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4meAndyou · F
I can't believe people are still debating this. Reparations is probably one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard.
FIRST of all, reparations would have to come from public tax money...garnered from people who might not be white, and who might be first generation or second generation American, so that their ancestors never lived here until VERY recently. If you take tax money away from Vietnamese or Thai Americans, or Mexican Americans, or any one of hundreds of nationalities of newbie Americans, it's like stealing from them.
My own paternal ancestors didn't arrive here till about 1870 from England. They certainly didn't participate in slavery. My great grandfather FATHERED his own workers. 12 of them.
My maternal ancestors, (some of them), were indentured to the railroad in Pennsylvania...from Scotland. So they were, themselves, (sort of), slaves.
How could anyone possibly determine which present day American citizens did or did not own slaves? How can anyone possibly determine WHICH of the present day millions of African American citizens are actually descended from African American slaves?
I have heard the facetious argument which states that...because black Americans are black, they didn't have the same advantages as white Americans. IMO, eliminate the welfare states and the projects and you will incentivize all of those who presently consider themselves to be disadvantaged, to change that.
The "Negroes need not apply" signs, that were hung outside of 1950's work sites, are not there any longer. Things have changed, dramatically. There is no longer a barrier to success.
The only thing that has NOT changed is the sense of entitlement that says we MUST pay...again. The families of American slaves were paid with 20 acres and a mule at one time...so that they could support themselves by farming. But apparently that wasn't enough. My question is...when is it going to be enough...if ever? Will the people who receive reparations today, fail to pass them on to their children? Will their children and grandchildren then demand reparations because they have not been paid?
FIRST of all, reparations would have to come from public tax money...garnered from people who might not be white, and who might be first generation or second generation American, so that their ancestors never lived here until VERY recently. If you take tax money away from Vietnamese or Thai Americans, or Mexican Americans, or any one of hundreds of nationalities of newbie Americans, it's like stealing from them.
My own paternal ancestors didn't arrive here till about 1870 from England. They certainly didn't participate in slavery. My great grandfather FATHERED his own workers. 12 of them.
My maternal ancestors, (some of them), were indentured to the railroad in Pennsylvania...from Scotland. So they were, themselves, (sort of), slaves.
How could anyone possibly determine which present day American citizens did or did not own slaves? How can anyone possibly determine WHICH of the present day millions of African American citizens are actually descended from African American slaves?
I have heard the facetious argument which states that...because black Americans are black, they didn't have the same advantages as white Americans. IMO, eliminate the welfare states and the projects and you will incentivize all of those who presently consider themselves to be disadvantaged, to change that.
The "Negroes need not apply" signs, that were hung outside of 1950's work sites, are not there any longer. Things have changed, dramatically. There is no longer a barrier to success.
The only thing that has NOT changed is the sense of entitlement that says we MUST pay...again. The families of American slaves were paid with 20 acres and a mule at one time...so that they could support themselves by farming. But apparently that wasn't enough. My question is...when is it going to be enough...if ever? Will the people who receive reparations today, fail to pass them on to their children? Will their children and grandchildren then demand reparations because they have not been paid?
