NationStates Jolt Archive


Whats the deal with Reperations?

12345543211
16-02-2005, 03:24
I mean come on, every year the same guy introduces a bill to give "African Americans" money because their ancestors suffered "hardships". First of all, if a bill doesnt get passed the first time it sure as hell wont get passed the second time its introduced, especially with more Republicans coming in. But second the key term is ancestors. They didnt suffer anything. Third, isnt being allowed to stay in this country enough for reperations? Lincoln planned to send all blacks back to Africa, Liberia was formed and only 3,000 blacks wanted to go, and so they went. But Im sure if you asked black people nowadays whether they would rather:
A:Be living in Africa and never have had their ancestors have been slaves. or
B:Be living in the US and have had their ancestors had been slaves.

Probably 100% would chose B.



Second issue, you may have noticed up top I wrote "African Americans"

That is because the term is BS. Why should we say that? Why cant we say blacks. They say white. Yet we have to say "African American, Asian, Native American." While they dont have to say "European American" to them its just white. What is the deal with that? Can someone help me here? Oh and lets not forget the ever famous "Latino and Hispanic"

My ideal society is white, red, black, yellow and tan.
Roach-Busters
16-02-2005, 03:27
It's stupid, agreed. I never owned a slave. No one else I know ever owned a slave. I don't know any slaves. There are no living slaves or slaveowners. Why the hell should we have to pay reparations?
Reaper_2k3
16-02-2005, 03:33
a very low fraction of black people in this country are african american. at least native americans have something. you do know you have to have proven you have a certain fraction of native american blood in you to be legally native american? we should do the same shit to black people. you wanna be african american? your great grandmother better have shipped her ass her from africa
Andaluciae
16-02-2005, 03:36
It's not even like my family lived in the south at any time before the Civil War. My family lived in Ohio, Pennsylvannia and New York, three non-slave states.
12345543211
16-02-2005, 03:37
How could you possibly know my roots? I dont thin everyone had a baby with a native American, even though my roots can trace back to the 1630s in America.
12345543211
16-02-2005, 03:38
It's not even like my family lived in the south at any time before the Civil War. My family lived in Ohio, Pennsylvannia and New York, three non-slave states.

You obviously dont read the history books, or you would have known that for a long period of time slavery was legal in the north

When George Washington lived in PA, he had some slaves, but PA at that time had slave laws so you could only keep slaves for like, 3 or 5 years in that state so he rotated his slaves to NJ, and Delaware to not break the law, funny huh? Also, once one of his slaves escaped and when the authorities captured her she said "I will come back if I can be released when you die." His responce was "Why should you be rewarded for disobeying me?"

Fun Fact about Ben Flanklin:In political meetings he sat at the front aisle seats and would trip the other politicians.

Fun Fact about Brotislava: YOU MADE OUT WITH YOUR SISTER!
Selgin
16-02-2005, 03:39
The general argument is that because of slavery, "African-Americans" are less economically well-off than they would have been - more in poverty, crime, etc.

Some on the right have argued that reparations have already been made, in the form of affirmative action, both in the universities and in government or civil contracting.

My argument is that while discrimination may still exist, the blatant discrimination that existed is no longer tolerated or prevalent. Witness the trouble Trent Lott got into when he praised Strom Thurmond, who was previously a segregationist. Continuing affirmative action, not to mention reparations, simply drives a wedge between the races and makes race relations worse. In colleges, I have seen anecdotes where blacks felt entitled just because they had a hard life, and the whites were resentful because they felt, true or not, that the blacks did not deserve to be there because they got there only because of their race, not because of hard work and dedication in academics.

Reparations is a very divisive issue. Why should I pay for the sins of my ancestors? Why are the descendants of the true African-American slaves deserving of that money? Another wedge issue for politicians to exploit and worsen race relations.
Andaluciae
16-02-2005, 03:40
You obviously dont read the history books, or you would have known that for a long period of time slavery was legal in the north.
Oh no, I know that, but same goes, my family didn't emigrate here until post-northern abolition.
12345543211
16-02-2005, 03:43
Oh no, I know that, but same goes, my family didn't emigrate here until post-northern abolition.

Fair enough.

But as for the post above yours.

Everyone came to this country with nothing. And when you go from generation to generation the blacks are mostly responsible for there own poverty. Did you know at one time 51% of Americans lived in the city? So why were the blacks the only ones who couldnt make it out?
Selgin
16-02-2005, 03:51
Fair enough.

But as for the post above yours.

Everyone came to this country with nothing. And when you go from generation to generation the blacks are mostly responsible for there own poverty. Did you know at one time 51% of Americans lived in the city? So why were the blacks the only ones who couldnt make it out?
Look, I agree with you, reparations should not be made. However, it is entirely reasonable to say that the reason many could not "make it out" is because they were not allowed to, at least in the South, until the civil rights movement in the 60's. I would argue that after that, the welfare system actually perpetuated the poverty-stricken state that many were trying to break out of after the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act was passed in the 60's, and segregation was abolished. Hell, if I could get free money, and that's all I knew growing up, I don't know that I wouldn't try to stay that way.
Armed Bookworms
16-02-2005, 04:05
It's stupid, agreed. I never owned a slave. No one else I know ever owned a slave. I don't know any slaves. There are no living slaves or slaveowners. Why the hell should we have to pay reparations?
Sadly, this is not true. What is true however is that there is currently much more slavery on the african continent than anywhere else. Actually, I don't know how bad it's on the asian continent, so that might not be true.