Slave Reparations

This topic should be interesting.

I was surfing the net and I came along a interesting page on someone's article on Slave Reparations.

In my opinion, I'm against Slave Reparations (yes I am) because I don't think blacks will use the money if they get it for moral values. Although I'm totally for the organizations who if granted reparations will use the money to build better communities in our inner-cities and some will leave America entirely and return to their land of origin which is Africa and Israel and the modern day Arab countries.

I find it very hypocritical though when Jews were awarded reparations of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS from Swiss Bank accounts because of what their descendants went through in the Holocaust. Granted, it was horrible, it was only couple decades, the entire Atlantic Slave trade murdered, enslaved, and kidnapped over 200 million Africans. We were taken from our home to a land of which our forefathers have never seen(as predicted in the Bible and it happened when the Atlantic Slave trade occured) FORCED MIGRATION, FORCED SLAVE LABOR, LOST IDENTITY, LOST CULTURE, LOST RELIGION, LOSS OF FAMILY MEMBERS, LOSS OF FREEDOM, LOSS OF LIVES, LOSS OF HOPE, LOSS OF NAMES, LOSS OF EDUCATION AND CREATIVITY, LACK OF ASSIMILATION, LACK OF EMPOWERMENT, LACK OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, LACK OF EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH, AND PREVENTION OF SELF-DETERMINATION.

While the Jew got his money, blacks today in America are still living deaf, dumb, and blind. Why can't we come together and demand same from our persecutors and in like manner? The founding fathers of the Thirteen Colonies were able to establish the United States with Black-blood money from the trade in our forefathers. Today their descendants are still filthy rich with land, businesses, and wealth due to the African Slave Trade.
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With all these reasons combined, I'm totally FOR Slave Reparations, but if blacks should receive reparations, then the Native Americans should too for America stealing their land right up from under them.

If such reparations should happen, there's no doubt America would become bankrupt.

There's whites today too who are descendants of Africa slaves and they dont even know of it, they dont even want to hear of it!

well i no slave labour isnt rite but you forget that it was blacks who sold other blacks to the europeans in the first place & that is wot the world was like back then its a shame that people were very short sited but i dont think that people of today shud be blamed for wot happend befor they were born.

I think you've raised an excellent point which will draw a lot of views.

I'm English so I have a different perspective.I do not believe that compensation should be paid to those that are the decendants of victims of slavery.How far do you go back?The Romans occupied Britain so ask Italy for compensation?The Spanish gave syphilis to the South Americans so Bankrupt Spain and give the money to the decendants of Incas.
It is controversial yet no less true that chiefs of African tribes sold those they defeated in battle to the Europeans.
We can not compensate wide ethnic groups from long ago but when we know the names that have been disenfranchised we should compensate.

I do agree with you that if an ethnic group has been the victim of past discrimination then governments should invest more to compensate.

Blacks sold black yes indeed and that is the worst betrayel, BUT, Europeans also BOUGHT the blacks so the europeans are just as guilty as were the Africans.

my perspective on the whole thing is, bring me a black man who was a slave and i'll gladly give him reperations, the jewish thing from ww2 is different though, some of the holocaust victims are still alive.

Blacks wouldn't be so poor to do if they'd stop killing themselves.

I tell you the worst thing for Blacks is, "Rap, guns and sex". It's usually the worst thing for all peoples, but for some reason many black youths is getting involved in the "Rap" culture. That's their problem.

They don't need "Reperations".

They need to become moral and responsible men.

As for Jews.

The money taken back from the Swiss banks, was JEWISH money, taken in blood.

There is no bank on earth, that holds even a penny, of Black wealth. It was all traded for. Not murdered for.

6 million Jews died, and the money taken from them and their businesses, were embessled into the Swiss banks, and forgotten about after WW2.

The Swiss banks still actually owe a lot more.

I tell you the worst thing for Blacks is, "Rap, guns and sex". It's usually the worst thing for all peoples, but for some reason many black youths is getting involved in the "Rap" culture. That's their problem

You know what? I couldnt agree with you more. Blacks in order to find peace and equality have to find peace within themselves. Blacks murdering blacks will only set them farther back and we are allowing to do the crimes the white man did to our ancestors.

