Do any of you know what "Restitution" is?

Question

If you do, What do you think Obama's take on it is?

The reason I ask is that African Americans believe that all of America owes them for enslaving their ancestors. and want compensation, ie, land back, etc. And so, that question should be asked of Obama.

Answer 1

First off, two things have been discussed:
1. The USA government apologizing.
2. Apologizing and paying some sort of restitution.

An apology in itself is not restitution. Your question refers to restitution but I'll go over both. There have been many governments that have apologized for ancestral governmental mistakes...

I'm ok with an apology just as Germany has apologized to the Jewish ppl and their families...

As for restitution, that is complicated.

I see both sides...

One side is saying:
Why should we have to sacrifice for things we did not participate in...our ancestors did... sure some white families made gains on the backs of slaves but not all citizens today have ancestors that participated in slavery, etc..

The African American community is saying:
Our ancestors helped build this country and aided in the advancement of the white race overall... while we were oppressed... couldn't even go to school... that stuff like that trickles down through the generations... therefore they should be compensated.

So you see, I do understand both side. The resolution should be more like the Jewish one related to corporations in Germany that profited off of Jewish genocide. Several German corporations have had to give monies to the Jewish ppl; BUT, they gave monies directly to survivors of the Holocaust not their children, etc... meaning you had to have lived during that era.

There is a dilemma when there is no living slaves at this pt...

The problem is 'how do you know whom to target exactly?' You can't make all of society pay the price for an act that not all ppl participated in.

Answer 2

Restitution is pure bulls**t!!

I'm native American and I don't believe anyone from this or the last 3 generations owe my people anything for the forced slavery in reservations. This whole restitution crap is being spewed by racists like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton in order to further their careers as media whores. What is lost on these a&&holes is that a great many white men and women gave their lives in the Civil War in order to preserve the Union and end slavery.

Answer 3

According to my Funk & Wagnal RESTITUTION is:
n 1: a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury
2: the act of restoring something to its original state
3: getting something back again; "upon the restitution of the
book to its rightful owner the child was given a tongue
lashing"
Now, what does that have to do with Sen. Obama?

Answer 4

Restitution means to reinstate into the status as before. Barack Obama wanted to reinstate something.

Answer 5

Sorry, but this was the only way to contact you since you don't have e-mail access...you responded with:
"You know who would be a good President in your eyes? Bill Gates! Instead of giving all of those millions to another country, we could use it."
No, not so-Bill Gates is NOT a politician and it is HIS money so he gets to choose where and how to spend it. I am talking about a well-known politician in the running (i.e. Hilary Clinton) who could raise funds from other sources to use as I wrote.

Answer 6

Leave him alone he has been doing fine. He will wash out without the political slurs. I think he is just to honest to be a good politician. I give him a great deal of credit.

Answer 7

restitution....The act of restoring, or money to be paid for compensation of loss or injury

Answer 8

Is there a point to your question? Spit it out, it would be much easier to answer. Or ignore.