Should African Americans collect reparation checks?

Question

I think that black people should not collect reparation checks, for they sold each other into slavery. Instead, I believe a program should be instated for those who complain about slavery, yet have not experienced it. The program should be named "Slave Labor," where we provide them with ample work opportunities, and a valuable learning experience.

What is your take?

Answer 1

Find me an African-American who, right now, is a victim of slavery, and I'll personally right him his check.

Until then, enough with the reparations. I shouldn't be awarded money because my great grandparents were treated poorly.

Answer 2

First, there is not a single former slave alive today. If there were they would certainly be due just compensation for their labor, but the ancestors of atrocities do not deserve compensation in any way. As a precedent for this point of view, from the last century, let us look at how the compensation of slave labor during the holocaust of World War II has been handled. The thousands of people that survived that inequity are being compensated by both the government of Germany and by the companies that gained from their forced labor, and rightfully so. But their children have no inherited right to collect for the uncompensated labor of their parents. Certainly the grandchildren and great grandchildren of American slaves never experienced the appalling life of slavery, and therefore, like the children of Jews and others enslaved in Germany 50 years ago, they have no claim for themselves.

Secondly, blacks do not have a monopoly on living in poverty in this country. According to the latest census data approximately 30 percent of blacks and whites live in poverty. Hispanics unfortunately have an even higher percentage living below the poverty line. All this current day poverty can not be attributed to a disgusting institution that was ended 150 years ago. It can however be attributed to present day governmental policy. There should be a monumental effort made by the government, at all levels, to get all Americans out of poverty, but a policy centered on only one race is just as wrong as slavery was.

Thirdly, slavery could not have existed without the complicity of black Africans who supplied most of the unfortunate humans that were sold into this dreadful condition. It was not just whites that kept this retched institution going for over 200 years. In addition, there were over 200,000 white Americans that paid the ultimate retribution during the Civil War, when they gave their lives to end slavery. The reparation debt owed to slaves was paid a long time ago when the North won the Civil War and freed them.

Answer 3

I don't want nobody to give me nothing, Open up the door and I'll get it myself!......James Brown.

Being old enough to experience overt racism I can tell you bigotry and ignorance go hand in hand, you obviously don't know or in denial that until the late 60's blacks were denied the educational and employment benefits which whites take for granted.

That the free labor of slavery and the cheap labor of sharecroppers and to this day immigrants supported the foundation of America's wealth.

And I agree with your program for Slave Labor and you should experience it first hand, then we will see what your perceptions are.

You are a bigot because you are uneducated and weak, being uneducated means you are no longer at the apex of wealth in America, Those who do not strive to be educated or work hard will fall by the wayside Black White or other, While I don't believe in reparations either because I feel it will make our people weaker taking handouts, Had you researched the subject you would have known besides Native Americans Japanese Americans have received reparations.

As for the so called minority set asides when I became a Firefighter in a large city years ago there was some discussion at the dinner table that blacks were taking the jobs, upon review it was found that all of the Blacks in the station had indeed scored higher on the entrance exam than those complaining in fact several of us maxxed it plus I had 10 points for veterans preference.

It was further noticed to their chagrin that each of the complainees had numerous higher ranking family members in the department and many outright flaunted the fact that they could get choice assignments because of it.
So in fact they were complaing about perceived affirmative action when they were benefitting from nepotism.

While most of America has simply educated themselves and moved on the uneducated bigots of all races complain about what they don't have that the other has and they feel they are entitled to.....Survival of the fittest, We found out the hard wat that life isn't fair!

Other than that 281BiGurl has expressed my sentiments beautifully.

Answer 4

You people are hillarious....We should be happy we didn't get sent back to Africa? O thank you massa for the opportunity that you provided me...not...What makes you think that after enslaving a people for hundreds of years that once the slavery is over then everything is fine. I do not agree with reparations simply because I am a college educated female that will succeed as well or better than my white counterparts. However, to even imply that racism or negative influences have completely disappeared makes you one of four things
1) an idiot, which from your responses, most of you seem to be
2) a racist..
3) blind
4)all of the above
There are still racist hate crimes going on today..but yet nobody thinks racism exists...as to a response about blacks being the most racist...when was the last time you saw an African American dragging a white man through the dirt until his body is ripped apart??? When did the vicious mutilation of Emmit Teal happen to a white boy...anybody who can answer this, i will open a new question and give you ten points my damn self...but i know i won't have to because it HASN'T happened..bet you don't even know who emmet teal is do ya?...racist f***ers
and by the way lisa...your nazi forefathers fought alongside African Americans...and learn your history dummy...the major cause of the civil war was not to free the slaves.it was about succesion from the union, Lincoln did everything in his power to keep the slaves enslaved.

Answer 5

I think that your as much an idiot, as the few that have asked for reparation checks. Teaching someone to appreciate how good they have it now by forcing them into slave labor, is as asinine as me showing you how
good breathing is by strangling you.

To 281Bigurl- Your right there has been alot of atrocities committed by whites against blacks, Slavery being the biggest, but being a racist goes both ways. Black people did sell the slaves to white people, That makes both guilty. But not all blacks and not all whites. Slavery is still very much alive in Africa today. Whites have murdered blacks for no reason other than the color of their skin, and held them back in jobs. I also know what happens to white people that walk down Truce St in KC at night. For no other reason that they are white.
Maybe it would be good if we started just saying were all Americans and were all neighbors. Hating a whole group of people because of skin color, religion,or even politics is just the sign of a lack of self esteem and intelligence.

Answer 6

Here' my take. I don't remember owning slaves, I don't own a damn cotton field. I don't know any americans nowadays that own slaves. I don't know any african americans who were once slaves. So what is the point? Are Jewish people going to start hounding germany for reparation checks? It's been take out of context. No they should not receive reparation checks, we don't "owe" them anything! They just want something else to complain about. It is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion.

Answer 7

i'm individually not sure how i've got faith approximately this. almost ten instances as many African human beings have been enslaved as there have been exterminated Jews. How precisely could considered one of those sum of money magically look? i don't unavoidably have faith it honest to declare that African human beings are the poorest race in u . s . a ., the two. loss of money isn't the subject, it rather is the certainty that discrimination nonetheless occurs the place unquestionably everyone seems to be extra probable to help damaging white human beings rather than damaging black or Hispanic human beings. Do African human beings deserve reparations? specific.. do modern-day African human beings deserve them? i'm nonetheless thinking approximately that one.

Answer 8

Personally I don't know any black people that get or request reparation checks, but if they are getting one I want one too, because I'm Jewish! lol About the hate crime thing, hate crimes happen to everybody these days. I grew up in neighborhoods being the only white girl. I know hate crimes and racism do still exist, but it isn't soley directed towards black people. People target everybody and anybody who isn't like them.

***I say "black" istead of African-American only, because all of my friends tell me to call them black, because they personally are not from Africa. So I in no way meant to offend anybody with that.***

Answer 9

could you people be more ignorant.........are you not aware that there were countles african americans in the civil war......Did you not attend the 6th grade! I know many african americans, at school, work, ect. and have never not ONCE heard somone complain of wanting reparation checks. This question is just an excuse for you and other ignorant people to voice their racist opinions, you people disgust me.

Answer 10

They have been given reparations for the last 50 years, it's called affirmative action and welfare. Of which neither has really worked because handouts don't work. 'give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day....teach him to fish and he'll eat for a life time....if you teach him to fish but he doesn't want to then let him starve!