Reparations for blacks

If the original people of slavery came forth, well then, maybe.

But, they always want some thing for nothing!

As for the Jews, that is between them and God!

You know, That brings to mind. If the blacks want money for slavery, then they have to go to God for that also.

Genesis 9:24-27

 

Black people always want something for nothing? That's a prejudiced statement if i ever heard one...

 

Slavery was nothing?

 

Actually, the Jews would be eligible for reparations from several countries.

And yes, it's official. I am afraid of Justified. Scary post, dude.

 

I'm not afraid of Justified. I am concerned though... unless he/she wishes to explain his/her comments further...

 

I think that the Jewish community recieves compensation from Germany.

 

Just curious..does England pay any compensation to the descendants of the Boer War Concentration camps?

http://www.bowlerhat.com.au/sawvl/con-camps.html

-kman

 

I have no idea but I very much doubt it - why do you ask?

 

I think the point of the original post is:

"If we start making reparations to decendants of those who were wronged..where do we stop?"

It doesn't take long to find cases of injustice inflicted by most countries: USA, England, Germany, Japan, France..etc..etc...etc...

Where do we draw the line? Where does it stop?

(Those are honest questions..if you have some criteria to discern what would be a valid case and what would be invalid..I'd like to hear).

peace,
kman

 

Here is the only relevant scripture I can think of:

It was customary (understood to happen) in the east for a new king to go around and kill off all of the relatives of the old king, that way nobody could challenge his position.

In the life of David, annointed by Samuel on behalf of the LORD to be king over Israel, this came into play. Now Saul was still king when David was annointed and he could have just slain the king and taken over. Yet David responds with grace and never touched him. Then when Saul gets killed and his son too David weeps.

Here is the point: Israel knew that David was the king and Saul was out. They could have very well started killing off his descendants without even asking David. But David, out of deep compassion, sets the example and says (roughly) "isn't there any descendants of Jonathan so that I can repay how much he loved me?"

Mephibosheth, a man some might consider worth more dead than alive, was brought into Davids court and was blessed. He had all of Saul's lands returned to him and was given a permanent place at David's table.

Here is the connection. David dealt with the issue. If Mephibosheth's kids went to david and accused him of some wrong with Saul, David could have just pointed to Mephibosheth. He took care of the thing in one action.

I don't think it is a surprise to anyone to say we live in a time when everybody will gladly take something for nothing (meaning no actual work) if they can get it. I think the American government has failed in not resolving the issue completely.

So this is what I would do:
Hey, blacks, man we really messed up and we are sorry. So as a pennance here is this one time action of restitution.

That might be some college fund or something but it definitely should not be an open ended money pit for all to come and drink from for umpteen generations and for each generations scoundrels to devise new ways to abuse.

The bottom line is while it is wrong to mistreat a people, it is equally wrong to not forgive the offender fully and demand restitution from now until the end of time.

SoCM

P.S. - if you think I am wrong in my view in some way please use scripture to validate your point. thnx

 

Here is a portion of the problem which has not
yet been mentioned here. When the slaves were
released, they were promised various things.
One of the things promised by the government
to all was that they would receive a certain
amount of money to help them make a new start.
Some may have received this money, but most
did not. Think about the money, with interest.

Some were additionaly promised land, and
some received their land; most did not. Then
the land was taken back from ALL those who
received it. Those lands need to be returned
to the descendants, period.

In my lifetime, their descendants were restricted
from schools, universities, parks, and swimming
pools they helped pay for with their taxes. How
shall we repay this money we took?

In my lifetime, they were restricted from the
rudimentary things whites, and those who looked
white, accepted as the normal elements of living
--such things as water fountains and restrooms.
How shall we repay for these? What about the
fact that their people were lynched for merely
looking the wrong direction, for not crossing the
street to give a white person the whole sidewalk,
or for merely verbally protesting a wrong by a
white person?

In my lifetime, a most egregious concept held on
in the U.S.: the rules for voting were suddenly
raised, when one of their descendants walked
into the voting area. While a white person was
not even questioned, a black person was told to
answer questions most citizens could not
answer, and if they could not, they were not
allowed to vote. If they could answer the ques-
tions, they were asked harder ones, until the
person could not answer; then, they could not
vote. How are we to repay this?