But you have to know that after the Civil War and during Reconstruction, blacks were basically in worser conditions than they were during slavery... THEY HAD NOTHING.

At least during slavery, the house slave was proud to serve his master because he had a bed to sleep in. Blacks today are in ghettos and projects because they had no other choice.

Here we go again...another racially motivated post.

The whites owe the blacks...the whites owe the american indians...the germans owe the jews...the annunaki owe the sumarians...the atlantians owe the continent of mu...eve owes adam...everyone owes france...blah blah blah.

Illmatic67,

Several of my close friends are black (yes, they allow me to classify them as such). It is the common thought of educated blacks that it is time to move on and grudges are no longer a viable method for excuse. Although there remains some minute degree of racial separation between educated individuals, it can't begin to compare to the same racism being applied by the millions of uneducated morons walking around on the street in a state of proverbial racial limbo.

What happened in the past cannot be altered. What happens in the future can be influenced by action taken now.

It would behoove you to attempt association with people of intelligence...if you do so with the right crowd, you will see that race has nothing to do with the education of an individual nor their contribution to society. You will also realize that nobody owes anybody anything regarding past actions taken by one race against another. It's in the past...get over it.

deleted

[Edited on 3-15-2003 by deleted]

Yeah well, you are talking about something that never before had been done in the history of the world.

Never before have "Slaves" and I mean slaves, not just the prisoner of war buy your freedom crap, but the born a slave die a slave crap that really didn't start till more recent times.

These Slaves all of a sudden were made "unslaves" which was a BIG step. So it's expected that they'd be treated MUCH worse afterwards, than all the time before.

I do think it is sad that Blacks don't recognize that their great great grandfathers did so much more to help them, then they are doing. The civil rights movement was a must to end it all once and for all, but that's now past, yet Blacks still want to "rise up against white oppressors" at least in Rap culture that's so.

Their ancestors helped them more and more, by NOT rising up, by slowly walking out of the hole we put them in, they gained respect, rather than the hatred that would have been gotten by Blacks stealing Whites houses and such and killing whites or whatever for revenge.

As for reprimands? I wouldn't mind something that'd help Blacks to realize they need to put on suits and ties not guns and attitude. But I wouldn't make it out to be like we're repaying them for their ancestor's enslavement.

Black's ancestors voiced what they felt about this "reprimand" and they recieved no such reprimand, because they didn't ask for it. So I think we should respect that, and realize that there's no way a reprimand would ever help blacks.

What would help them is if money went to turning their Ghettos into nice neighborhoods with green parks, and shinning streets of fresh layed concrete. Not the cracked and rundown crap they mostly are.

I think people partly reflect the place they live, which is why I think the first best step to help the general black, is to simply make his neighborhood nice. And not like, come in fix everything up and say "there you go."

But make them fix it up, just simply give them the gear, and say "ok here's what we want you to do, now do it."

Because as my grandma said, "You don't respect gifts, which is why you break everything. If you worked for it you would keep it in excellent condition."

Get rid of rap, get blacks, mexicans, whites all poor people, to fix up their neighborhoods, to fix up their houses, with suppervision and free equipment and supplies of course. And nothing extreme, just nailing boards back in the wall, fixing doors, windows, making parks cleaner and better. Simple things that take time so they'll not expect it to become a piece of crap.

Things like that, would help the poor greatly.

"It's not being poor that makes you poor, it's living poor." -- Unknown.

I think that afro-americans and native-americans needs reparation from europe and USA, like the ex-colonies country have from us.
I dont believe, like Malcom X or FARAKHAN that the americans black peoples should go back in Africa.
But in europe, sending back an immigrant to his country is taken as a sanction.
But I really think that the governement of the ISA have to pay a repair to slaves descendants, especially for the poorer ones.

