Should reparations be payed?

a reply to: Euphem
They are just looking for a hand out by using the race card. Can't blame them for trying to get something for free. If they hate this country nobody is making them stay here. Maybe they would be happy to live wherever their relatives came from, but I don't think they would be happy anywhere.

The op has brought up the point on if reparations be paid. Having looked at this issue before, and the postings, the following can be stated:

The answer is no, and here is the reason for such.

Money will not heal the past, and too many people live in the past dealing with issues that they themselves did not deal with or have anything to do with, or were affected by such. Too many people use that as an excuse to fail, not to succeed. And what policies and laws that are currently on the books, are no longer working to even, but to show bias to one group or another. And it would be a messy can of worms that should not be opened up.

If you pay one group for the mistakes of the past, you open up a legal precedent that could be used time and time again, going back years and years. And there is one other thing, what happens when the money runs out, then what, another round to a new group?

Now some people have mentioned the Native Americans. Give them reparations for them staying on the reservations, but to what consideration and how much would be appropriate, what would be fair?
Native American reservations are different, in feeling and laws. State laws do not apply, in fact they are considered to be separate countries, protectorates of the USA. Those living on the reservations do not pay taxes, many items are tax free. But the horrible truth of the native American reservations, is that the tribes do not share and still harbor old feelings and resentments. Many can not stand the other, and some look at some tribes with outright hatred. If you look at the reservations with say Casino’s, they do not share the income with other tribes, and will often lobby to stop a neighboring tribe from getting anything of the sort. Any and all resources are fought over, even to the point of discrimination.
Several years ago, I lived in Arizona, nice place and very pretty. I witnessed firsthand the outright discrimination and hatred between the tribes, far greater than anything I have ever seen. And again when I lived in California, I watched as the tribes with casinos, went and fought nail, tooth and claw, against any other tribe around from getting a casino or a newer casino. The native Americans are their own worst enemies.
Now I know several Native Americans, who both lived on and off of the reservations. And both agree, that the only way to help the native Americans, is to stop the reservation system, to get them off of such and out into society. Stop paying them to remain there, and welcome them into the country fully.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

-Martin Luther King, jr.

Have we gone so far that we can't listen to the very wise words of an intelligent and humble man?

I really don't see any reason why anyone alive today should receive reparations for something that ended a hundred years before most of them were even born. It seems to me that if any reparations were ever due, they were paid by the 600,000+ men who died in the Civil War.

originally posted by: Bone75
Reparations won't solve anything. The same racist black people who are demanding reparations won't be satisfied until white people are hanging from trees.

Shades of South Africa and the new Apartheid. Where Affirmative Action means helping the majority, not the minority. Where genocide of the minority has been going on for 20 years.

Cheers - Dave

If we wanted to do reparations for slavery 150 years ago, okay, if we'd done them for Jim Crow 50 years ago, okay. If we wanted to do them for Native Americans today for what they're still going through in this country, okay.

But don't hold people responsible for things that they had no involvement in.

Another thing that you don't see people like this talking about is that, if we're going to have them for blacks, should we not also have them for women? I mean, technically, black males had the right to vote 60 years before even most white women.

I'm not saying that we should have reparations, far from it, I'm just pointing out how far the logic has to extend if we're being reasonable.

a reply to: Euphem

Will this force the descendents in Africa who sold their own tribesman to also pay reparations? Where does it stop? I'm sorry, but no one alive today owned slaves. Get over it. (Not you Euphem naturally, but those the article mentions.)

a reply to: Euphem
Absolutely reparations should be paid to the surviving slaves upon proof that they were indeed owned.
Reparations shall be paid from the slave masters estate.
As for those who have not been slaves, deal with it, it was not your burden.
I shall not be trying for any reparation as I am a man, freeborn!
And please let's not make this a race thing, you don't know the color of my skin.
Not many will see what I did there.
If you did, good on you.

a reply to: g146541

I think people who had Union ancestors killed in the Civil War should be paid too.

My Great-Great (x6) Grandfather was in the Union Army and was killed in a battle.

a reply to: xuenchen
The problem is there are no surviving family members who suffered.
I'm sure you have not cried yourself to sleep over your ancestor in the civil war...
If you live in yesterday, you'll never see tomorrow.
Maybe rather than focus on repairing the past, we could repair the present and make sure these issues never re-occur.

originally posted by: vor78
I really don't see any reason why anyone alive today should receive reparations for something that ended a hundred years before most of them were even born. It seems to me that if any reparations were ever due, they were paid by the 600,000+ men who died in the Civil War.

