Your thoughts please?

Question

I asked a question a few days ago (which most people attacked me personally just for asking) asking whether or not you thought blacks deserve reparations. Surprising, a lot of you were against reparations for blacks. Many sited that there are no longer any "living" slaves, your ancestors were not slave owners (probably becuase they could not afford slaves),others stated that the Africans were the ones that sold their own into slavery and are more responsible.

What about the remaining psychological damage that has been passed down from generation to generation. What about the "Willie Lynch" theory that was use to control slaves. Those traits are still manifest in African Americans today. What about when slavery was "finally" abolished and we had to deal with the angry whites who did not want us to have our freedom and to a certain extent the racism is still alive today making it hard for blacks to succeed (poor education, poor housing,broken homes, unfair judicial systems). Well?

Additional Details

25 minutes ago
I would also like to add that government assistance that was supposed to be available to "everyone" was not available right away to african americans. Even if you were to deduct what "some" of us got from the government regarding assistance for housing, food and money the government whould still end up owing billions of dollars.

How do you repay blacks for the many ideas for inventions that were stolen away from them that whites took credit for and to this day they never recieved payment?

How much do you think it cost to design and build buildings, highways, railroads, etc.

What about the black women to were forced to not only be midwife to her mistress but also lover to her mistresses husband. Made to ween the masters children on her own breast milk and then made to bread just for the sake of making new slaves.

What about the horrible mutilations and psychological damage passed on from generation to generation stemming from the "Wil

Willie Lynch theory. Look it up. 14 minutes ago
I wanted to add another thought to blacks who do recieve public assistance for living. For years most of the caucasions blamed blacks for a over used welfare system. We were not allowed to indulge ourselves with those benefits until very late in the game when government funds were already depleated by those of the other race.

Another thing is that we are only approximately 12% of the population and of that 12% maybe 8% of us do receive benefits. I seriously doubt that our 8% is really wreaking as much havoc at the 38% of whites recieving benefits.

Answer 1

Hi...
I think you're right, and that black people do deserve to receive some compensation for what you have been through! I am white, but I see what all of you have been through, and still go through to this day just because of your skin color, and I think that you definitely deserve something for everything that's happened to you. Be it now, or be it in the past...it is still well deserved. In Canada, Natives are being taken care of and paid for the way they were treated in the past, so why don't the poor black people living in the States get the same treatment? I hope that this works out for you, and you all receive help that you so desperately deserve.
Take care,
Melissa

Answer 2

You make several good points that really only touch on the appalling treatment of black people and of their ancestors. I'm not sure if it is even possible to convey just how terrible blacks were, and in some ways still are, treated.

Unfortunately, it is a history that non-blacks can learn about in history books that tend to gloss over these negative parts of American history - and sometimes even "twist" the truth. We can all learn about it, but we can not all really know what it is like to have that as part of our personal and ancestral history. I'm sure it is frustrating to hear, "get over it" or, "that was a long time ago, who cares?". To those people, I say this: As Americans, it is your history, too - whether you like it or not. Forgive your forebears for their actions, but never forget. Don't see yourselves as better because you are not black - people should recognize the traits that helped the black people become the strong, proud people that they are. Learn about the accomplishments of black people that were given credit to the white man.

I am not black, so I can't fully understand how your history affects you, the decendant of slaves. However, I am 3/4 Seneca so I can understand having a history that affects your ancestors to this day. In no way would I compare the history of black people to the history of Native Americans except to say that both groups, to one degree or another, got the shaft.

I agree somewhat that black people should get reparations. However, if blacks should get reparations, then wouldn't it follow that these reparations should also be given to Native Americans, women, Japanese Americans and every other group that was wronged? In an ideal world, maybe - which it is not. I honestly don't think we could afford it. It definitely would have been a better way to spend the billions (or is it trillions?) of dollars we are spending on the "war on terror".

If we, as a country, are unable to make monetary reparations, we should at least teach our children the true history not only of African Americans but also of Native Americans, Japanese Americans and whoever else we aren't told the whole truth about. These are histories that I did not learn until college - in a class that was not required. Wouldn't you agree that this would be a better form of restitution? One can do more with knowledge than with a check from the government.

Answer 3

READ THIS PLEASE:
As an African American I feel that reparations are unnecessary. Yes, slavery was horrible and it's effects are still felt today in some way. However, despite slavery and segregation black people have risen above prejudice and discrimination (both with and without the help of of those who sympathized with our cause). Black history is strong and we have a lot to be proud of. With that being said, we do not need reparations. As black people we shouldn't hold onto the mentality that we are still the underdogs and are victims of white society and white oppression. I'm not saying that discrimination and prejudice does not exist, because it clearly does. However, I am saying that the government and the ancestors of white slave owners can keep their money, because black people have never needed it (and will continue not to). If you believe that black people are owed reparations, I would encourage you to revisit black history to find the pride of the African American people (because there is a lot to be proud of) and base on your success not on what is handed to you, but on what you can create. That's what being an AFRICAN American is all about.

Answer 4

There will be no reparations. As it should be. The concept is just as silly as a stay-at-home Mom attempting to convert her domestic contribution to a monetary value. (I believe it was determined to be over $130,000 annually) Besides, it wasn't the lack of a wages that made slavery an abherration.

The things you said have merit. And it's true that the effects of slavery are still reverberating. That's the nature of life: The forest takes time to recover after a fire. Even if someone were held responsible for setting that fire, the loss of the forest must be endured and there can never be adequate compensation.

I think you are just repeating somebody else's words and not speaking from your heart. The only thing you can ask is that change be made going forward. And, I believe, that has already been done for you.