The money itself, from the hands of the murders is a disgrace to those that died if one we to take it under their name. Does that make sense??? I don't think the type of payoff is right??? I mean should I get money because my relatives were slaughtered by the Nazis???? I don't think so. How could I accept that meaningless dead end. How about justice or remembrance, not reparation. If governments start paying money to people because they are responsible for those people's relatives deaths' than that will give the governments of the world a free ride. Any time a case came their way they could always lay down a price. That bribe will always win. The governments will just say either take the money or die, just like the mafia would work it. They would convince the party at hand that the case would be rigged to the governments liking and that they would have no chance to win the case anyway. If the person insisted on justice then the proceedings would go on and the government would win. The case will be dropped and in a matter of time once the public's eye is far from it's view than so will the person who tried to get justice be dropped. For once he is out of the media fiascos then its hunting season. Not to mention, even if the system wasn't corrupt like that, you know with all the blackmail and murder, then where would all the money come from???? Just think about all the possible reparation cases their could be. They could sue not only the government but each individual involved, so where would it stop???? It would be madness. And it's just wrong. Respect the dead, don't take their money, take their blood. You See??????

Malcolm X never said all blacks should physically go back to Africa.

He said all blacks should take a mental and spiritual trip back to Africa.

You got him confused with Earl Little, his father , and Marcus Garvey.

I have to agree with deleted. You cannot change the past, it has already happened. I'm not saying forget about the past, but if people focus their energy on the present and the future, hopefully we can make the world a better place together. I know it's easier said than done. In my eyes there is only one race, the human race.

I have to agree with deleted. You cannot change the past, it has already happened. I'm not saying forget about the past, but if people focus their energy on the present and the future, hopefully we can make the world a better place together. I know it's easier said than done. In my eyes there is only one race, the human race. Posted by Proud American

I highly agree. We should NEVER forget the past, for those who forget are doomed to repeat it. Rather, we should drop the bickering (after all, reparations are not truly feasible, based on the time lapse between present and when it happened, tracking each individuals lineage to obtain documentation of slavery, ect) but should focus that energy on solving current problems and improving the general situation for all people.

Americans of African decent have already been given "reparations" in a manner that has harmed them. It is time for assimilation into society followed by excelling.

I'll agree to my money being paid to someone for such reason once they can prove that they awere a slave and that I owned them. Other than that, I have enough of a time paying taxes and bills and trying to put money aside for my son's education and my retirement. No time for those who don't want to be responsible for themselves.

this is disgusting. i don't support reparations either. but some of the reasons you folk give makes my head ache. to start, Africans selling Africans into slavery wasn't wide spread. most of it occured during the hundred years war and was done as trade for weapons. i say that not to excuse or deny the nasty truth. but to expose the fallasy presented here as a way to try and justify slavery by saying Africans took part in it too.

secondly, folk that know nothing of the hiphop culture should not speak on it. rap music has been blended into pop-culture thus watering it down for the masses. sex and violence is not only present in some forms of hiphop culture but american pop culture in general. anyone who knows anything about hiphop culture knows that the crap you see on EM-TV isn't what we call true hiphop. the foundations of hiphop (the dance, the art, the music) came from the urban streets and is not only practiced by african americans but folk all over the world.

i for once, agree with TC, it is time for assimilation. But, at the same time one can not deny the plain fact that US Laws were discriminatory against a whole race of people on the basis of their skin color. this is illegal and immoral and the scars of public lynchings, second class status, and forced segregation don't just disappear because you want or will them to. it takes time and healing and education (which i suggest all of you need on the matter of race in this country).

Illmatic: this is the wrong place to even bring up such a debate. i have found that most folk on the internet know little to nothing about reparations or slavery for that matter. it only ends up in flames.

Wow Saphroina, I must say you prove your last sentence with flaming glory.

First off, what the hell does the 100 years war have to do with SLAVERY? It was fought in France by the French and English, during the 1300s. Blacks sold blacks into slavery for the Islam Empire and for the Spanish through out ALL time, until the Brittish cracked down on slavery during the 1800s, and then not until the last real buyer (America), gave up slavery.

You know the Russians really did help us in the Civil War, why is it not even the slave traders fought for the South? They just let their best market go up in flames? No, the Russians parked their fleets in the shipping lanes ready to fight if anyone helped the South.

Anyways, that's the wrong part of history, now to Hip-hop.

Hip-hop has less to do with Rap, than Rap would like.

