethnic background or nationality would be entitled to "reparations" in some form if such a thing were to be considered viable.

What right does anyone now entitle them to collect for the suffering of people hundreds of years before they were around?

I'm sure everyone in the world would be able to trace some family blood line to some sort of wrong doing, injustice and similiar, so why should such a thing be taken serious?

This issue in my opinion, is nothing more than people taking a problem like racism (which is very apparent in the US) and using it to get money as if people are owed something. The people who commited the crimes and practiced slavery are all dead, as are the ones who were enslaved, trying to profit in some manner off that is nothing more than selfish intent and blaming others for your own current situations. There are many problems that slavery caused in our nation, yet many steps have been taken to rectify them (not all so successful). Asking for handouts instead is just out of line and using the past as an excuse for the current issues we all face.

1970RR

cornnifer wrote:

The way you word it... no. But heres the thing. No one would be giving their annual salary. And in this case, it doesn't really matter how lazy the recipients might or might not be. We're basically talking about what amounts to an inheritance. If some rich old man dies and wills his fortune to a grandson, his living heir, it doesn't really matter whether the grandson smokes crack, solicits protitutes, and has never worked a day in his life. It was his grandfathers money, and he is entitled to it. That, to me, is really the crux of the matter.

BTW,its nice to see ya around here. missed ya

Using your idea of inheritence, doesnt that mean that the repartions should be paid by the decendants of slave owners, rather the the US taxpayer? If its possible to create a plan on who is to be paid reparations, it should be just as possible to determine who owned the slaves.
In other words, all repartions should be paid to decendants of slaves by the decendants of the slave owners.

cornnifer

This is the last time I'm going to say any of this in this thread. It seems most of you are either not getting or completely ignoring the points anyway.

First of all, YOU wouldn't really be paying for anything! Its not like the money would be deducted from your paycheck, or bank account or anything like that. The government would be paying for it. Perhaps, yes it would come out of tax dollars, but, so what? Your tax dollars are already paying for a fucked up, unjustified war based on half truths and outright lies. Your paying for George W.'s eight year vacation in Maine. You're being taxed regardless, and the government is already spending that money for shit you may not support or used to fix problems you are totally not responsible for! You're already being taxed. That is never going to stop, and you have no say where your tax dollars are spent. It isn't your money anymore! It belongs to the government. So, the "they're not getting a single cent from me" argument is really invalid.

Next, reparations, as far as I see it, are not about a payoff to rectify past injustices, "Make-up for" the horrors and brutality that was the African slave trade, or "fix" all of the social and economic inequalities that are a direct result of slavery. NO amount of money could accomplish this. No dollar amount. It isn't about that. To, me, its about hundreds of years of completely uncompensated labor by hundreds of thousands of individuals kidnapped and brought here against their will. Its backpay. Those who earned it are obviously, unable to collect so their money goes to their living heirs. Period. Just like all of you would expect. Its kind of like an estate. And This CAN be mathematically computed. Numbers can be crunched. It isn't about a "payoff" for crimes YOU or YOUR ancestors may or may not have taken part in. As I said, no amount of money can fix that anyway, so the "take the money and shut the fuck up" argument is more than just stupid, its racist, IMO. Attitudes like this that do much more to stand in the way of racial reconcilliation than reparation payments EVER would. So all of these "free handout" and "what good would it do" arguments are also null and void.

Next, and lastly (I think), is the "logistical nightmare" argument. Would it be hard to make certain determinations? Perhaps. Impossible? No. The fact that a certain job is difficult doesn't mean that it shouldn't be done! Where would we be in this world if every necessary task that was determined to be difficult was thrown into the "oh well, too hard. Let's just ignore it and move on" pile? This might be the biggest cop-out argument yet. Completely invalid.

know1

We're all of mixed race and most of us can trace our roots back to someone who was a slave (or at least had some injustice done to them). Some just don't want to trace it to that. Let's just give everyone a tax break and call it a reparation.

truroute

Regaurdless of what your reasons of giving away alot of money for past actions, Connifer, the whole idea is not logical in any sense. I'm not talking about the logistical nightmare scenario, the take the money and quit bitching thing, or the "pay them back cause their 200 yr old ancestors deserve it" thing. I makes no sense.

No one that has agrees w/ reparations has answered the 1 question that still stands.

I'll ask again.