You have a good point, the north won and freed the slaves, so by freeing people from slavery we should also pay reparation to them. And they say no good deed goes unpunished.

Yes plz and ty, the 21st century is turning into a pity party for white people lol.

Pay back wont be fun, while people bitch and moan but karma has to be payed

Might save your country in the short term.

Oh im white by the way

If they could go back in time, then I would say to go take it up with the men who sold them into slavery in the first place....the numerous black leaders from Africa who sold their ancestors against their will to white men.

Slavery was horrible, but no one alive today is responsible for those atrocities of the past. The only ones I truly see keeping racism alive are black people themselves. Imagine if there was a white history month, a naawp, etc... Want racism to end then maybe the people who segregate themselves should take a long hard look at the truth of racism, when they see their reflection looking back at them from their mirror.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: HanzHenry
Or how about the Native Americans get stuff from Europe, im part that too.

Hmmm... do we ignore the fact that more than a few of those native tribes raided and claimed slaves from other tribes? Which tribes can make claims against other tribes?

What this sounds like is exactly the way the black slaves got enslaved. Maybe should get reparations from the tribe that originally captured them.

I could see some form of reparations for anti-any-non-white-race laws in the 1900s (segregation, etc), but I do not agree with reparations for slavery. The difference is with the former, some of those people are still alive.

The problem with this, and the reason why I am going to contradict myself and say no, is simply, where do we stop? If we provide something to African Americans who were denied jobs, homes, education since 1900, inevitably we would have to then go to the generation before them, and the generation before them. It would be a giant mess and nobody would be satisfied.

It is best to acknowledge the past, apologize for it if necessary, and move forward, pledging to all, including ourselves, that it will never happen again.

In a word, NO

a reply to: dukeofjive696969

What do you mean "karma has to be repaid"? I haven't enslaved anyone. And for the record, many, MANY white people gave their lives to right that wrong.

I agree with your thinking respective to the humor only from the standpoint that it - reparations - would be seriously considered, that the discussion is meritus goes without saying.

a reply to: irgust

"They are just looking for a hand out by using the race card." That's so ignorantly reactive, it's not worthy of an intelligent response, but then you up the ante, "If they hate this country nobody is making them stay here", well damn, aren't you savant....irgust

originally posted by: crazyewok
F*** no!

Im not paying a penny for what my ancestors may or maynot have done 200 years back.

Ok so don't hold back tell us how you really feel.

Seriously, in order to have reparations, England, the Dutch, African tribes, and the US would have to pay. But then I would want reparations for my ancestors that died freeing them from bondage during the war. Also the question also becomes why aren't you happy that your ancestors made the boat? After all what would the alternative be? You would have been born in Africa with centuries of tribal strife, even today a life expectancy of 55, and either been starved, macheted, or diseased to death, never mind the living conditions.

What strikes me as most remarkable is not a single black organization can be seen in the streets protesting in front of any African embassy the slavery that continues today.

Every day we are bombarded with slavery issues to divide this country and it's people in a political effort to garner votes for a political party. Race is used in any attempted discussion of ideas when the opposing party questions one another motives. If you disagree with the democrat party you're racist, if don't want to spend anymore money on failed programs you're racist, if you disagree with this president you're racist, if you think affirmative action tilts things too far the other way you're racist. If you fly the dreaded confederate flag you're racist, if you use the "N" word you can lose your job, your company, and become the media poster child for birth control. It's ridiculous I am over it. There will be some that read this and call me a racist I don't care my family and friends know who I am, and what I am.

You would think the whole idea of racism would be based on the concept of not having the same equal opportunities that anyone else has. But when you look at black congressman, senators, POTUS, SCOTUS, AGOTUS, appointees, etc. they are nicely represented in the government. They appear to be making millions in music same as anyone else, movie stars, entertainers,etc. Do we even need to mention sports? With affirmative action, standards have been lowered to give them jobs, local government jobs are filled first by minorities. I just cannot figure out what else we are supposed to do as a society.

While they ignore their own races examples of available opportunities, Asian, Mexican, Aficans, Russians move here and wow they do pretty well. I personally know many, many, examples of successful immigrants that have become millionaires, home and business owners, all living the American dream. Reparations are out of the question we have done enough we are out of guilt to pass around, if you want the quilt they keep trying to shove down my throat you are welcome to it. As I have said I am over it. -- Kicks the soap box away --