I hate Rap, IT is the vulgarity, Hip-Hop is not as vulgar, and it can be considered more of an art form. The fact that so many poor peoples, especially the poor blacks, is why they are so poor off.

Slavery still continues in the "Children Slave Trade." I guess it was before 9-11? When the UN had stopped a slave ship, and they wanted to board them but it was more or less a stand off for a few days. Finally they did board them and they had already managed to dump their cargo.

I suggest you not put yourself on a pedestal regarding "race" in this country.

Slave reparations, what a load of crap. If people who are alive now who have been slaves then should have the money. as this is unlikely we should be moving forward and giving aid to where its needed. How far do you take something like this. Should the British government be seeking compensation for when the Romans invaded and took slaves I don`t think so. Move along and make the world and nicer place, don`t keep dragging up past mistakes.


There is to much stuff to deal with in todays world without making it worse flashing history in everyones faces.


Slave reparations

Originally posted by AegisFang
my perspective on the whole thing is, bring me a black man who was a slave and i'll gladly give him reperations, the jewish thing from ww2 is different though, some of the holocaust victims are still alive.

I would have to agree with this. Just because horrible things *did* happen to your ancestors does not mean that they are happening to you, so how do you justify taking money from people who *never* enslaved you, or your ancestors??! My great, great grandparents didnt enslave you, and my family before that were all Indian, so I certainly dont see why I would owe anyone money, but I especially dont see why I would owe present day african americans money because *they*,themselves,were not the ones to endure these horrible acts. YOu, as a black individual, have just as much of an ability to make soemthing great of yourself as any white person does... We are not living in times of slavery anymore. And I think that if a black person is to claim that their poorness, etc is caused by the enslavement of their ancestors, then theya re jsut makign excuses to not make anyhting of themselves,a nd that is a cycle that you should break rather than trying to justify it. Because it *is* wrong to try to take money with unjust reason. I hope you understand where I am coming from.



Also, I am a white female and have had to live a pretty rough life. Ive had to live in projects, and Ive never been rich, but Im not blaiming it on the white people who came in and took over Indian land HAH! that would be a joke.

[Edited on 16-3-2003 by mirrorsparadise]

Hammerite: I�m not talking about that hundred years war�I�m talking about the one that took place between the British and the Ashanti tribe, get a clue. There was only one known independent African slave trader; his name was Tippu-Tip. His father was a �red� arab and his mother was a pure african. He was the child of her rape and bore an insane kind of hate for Africans because of his mixed-parentage. Basically, the major trading between Africans and Europeans took place when the Europeans noticed the many pre-existing conflicts between tribes and sought to use it to their advantage. The Europeans would supply one side with guns in turn the Africans would agree to trade their captives. This wasn�t the major practice though. Most traders used raids on unsuspecting Africans because it was cheaper. So, to make myself more clear: the Ashanti are the most notorious Africans in the practice of capturing and trading slaves for weapons. They did this during the hundred years war while trying to fight off British imperialism. The practice wasn�t as wide spread as it is claimed, and it doesn�t excuse anyone who participated in this ugly business whether they be African, Arab, or European. To even bring it to make in defense of American slavery is ignorant and goes to show how far we have to go as a people before folk can say the whole business was wrong and in fact immoral without making silly irrelevant excuses.

Mirrorspardise: Have you ever heard of Jim Crow? Reparations for Jim Crow covers a huge portion of african americans alive today ( including my parents and grandparents) who were discriminated against by the laws of the United States government on the basis of their skin color--this is a simple law suit people it's not that hard to figure out. Is the government of the United States liable for the laws that were racially discriminatory against black people? Prolly not cause you guys can't even face what happened and some of you are old enough to have been a part of it.

wonder if you have some sideways witty clever comment to excuse Jim Crow. sorry i don't find 400 years of rape and humilation funny folks. you don't have to hear the stories from your parents of beatings and folk just disappearing with nothing being done. rapes and lynchings were common place where my grandparents grew up in Mississippi and those conditions was the main reason they migrated north to Indiana after my papa came home from the Korean War. that type of horror just doesn't fade into the back of your memory. so of course some seek to sue for the things that were done to their folk.



i'm just gonna let it go now.