Disregaurding the Bullshit (imo) politically correct reasons for paying slave ancestors "lost wages", What good will come out of it?

cornnifer

truroute wrote:

Regaurdless of what your reasons of giving away alot of money for past actions, Connifer, the whole idea is not logical in any sense. I'm not talking about the logistical nightmare scenario, the take the money and quit bitching thing, or the "pay them back cause their 200 yr old ancestors deserve it" thing. I makes no sense.

No one that has agrees w/ reparations has answered the 1 question that still stands.

I'll ask again.

Disregaurding the Bullshit (imo) politically correct reasons for paying slave ancestors "lost wages", What good will come out of it?

First of all, lets be honest here, Its jut me. Alone.
Now, I HAVE addressed this. Read my post just before this one! Its all there. Answer me. What good would come of YOU recieving an inheritance from your dead ancestor? Its the same thing. It is really not about what good would come of it. Its just right!

mammasan

cornnifer wrote:

First of all, lets be honest here, Its jut me. Alone.
Now, I HAVE addressed this. Read my post just before this one! Its all there. Answer me. What good would come of YOU recieving an inheritance from your dead ancestor? Its the same thing. It is really not about what good would come of it. Its just right!

Ok for arguements sake lets say we go through with reparations, then what about the Native Americans. Don't they deserve reparations just as much as blacks do. What about the Japanese and Japanese Americans that where placed in work camps during WWII? What about the Irish that came to America during the mid 1800's who where paid far less to do the same job as native born Americans. Where do the reparations end?

Slavery was a horrorable and sad time in our nation's history and what was done to blacks is unexcusable and unforgivable, but to pay out reparations now 100 plus years after the fact will accomplish nothing. The people who deserved the money are long dead, the people who should be made to pay for using slaves are long dead. It's too late for this course of action.

denverfan

"and in a stunning move, KFC and FUBU have teamed up as business partners."

mammasan

denverfan wrote:

"and in a stunning move, KFC and FUBU have teamed up as business partners."

That was one of the funniest skits on the Chappelle Show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM34oyPAFOc&search=chappelle%20show%20reparations

Milhouse VanHouten

mammasan wrote:

What about the Japanese and Japanese Americans that where placed in work camps during WWII?

Actually, there were monetary reparations paid for loss of property and land. Japanese American farmers were forced to sell their land at a loss before being evacuated to the camps. Also, payments directly to living detainees were made under Reagan, $20k each.

I do see your point, though. Making cash payments to the descendants of slaves and deciding who should pay would be very complicated.

PaperPlates

Ive never owned one.

Nor did anyone in my family.

I dont owe them shit.

mammasan

Milhouse VanHouten wrote:

Actually, there were monetary reparations paid for loss of property and land. Japanese American farmers were forced to sell their land at a loss before being evacuated to the camps. Also, payments directly to living detainees were made under Reagan, $20k each.

I do see your point, though. Making cash payments to the descendants of slaves and deciding who should pay would be very complicated.

Well thank you for pointing out my mistake.

Milhouse VanHouten

mammasan wrote:

Well thank you for pointing out my mistake.

Did you watch any of the new Chappelle's Show? I was somewhat disappointed with it.

mammasan

Milhouse VanHouten wrote:

Did you watch any of the new Chappelle's Show? I was somewhat disappointed with it.

No. I kind of figured it wouldn't be the same without Dave.

Milhouse VanHouten

mammasan wrote:

No. I kind of figured it wouldn't be the same without Dave.

Pretty much. One sketch I am looking forward to is Dave's impersonation or reference to the Howard Dean "YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" incident. That looks pretty funny.

Of course, it's still approximately 1000x better than Mind of Mencia

prytocorduroy

Milhouse VanHouten wrote:

Pretty much. One sketch I am looking forward to is Dave's impersonation or reference to the Howard Dean "YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" incident. That looks pretty funny.

Of course, it's still approximately 1000x better than Mind of Mencia

I liked the new Chappelle's Show episodes once the hilarious (cough cough) hosts shut up. They suck at hosting, but are funny in the skits. I seriously liked a lot of what was shown - especially the revenge skit.

And I also like Mind of Mencia. It's the Mexican version of Chappelle's Show but will never be as good or even close.

truroute

Quit hijackin' my thread you guys.

On another note, Mencia isn't funny anymore. How many times can you hear "BEANER" before it isnt funny. Besides, Mencia is from Hungary or something (from what I read somewhere)