Answer 5

By your reasoning then, every woman should be able to demand reparations from the government because until the 20's none of the women could vote and for a long time they couldn't own property. They were considered their father's and then husband's property to do with what they would. They were baby making machines. Couldn't work outside the home, own property or have their own money. They couldn't even have control of their own bodies and use contraceptives.

Every heritage could claim some sort of reparations of the government. My goodness, the Native Americans should then have the right to demand that we give the whole country back to them as it was theirs first.

And I should then be allowed to go over to Europe and demand reparations from Belgium and Germany for what they did to my ancestors.

No, we don't have a perfect system, but I do believe there should be a statute of limitations on any reparations or it only keeps the cycle going. No offence to any race/creed/color, but I think that people these days are too quick to blame every one and anything but themselves for failing to do well or succeed in life. And by succeeding, I dont' mean money. My parents were paycheck-to-paycheck and I think they are very successful.

There are just as many Caucasians that come from poor homes, poor education and broken homes as African-Americans. I don't think that whites are as militant or verbal about it as African-Americans.

Why should it suprise you that many are against reparations against African-Americans. It happened a long time ago and was something that our country should be ashamed of but we shouldn't have to go on paying.

As to the psychological damage, how can you say it's the white man's fault and blame him after all this time that's passed. It's the result of the generations that came before you for not working against it and teaching their children to forgive and to go on with life. What happened, happened and we can't change it now. It's the same as if you come from an abusive home, you don't pass the damage on to future generations. In my mind, that's just more excuses for not taking control of your own life and responsibility for your own actions.

But these are just my thoughts.....

Answer 6

i am an african american, and reparations has nothing to do with slave owners. the gov. made that promise not the slave owners to give reps. most of us are related to those slave owners, whether we are white or black.
you are right, most responders to the ? have no ancestrial ties to slavery because most of their great-great grand parents were immigrants dealing with their own "New-American" issues well after slavery and some not long before it ended.
poverty was one factor. who cares about the other reasons.
reps will never be paid to african americans no matter how many times the issue comes up.
don't forget that not every african during that time was a slave.

i'm not looking for reps but others like me may feel it's overdue and time for uncle sam to pay up.

oh yea, i bought the "willie lynch letters" book. i could not read it. it was too erie to read so i gave it to my english instructor. i doubt it if he even read the first page.

Answer 7

By that same logic, why should all women not get reparations for the centuries of oppression by men, considering that women were chattle long before blacks and long after too, still even today in some parts of the world? It's a nice thought, but not realistic or fair. The best we (as women) or you (as an African-American) can do is try to live our lives to the fullest here and now as a tribute to those less fortunate before us.

Answer 8

I think that a lot of us don't really get this, because a lot of us are only 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation American. I don't think the majority of people in America are directly decended from the criminals of which you speak - which include Christopher Columbus, i might add (though he did more to wipe out entire tribes in the Carribbean than he did with Africans).

I know personally, my Grandparent on both sides (and my husband Grandparents) arrived here in their early adulthood and worked hard to become american citizens and fought their own discrimination, because they were foreign. My German Grandmother arrived here right after the war and was tormented and attacked as if she herself had been hitler.

I think discrimination (and slavery) is a terrible thing and it should be wiped out of our existence. But do you think that everyone who is white should have to pay for what those people did 200 years ago - even those who's ancestors could have had nothing to do with it? Isn't that sort of discrimination too?

The psychological damage is just as you say - passed down from generagtion to generation. That needs to stop. How much power are you going to give those ignorant bastards? How long will they be able to have a hold over you and oppress your people?

I have found that people very often get what they expect in this world - and absolutely no offense intended - I think that you need to stop looking for and expecting to find this kind of garbage. You will get what you expect - and as long as there are lots of folks expecting to get the short end of the stick because of their race, creed or religion, they surely will.

Try an experiment. Go into a bookstore with an attitude of "no one will help me because I am black" - repeat it over and over again while you are in the store - ask for help in finding a book, complain, or quibble about your change even. Then do the exact same thing at a different bookstore - but this time, change your attitude to "everyone is always so happy to help me". Repeat it over and over again in your mind and try to convince yourself of it as you follow the same steps - ask for help, complain, quibble about your change - and just see if people don't treat you differently.

The power is within us - each and every one of us. We can inflame the problem or we can neutralize the problem - it is our choice. I wish you peace and love and success beyond your wildest dreams.

Answer 9

I don't know where you're getting your statistics from, but you should check things out better. Example: looking at schools where I just moved to, in the five schools in my district, every school has over 50 percent blacks and over 50 percent receives free lunches.... PUBLIC ASSISTANCE. The blacks are owed just as much as everyone else... NOTHING. That stuff happened a long time ago, and people need to quit using the past as a crutch. It didn't happen to them so they need to get a life. We all have the same opportunities in life, it is what we do with our lives that matter, you cannot change the past, only learn from others mistakes and move on.

Answer 10

what did blacks want more than anything? the answer is equality...with reparations there would be no equality...most people would see them as getting handouts (which they are) and if you start with blacks getting reparations then you need to include native americans (by giving them back their land), japanese (for how they were treated in ww2), jews (for the holocaust), chinese (for the way we treated them in the 1800's), and muslims (for how they are being treated now)...when will it end? never (by your thinking) because everyone has been wronged at least once...just get over it...you can never learn anything from the past if you keep wanting to relive it...just my opinion...

Answer 11

Slavery represented a very dark page in the history of America, but reparations would create resentment between those who receive them and those who do not.