How do we repay the homes burned by those
angry that they were getting ahead? How do
we repay the fatherless families who had less
than nothing because those fathers were mur-
dered just because someone did not like their
skin color? How do we repay the jobs lost
because they had the "'wrong skin color"?

It is not just just slavery we owe for; it is contin-
uing to use people, allowing them no choices or
basic human rights, well beyond the years of
slavery.

[ September 05, 2002, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]

 

Shouldn't we add the Native American Indians to the list of those needing reparations and lands back? Surely there were many injustices committed against them. How do we repay them for the trail of tears? The obvious "rip off" land deals? The ever changing "treaties" that kept forcing them off valuable lands into worthless areas?

-kman

 

Obviously, these things are on many minds.
At least a few attempts have been made to
repay them by some moneys which have
been paid and some lands given. Although
the lands have often been useless, they have
often found a way of recouping: whites are
enamoured with entertainment and getting
something for nothing; therefore, they build
cassinos.

[ September 05, 2002, 12:58 PM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]

 

Just because you are white doesn't make racist comments against whites "ok". Think about it.

-kman

 

I had a nice, medium-long response, but my computer ate it. To top it off, it was much more eloquent than this one will be (trying to get out of the office to head down to Richmond).

I think reparations are impractical and absolutely impossible to award with any amount of fairness.

Were systematic wrongs committed by our government to myriad groups? Yes. Are contemporaries of all races affected by this history? Absolutely.

Slavery, colonialism, the cult of true womanhood, the myth of the welfare queen, white flight -- all of are affected by these things. Some of us still suffer from the limitations of our ancestors and others of us benefit from the limitations imposed by ours. Do I benefit from white privilege? Sure, in some ways. Did I grow up in an affluent neighborhood and get a pricey education because my ancestors owned slaves? No - I do get some credit for my own successes; however, I had the opportunities that others do not, possibly because of history. But again, how can we measure that?

I do get very tired of the argument that contemporary black people aren't affected by slavery and Jim Crow, and that contemporary white people haven't benefitted from those things - that's bunk.

But, what to do about it now? How to tell which families got to where they are "honestly" and which got trampled on or were the tramplers? We can't.

Impractical. Immeasurable.

 

As a conservative white guy, my view is that those who were decendents of slaves at the time of the emancipation proclamation should be provided reparation. The fact that is was 150 years ago is unimportant.

What the reparation should be, that's a different matter entirely.

If we gave reparations to the Japanese Americans, we should also do so to emancipated slaves.

 

FYI: The Bible specifically says that interest is not acceptable when dealing with debt.

Whatever answer we think should be given, surely it should be in accord with scripture.

SoCM

 

How in the world is it a "conservative" view that we should take money from one group who had nothing to do with slavery and give it to people who were never slaves?

Sounds like more of the same old liberal redistribution of wealth ideology to me.

Personally, I'm all for making reparations to slaves.

Unfortunately, they're all dead.

Justified, I'm really disappointed that you would say that.

Mike

[ September 05, 2002, 04:10 PM: Message edited by: Smoke_Eater ]

 

Just because you are white doesn't make racist comments against whites "ok". Think about it.

-kman</font>[/QUOTE]8oD

This is a volatile subject, as all those entering it
understand, I am sure. We will never agree, but
this is a place of opinions, and I have stated mine.
As a descendant of a family that owned slaves, I
definitely have certain feelings and certain guilts.
But also, as the descendant of one of those very
slaves, I have other feelings about the same
subject. None of these feelings conflict.

Regarding reparations made by whites in the
area I live in presently, they are being made daily
and especially on weekends, as they crowd the
local casinos, of which there are many--all
seeking something for nothing and entertain-
ment. The evidence is there, and it is hard,
irrefutable evidence. Personally, I think it is
hilarious that the locals have found a way to
get reparations promised and never given but
sad that people are so weak that they fall for it.

[ September 05, 2002, 02:48 PM: Message edited by: Abiyah ]