It’s very difficult to put a price on reparations. Is there enough money to cover the atrocities that were committed against black people in this country?
Slavery
Free labor (we built this country)
Physical and mental abuse
rape and buck breaking
Family Separation
Hayes Compromise
The force ending of black progress from reconstruction
Plessy vs. Fergurson
Jim Crow
Red lining
Job discrimination. Last hired first fired.
Education (segregation)
Law (wrongfully accused, imprisonment for vagrancy, sundown towns)
And the list goes on and on. What I find ■■■■■■ up which is par for the course for this country that rich land owners got reparations after for losing their property/slaves. Looking back at this and how this country love taking care of the wealthy is typical.
Honestly, in my opinion the United States need to apologize for slavery before we start talking about reparations.
Individual checks is unrealistic.
I think, and I’m just spit balling here, if reparations could be made I think it should be the following…
- free college education
- not paying federal income taxes
- Land
- capital for businesses
Unfortunately, any of these would be a legislative nightmare and would probably forever split the country. Fear, ignorance and the drum major instinct is a powerful thing when it comes to way people of color is treated in this country. You can easily tell that by some of the posting in this thread. WE SEE YOU!
However, I’m still for reparations. My father side of the family were never slaves in the United States(They were in the Virgin Islands and Jamaica), but my mom side were and our family has been traced all the way back to the early 1800s. We even know the family who owned them.
2 Likes
zantax
197
So when my taxes were recently cut as an individual that was a subsidy? Could have fooled me.
NJBob
198
What happens if a “white” person can demonstrate they have ancestors that were black slaves in America?
I’m sure there are more than a few.
They would have to prove that it wasn’t because of the slave owners impregnating the slave.
We do… either directly or because of the deficit increase… which in turn increases the debt.
Either way I don’t see how Republicans are ok with the rich KEEPING more of their money than the middle class but would against reparations.
How about this @zantax I propose that federal income taxes be reduced to zero for all descendants of slaves. Since we aren’t giving them money, just letting them keep more of it, you shouldn’t have a problem. Right?
NJBob
202
I suggest considering a Marshall Plan for communities that have large numbers of slave descendants that focuses on education for all ages, enhanced social support and significant infrastructure improvements.
Jobs and job training opportunities created from such a program be made available to community residents.
No need to do DNA testing, no need to have people prove eligibility. Anyone that the lives in the community will benefit. Also, the entire country benefits because we will be a better educated people.
zantax
203
I would have a problem with it and it would be a subsidy, because they would obviously be consuming more government services than they pay for. Despite my personal tax cut I can assure you I am still paying more than my share of the cost of government.
NJBob
204
That’s not the only way it could have happened.
Why are you ok with the rich keeping more of their money but not slave descendants keep more of their money due to what was taking from their ancestors 150-400 years ago?
This is why I can’t take modern day republicans seriously… lower/middle class slave descendant keeping more of their money… clutch pearls. Warren Buffet keep more of his billions… no problem.
It’s the most likely…
However I don’t care what you look like on the outside. If you can priced you are a descendant of slaves (and not because your slave owning ancestor dipped into his property) then you would get reparations.
zantax
207
I am all for the middle class keeping more of their money, when it comes to federal taxes the poor already get to keep all of theirs plus more. I don’t owe the descendants of slaves anything. I never owned their ancestors. Go find someone who did and make them pay.
1 Like
If you want to participate in America, you will pay
zantax
209
And before you try it, neither did I have some generational wealth benefit, I grew up with a single mom on welfare.
NJBob
211
I don’t think making eligibility a DNA lottery of sorts isn’t going to get a lot support.
A community based approach might be better. Not everyone in a community with a significant number of people who are descend from slaves would qualify on the basis of genetics but they have lived under the same conditions.
And if we are going to make an effort to right wrongs of the past why stop with the descendants of slaves? Native Americans need to be considered.
But a slave descendants keeping more of their money doesn’t affect you, right? They aren’t taking from you.
zantax
213
Sure it effects me, that doesn’t make it a subsidy if they are allowed to keep more of their money while paying more than their share of the cost of government. How it effects me is in trampling some of the basic principles this country was founded upon, including the working a corruption of blood, equal protection under the law and it being an unconstitutional racial preference.
These types of threads always land on these bullet points.
I don’t know any other way to confirm.
I can for sure prove my great great grand parents on both sides, were slaves. (I said previously it was my great grandmother, but checked last night an it was great great.)
My Great great grandmother on my Moms side was the result of a slave owner.
I would venture to guess over 95% of the black population in the US is a descendant of slaves.
