Should African Americans get reparations

@Richard65 what do you call coming to terms with it?

@specman do you think it's all in the past and has no relevance today? Do you think
the subject should be taught in American schools?

@Richard65 I think the history of the United States should be taught to teach people about the history of their great nation. I think there is still racism today all races are subjected to it. I think discrimination will always be here. For the simple fact you have to be discriminating when trying to rid it.

@specman you didn't answer my question and instead created a disingenuous word salad in order to minimise the impact of slavery. Yes, there's still racism today, but we're not talking about just racism, we're talking about the subjugation and enslavement of a particular race, who were enslaved by a so-called "enlightened" nation, made up of a society who were supposedly against tyranny, and which launched a revolution against tyranny because it believed in freedom for all men.

So, specifically, do you think the abhorrent history of slavery in the USA and how despicable it was, and how hypocritical were its foundations, should be taught in US schools today?

@Richard65 we tend to learn from history. I didn’t try to not give you an answer, I thought I was giving you an answer. I don’t believe in reparations though. That would be like having someone that wasn’t involved in a horrible situation pay money to people that didn’t go through a horrible situation. I think it is insane for someone to ask for reparations that didn’t go through something. It seems to me that someone just wants free money.

@specman you're mistaking slavery as a past event with no direct impact on contemporary society. But, even in 2024, you are still enjoying the fruits of the wealth created by slavery and the societal and cultural infrastructure it financed. As am I, here in the UK. Both of our countries are still benefitting from the effects of the enslavement of Black people. As far as that goes, slavery is a contemporary issue and it needs to be taught in all its grisly detail.

Reparations risk shutting that issue down for good, as white people will consider the debt "paid". It isn't about the money, it's about being held accountable for the abhorrent profiteering we enjoyed and still enjoy.

@Richard65 if it isn’t about the money then why ask for it?

What are you talking about? What do you mean we are still benefiting from slavery?

@specman seriously? You don't understand how you're still benefitting from slavery? Then you're not really qualified to offer an informed opinion, just like many others on here.

Yes, some people DO ask for reparations, but I'm not responsible for their opinions, so why ask me? I've offered you my reasons for saying they shouldn't be given, and I know many Black people who don't want it either. What they want is for the West to allow the discussion to form part of the national discourse and the honest teaching of the subject in schools

@Richard65 tell me how we’re benefiting from slavery? That’s a fair question.

@Reason10 fascists enjoyed using capitals to get their message across too, so you're in good company.

And you think people can offer an uninformed opinion on a profound and extremely complex issue? How very stupid of you and so typical of a Trump supporter. You're clearly not qualified to post a comment here either.

@Richard65 You think you can tell people if they are qualified to speak on here! ha! ha! ha! Because they disagree with you? Are you a member of a specific group?

@specman I'm just far more informed than you are on a very complex issue that relies on an informed opinion. You're free to comment on it, I just pointed out that you weren't qualified to comment on it because you clearly lacked the depth of knowledge about the subject to offer a qualified opinion.

If you had a brain tumour, would you rely on the knowledge of a brain surgeon or would you take advice from a guy who works at Walmart? You'd rely on the guy who understood the issue and knew what he was talking about, because he'd be qualified to offer you that opinion. It's not rocket science.

@Richard65 you think you are well informed. You try to insult anyone with a different opinion. You act as if you have the only answer. News flash you don’t know as much as you give credit to your self

@specman you don't know me or how much I know, but I'm clearly more informed than you are. So there's another unqualified comment you've made.

@Richard65 I know of people like you! You like to put yourself above everyone else.

@specman no, I just like to put myself above racists and bigots.

@Richard65 yeah you call anyone that has a different opinion as yours.