Obama's Reparations - Page 3

Taomon · #21 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onalandline

As long as blacks have the attitude that "America owes us", then racism will continue to divide us. The past is history. Slavery was wrong, but you can't make up for that a century and a half later. Look to the future. Blacks may actually be better off now than if they weren't pulled out of Africa.

But they are not viewed as equal to whites. That is where racism needs to be stopped.

When the blacks were freed, they were still lower-classed citizens, even wealthy blacks were not viewed as equal to equally wealthy whites.

It has been that way for years. You want to stop blacks from feeling that America owes them? There is a certain amount of atonement that is due them. If not with money, then I am sure we are all open to viable suggestions.

Jellah · #22 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momrobare

So what about Native Americans? They were here first. They were systematically slaughtered, their women were raped and they're STILL stuck on Reservations. They haven't been blended into this great melting pot called America! In my opinion...they were treated just as bad if not worse than blacks! But I don't hear much about them...only once in awhile when they sue to try and get back the land that their ancestors gave away for trinkets! And you notice...they haven't won back any of that land yet! Hmmm... seems to me like the african americans don't have the monopoly on being treated like crap and having their ancestors being taken complete advantage of. The difference is: The African Americans don't have to live on little plots of land called reservations in order to get any breaks! The native americans do!

As for reparations...my grandparents (both sides) came from Canada in the 1800's and my great grandparents (both sides came directly from France) so why should I have to pay a (*)(*)(*)(*) penny to African Americans for something that neither me nor my ancestors were guilty of? The only thing we are "guilty" of...is coming to the United States and becoming citizens! My family doesn't owe African Americans anything! Nor do we owe the Native Americans anything. It was all done before my family entered this country!

LOL, now we just divert attention away from this real problem by making oppressed groups compete! I think there are numerous problems in the world but we should never try to avoid dealing with one by bringing up another one...thats a tactic that would make sure NOTHING gets addressed.

I believe strongly in the idea that we also need to address the native americans plight fully and our genocide of them as well as the theft of their lands BUT that should be its own thread shoudnt it?

You point out about coming to this land after all that (the slavery and the genocide)...but you still benefit from the rewards that those horrible things brought. Its also not about you "paying" them, its about working on (and yes funding) solutions to rectify that imbalance of opppurtunity and wealth that such an unfair system created for specific groups, groups who still suffer from those effects.

I dont personally support just sending a bunch of people a check and calling it a day...that wont really work. As I said, I have seen some interesting proposals on programs and initiatives that would be a better solution.

But it is interesting that people cant read/listen enough to get past the feeling that they are being blamed or attacked.

We inherit both good and bad from our regions past/history and our ancestors. We certainly dont make a peep while we inherit the benefits, we have to accept that they also leave a mess that we have to clean up as well.

Anikdote · #23 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taomon

But they are not viewed as equal to whites. That is where racism needs to be stopped.

When the blacks were freed, they were still lower-classed citizens, even wealthy blacks were not viewed as equal to equally wealthy whites.

It has been that way for years. You want to stop blacks from feeling that America owes them? There is a certain amount of atonement that is due them. If not with money, then I am sure we are all open to viable suggestions.

The systematic degradation of African Americans is a disgusting blight on America's history. I'm 100% for creating an environment where every single person what the opportunity to achieve greatness, but I'm not willing to enact this change if it involves penalizing people who've had nothing whatsoever to do with the problem.

Slavery, and any form of racism are behaviors left to the lowest dredges of life that exist and attitudes that support these activities are slowly fading away into the past, where they belong.

BillyBob · #24 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriswallace112

Barack Obama is the greatest hope for us to finally rise above our past and be able to take our rightful place in society.

Blacks have freedom and equal rights, same as all American citizens.

If that's not good enough for you, go back to africa.

Yeshua_Lives · #25 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 01:18 PM

Reparations = People looking for a free handout.

Matticus77 · #26 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taomon

But they are not viewed as equal to whites. That is where racism needs to be stopped.

Whites?

What about Asian? Are they equal to them? Indian? Hispanic? Jewish?

Either there are more here guilty of racism besides just the "whites" or are you the one just picking out one race.

submarinepainter · #27 (**permalink**) 06-25-2008, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriswallace112

Barack Obama is the greatest hope for us to finally rise above our past and be able to take our rightful place in society. No other act or event, be it affirmative action or programs for the underprivileged, has come close to evening out the playing field between the races. There is no doubt that the first African-American President will lift our people up and finally give us our due: Reparations for Slavery. Obama understands how our people have struggled, how our people have been oppressed, and how our people have not been able to defeat small-mindedness and racism in America. No other president has ever known our pain and this is our first chance to reverse course.

Of course, Obama cannot simply say that he will compensate African-Americans for centuries of slavery and inhuman treatment because the forces of racism are still running the show. But when Obama speaks of giving back to the people, of giving us hope, and of creating change, he is speaking to his people and we must read between the lines. Obama won’t simply sign checks, but change the entire power structure to finally benefit our people. This includes investing in education in our neighborhoods, taking away ingrained privileges and ingrained racism in government. We will no longer be swept aside when Obama becomes the face of America. We cannot fail him.

Bush may have destroyed confidence in government, but Obama’s rise won’t be very easy. It won’t be easy to turn the tables against the racists that pretend to represent the nation. As president, he will be in the best position to destroy the idea that only the racial majority should be represented. He will combat special interests and small town prejudice that have hijacked government. Obama is not a revolutionary, a Black Panther, a Malcolm X, or a Farrakhan, but he has brought us closer to taking back from history what history took from us. America owes us.

yawnsssssssssss

mistersecondbase · #28 (**permalink**) 08-06-2008, 12:54 AM

is taking money from some people and giving it to other people because of the color of their skin supposed to end racism? is there something i'm missing?

also, if people are getting handouts for injustices against our race, am i to expect reparation for injustices against the irish, or the Potato famine? maybe England will pay all Americans for what happened in pre-revolutionary days? etc....

E_Pluribus_Venom · #29 (**permalink**) 08-06-2008, 01:15 AM

blacks blaming whites for their problems are just as annoying as whites automatically yelling affirmative action if they didn't get the job. A lot of blacks have been able to benefit from the opportunities in front of them... and no person today should have to pay for something that happened a long time ago. If you want something, go out and make it happen. No one will make it happen for you.

rsay32 · #30 (**permalink**) 08-06-2008, 01:27 AM

Of all 1,515,605 families in the 15 slave states, 393,967 held slaves (roughly one in four),[6] amounting to 8% of all American families.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery..._United_States

Even if reperations made sense, only 8% of the American population would owe anything.

Twelve million black Africans were shipped to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th centuries.[14][15] Of these, an estimated 645,000 (5.4% of the total) were brought to what is now the United States. The overwhelming majority were shipped to Brazil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery..._United_States

Seems to me, that if you want reperations you need to start with those who created the supply.

Approximately 360,000 Union soldiers died to end slavery.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/casualties.htm

I think some would have legitimate claim to say there ancestors have already paid.

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