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I'm all in favor of slavery reparations . . .

I'm completely in favor of slavery reparations . . .

But the current approach is untenable. Will 50 states have 50 different standards for qualification, and different payout formulas? California seems to be in the forefront of this issue – even though they were always a free state, and never had slavery. What's to stop black Americans from moving to California by the millions to get “their share”? The same sort of internal migration that is happening into legalized pot states to camp on sidewalks, collect welfare benefits, etc?

Reparations is an issue that needs guardrails around it – a national standard. I don't want some future supreme court case (“Ho v. Quaid”?) muddying the waters with a razor thin majority decision. One which declares some state programs legal, other illegal, and still others subject to 25 years of future litigation, as politicians hope for a “rebalancing” of the justices between political parties.

So . . in the interest of helping our great nation arrive at an equitable solution which applies to ALL states, here goes my list of suggestions

1. You cannnot collect slavery reparations if you moved here after the civil war. Period. Hard stop. Your ancestors were never slaves. And don't hurry to get your nieces and cousins over before the payout. Limited to ACTUAL descendants of slaves, not posers.

2. You cannot collect slavery reparations if you are in jail for a capital offense like murder. Or are a drug kingpin. Or have a net worth of millions because you're a big time rapper, Neo Nazi sneaker endorser, sports superstar, famous actor, etc. Back of the bus for you guys.

3. If you're behind on child support, your reparations check goes FIRST to your baby momma and her struggling kids. If there's any money left over, you can laugh all the way to the bank, homie . ..

4. A special tax – either one time, or ongoing – must be approved by congress to pay for slavery reparations. We are so NOT adding trillions more to the national debt because of this. Each American family already owes $300,000 in accumulated federal debt– this is why we're all living paycheck to paycheck. And no cutting federal funding for things like public schools, medical care, veterans benefits, etc. to cover reparations. These are important programs too.

5. The new tax – if and when it is implemented – is only applicable to you if your white ancestors arrived BEFORE the civil war. If they were refugees from world war 1, world war 2, korea, vietnam, etc … you can put a big fat zero in this line item on your tax return.

6. Acceptance of the reparations payment, and/or depositing the check, releases all federal, county, and municipal governments from future litigation and liability over slavery. It is not an admission of guilt – reparations are a good faith effort to redress grievous mistakes made by a bunch of people who died hundreds of years ago.

7. Chinese “coolie” labor, used to build parts of the transcontinental railroad, is not covered by this program

8. Whites who were brought to America under similar contract worker programs during colonial times are also excluded from collecting reparations – nannies; farmhands; lumberjacks; miners; shipwrights; stonemasons – these men (and women) were paid for their work, and in many cases got free land when their contracts were up. Some even went on to own slaves . .

9. Current H1B work visa holders are not eligible under this program. You may, in fact, be getting paid “below average wages” compared to native born programmers, engineers, and doctors . . .but you went into this with your eyes open. Look before you leap. You are NOT a slave, you're simply an exploited worker. And less exploited than uber drivers, Starbucks baristas, and amazon “pickers”.

10. Native Americans – Sorry, but I don't have a good answer for you. Most of YOUR ancestors stole their hunting grounds from other, more peaceful tribes, and kidnapped their women, and tortured their men to death. You should be ashamed. Continue to litigate, if you think you can make a case. We will watch your progress with “great interest”, as emperor Palpatine put it in that Star Wars prequel.

Are we good then? Still want to proceed? Okay – I see a hand up in the back. Yes – Rhode Island – what is your question? Okay, I heard that – this week one of your Latinx politicians proposed slavery reparations, even though you were among the most northern and free-est liberal states among the 13 colonies. WTF are you thinking? You even proposed payouts to white Rhode Island residents. Explain to me – and to America – why this isn't just some crazy stunt to swing votes in an election. I'm waiting . ..
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justbob · 61-69, M
A hundred and fifty years is a pretty long time. Everybody who ever owned a slave and thus should pay reparations is dead. So are all of their children and probably even all of their grandchildren.

Everybody who ever was a slave is dead. So are all of their children and probably even all of their grandchildren.

Everybody who might reasonably be expected to pay reparations for slavery is dead and so is everybody who might reasonably be expected to receive such reparations.

Nobody with a functioning brain seriously thinks that reparations make sense at this point in time.

It's like expecting Italy to pay reparations to Greece for how the Romans treated the Macedonians. Nobody alive today was a victim and nobody alive today is guilty.

The idea is so stupid that I have a hard time thinking that anybody coud credit it for any but some opportunistic selfish motive.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@justbob Pay for Jim Crow; it's still alive.
@Diotrephes The last of jim Crow laws died in the 70s...but hey, Dinemocrats eere responsible for Jim Crow as well as slavery. Get them to pay reparations.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@BizSuitStacy Thanks for the daily joke.
@Diotrephes given your comment about Jim Crow laws still being active, you are the joke.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@BizSuitStacy It seems like you are ignorant about stop and frisk laws and the American criminal justice system.
@Diotrephes ohhh...well, by all means, please explain to us how stop and frisk legalized racial segregation.
Diotrephes · 70-79, M
@BizSuitStacy Stop and frisk is a product of Jim Crow and sundown towns. If a Black person was in the "wrong" area at the wrong time the Slave patrollers could stop and frisk him or even throw him in jail.

"In 1936, Miami Beach enacted Ordinance 457, which required more than 5,000 seasonal workers at hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs, as well as domestic servants, to register with police and to be photographed and fingerprinted. Once registered, those workers — many of whom were black — had to carry ID cards at all times in the city.

Decades after the law was passed, Miami Beach Police would sometimes conduct spot checks to make sure workers were in compliance. Jet magazine reported in February 1952 that Miami Beach Police pulled over buses carrying "peaceful Negro commuters" and arrested 17 people for not complying with the law."
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/remembering-miami-beachs-shameful-history-of-segregation-and-racism-8306647

When Rudy G was NYC mayor, he really pushed stop and frisk as a way for the Slave Patrollers to harass Black people.
SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F
@Diotrephes live and learn. the media keeps telling us "stop and frisk" is a policy implemented by NYC and other metropolitcan police departments (under blue control for decades) intended to get guns off the streets, especially when concealed by "persons prohibited" (parolees and violent convicts). i never imagined that the rural south, with people living far apart in tar paper shacks, came up with this. why have the NYC police embraced it so emphatically?
@Diotrephes Blah blah blah...Jim Crow laws were implemented to legalize segregation. Stop and frisk isn't a law. And it didn't lead to segregation.

Thanks for playing.