And lastly there is the FACT of precidence.
“Yet reparations have been made to Japanese Americans and Native American Indians, at least to some degree. Remorse has been expressed by the Government to both groups. Yet the United States Govenment has never apoligized nor acknowledged the wrongs done with slavery and its actions/attitudes in the over a century since that time.”
Perhaps Michael Medved would like to dispute these facts. He cannot nor can any person against reparations. That is why they seek out any and every other argument.
As for how to pay the reparations I offer this idea. Provide a tax credit, of say $3,000 for any African Americans that can provide proof of heritage. This will also cover all children of those African Americans from the inception date to 18 years later, thus covering all children born the year of the reparation. The proof would come from authenticated family trees that date back to at least 1865 and can show slavery. This tax credit is a lifetime credit, meaning that you have a total of $3,000 for life, being used over that lifetime. If you use it all in one year its gone. If it take 10 years at $300 a year then so be it. You don’t get more and the max is the start amout of $3,000.
This plan builds the economy, providing jobs for researchers and companies providing authenticated certificates. The Government would increase workers that would manage the list with the I.R.S. Oversite groups could be created to ensure that the fund is not mismanaged. Enforment jobs could be created to protect that scams could not take advantage.
Plus there is the fact that the economy would get a boost from the additional money being used to pay for goods and services. Credit cards coulds be paid off, downpayment and improvements on homes, pay for college tuition and supplies, investments in 401K’s and the stock market. Not to mention purchases of food, clothing, and whatever else.
Explain where this is a bad, or impossible thing to accomplish?
America had slaves, and made them build the nation. America profited and grew from this slave labor. Some of the worst attrocities known to man were commited to the slaves and their descendants, for centuries. America refuses to acknowledge what it did, or the benefit it received. At the same time America has apologized and made reparations to others of its people who were arguably far less abused and persecuted.
I will not put my head in the sand. I will not allow half-thought, tangent laden, slippery-slope arguments to obfuscate and distract me and others from the facts. I do not accept the romanticized arguments and media imagery.
America owes reparations and an apology to African Americans. They can be paid and must. America will always have over it’s head this division of it’s people while avoiding the honest debate and response.
Medved may enjoy this denial, and others like him, but the fact is that this is a rot in America. And given time, any rot will eventually destroy whatever is rotting. The same holds true for America.
This is what I think, what do you think?
1 comment:
First I would like to say great post and nice blog. Secondly, let me introduce myself as Seattle Slim of the Happy Nappy Head blog. Pleased to make your acquaintance. With that said I would like to speak my opinion on the post.
Although it is one of the most well-written ideas for reparations I still must disagree for several reasons.
1) We as blacks and minorities period are still the object of white paternalism. We are still viewed as substandard more often than not. The majority still feels that we need to be taken cared of and coddled even after the strides most of us have made. Reparations, in my humble opinion, would only further worsen this when in reality we can’t afford that. We need to be seen as a power to be reckoned with.
2)What do we do about the black families who were subject to rule by black slaveowners?
3)How does this help with our independence? We’ve gotten affirmative action, funds set up for our kids to go to school, etc. but why are we still underperforming as a collective? How would the reparations help where other incentives have not?
The solution you offer isn’t impossible to accomplish and again well thought out. I think that honestly all of that money, if we do get it, should go to a fund to help do one thing for us: clean up the ghettoes, clean up our inner city schools, give these poor folks a place to be proud of, clean out the drug houses and the gangs and set up a fund for black kids to go to college.
We’re not spending enough money on our communities but in THEIR communities. Let’s do something different and build our own.
nuff respect
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