Please read and give me your opinion....?

Question

First: I am not a racist at all. I feel each race has good and bad people. I say that cause I know others will say that this is a racially motivated question.
I saw a show on television one night about black culture, slavery, discrimination and the civil rights movement. There were a couple of men on there that were some type of supposed expert and they were saying that white people as a race owe money to the black race because of slavery and discrimination. I was shocked to here this. Why would we owe any other race money for what was done in past generations? Slavery happened in the 1800’s and earlier. No one living nowadays was ever a slave or owned a slave during those times. I realize that there are a lot of people living today who have been discriminated against, but it is not just blacks. I will admit that upon tracing my family tree, I discovered that my great-great grandfather owned a plantation and also owned slaves, but I didn’t. Why do I owe anyone money for something I had nothing to do with? Why does anyone living nowadays? These men on TV said that whites should be taxed and the money given to black people. This just sounds insane to me. Anyone else, black , white, Asian, middle eastern, whatever, care to comment?

Answer 1

They were talking about reparations which is a stupid idea. To honestly seek "reparations", they should trace back to who sold the blacks into slavery. That however would be back to other blacks in Africa, thus crushing their racism cry.

Answer 2

I think you're referring to "reparations." Here's more detail on that: After slavery was outlawed, the government declared that former slaves would be given reparations as an "I'm sorry". These reparations consisted of an acre of land and a donkey. Of course, the reparations never really materialized.

So now there is an unpaid debt, and a common argument is that the ancestors of these slaves should be paid these reparations.

Now here's where the argument branches off. The first argument is that the reparations are more a matter of principle than anything else. If you take the cost equivalent of one acre of land and one donkey and divide it up amongst the hundreds of decendents of one former slave, they'll get pennies. It's the principle of the thing that matters.

The second argument is that interest needs to be added on to the reparations. That makes the monetary sum much more substantial.

In theory, it is the government, not individual white people, that needs to pay the reparations, which would only go to decendents of former slaves. I question whether those experts were really experts. Reparations is not about white people as a race giving money to black people as a race.

I know I'll pitch a fit if anyone tries to tax me to cover reparations. I'm a first generation American, my family was no where near this country during U.S. slavery. A lot of people are in similiar situations, which is why such a tax will never, ever happen.

Answer 3

I agree with you, no way it is equitable, but there are a few families that have so much more money than others due to free labor provided by slave that should on their own be willing to give money to black colleges and other organization as a good will faith and give back to society.
The homestead act was also a problem even after slavery was banned, read your history and if nothing else you'll feel bad for these poor bastards

Answer 4

It is not only black people that have been made into slaves. There are just as many whites, orientals, and others who were made slaves. In fact all cultures are guilty of turning conquered peoples into slaves. It was not about skin color. It was about accumulating wealth.

Are we then going to turn around, as a whole nation, and give back all our lands and tear down our homes because we're encroaching on the Indian's homeland?

Ridiculous is ridiculous, no matter what color of skin we happen to wear.

Answer 5

Yes, I have heard of this. Some organization was trying to get a bill to congress to see if it would pass or something.
Its similar to the American Indians, only they were given land.
Racist or not, the White man has always oppressed other non -whites and well, just look at history.
Good luck with more answers.

Answer 6

The theory is that past racism denied opportunities to families that impact the success those families have been able to have since. Payment would help families that have experienced racism to seek new opportunities to which they would otherwise have had access.

Personally I don't agree with the idea of payment AT ALL, but that's the theory behind it.

Answer 7

i don't think this generation owes anything to past generation's mistakes
however, you are wrong when you say there are no slaves in the world anymore...

Answer 8

I BELIEVE AMERICAN BLACKS SHOULD SEEK REMUNERATION FROM THE AFRICANS WHO SOLD THEIR ANCESTORS INTO SLAVERY IN THE FIRST PLACE. THEY WERE THE FIRST TO MAKE PROFITS FROM THE SLAVE TRADE AND SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO PAY IT BACK.

Answer 9

I will only pay for what I do wrong. I have no control over what our forefathers did so I refuse to be held responsible.

Answer 10

Yeah, B.

Dem ****** be whack!