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My family came to America starting in 1907 with my mother's parents coming over in 1947, 12 years before she was born. Most of the men in my father's line faught for this country in WW2 and Vietnam. My family has no ties to American slavery and that is probably true for a lot of white Americans. My wife's parents are German and came over in late 70s. Her parents families fled Germany to Britian during Hitler's rise. Who exactly is going to pay reputations, I certainly wouldn't.
American slavery ended in 1865 which is about 4-8 generations ago. In that time probably 99% of all people in this country can trace their ancestry back to slave ownership. It is likely that my children will marry someone who can and as such our unassociated line will become associated with it in the next generation or two. That said it is also pretty likely that at this point a large portion of descendants of slaves are also descendants of slave owners and the further we get away from it the more likely that becomes. Should those people both pay and recieve?
That is even without discussing welfare programs that benefit minority communities much more than whites. Has the US been paying reparations already? I don't think it's nearly the same thing but the argument can be made, and likely has been already.
White's make up 16.8% of welfare recipients and 77.1% of the population.
Hispanics make up 21% of recipients and 17.6% of the population.
Asians make up 18% of recipients and 5.6% of the population.
Black/African-Americans make up 39.6% of recipients but only 13.3% of the population.
Reparations? My father was educated for free by the US Army, he rose in the ranks and had enjoyed a good retirement prior to his death. I received scholarships and have amassed multiple degrees. The US Army paid for my husband's degrees, he rose in the ranks, receives a nice retirement, and is currently enjoying a career in the private sector. All four of my children recieved higher education totally free of charge, and even received spending money in the form of stipends. One is in the military like his father and grandfather, one is still in school, one is teaching at a major university, and one is a stay-at-home mom. I find it very hard to believe our lives would have been so nice if we lived in Africa. Slavery was horrible and among America's most shameful chapters, but if I am being honest, my life is better because of my ancestors' misfortune. All that free education and opportunities we have been given have been America's attempt at reparations, it just isn't handed out in the form of a check is all. If your arguement is that not everyone recieves it, not every white person benifitted from slavery either.
Were there any former slaves still alive today I would agree THEY should get direct monetary reparations.
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Reparations? My father was educated for free by the US Army, he rose in the ranks and had enjoyed a good retirement prior to his death. I received scholarships and have amassed multiple degrees. The US Army paid for my husband's degrees, he rose in the ranks, receives a nice retirement, and is currently enjoying a career in the private sector. All four of my children recieved higher education totally free of charge, and even received spending money in the form of stipends. One is in the military like his father and grandfather, one is still in school, one is teaching at a major university, and one is a stay-at-home mom. I find it very hard to believe our lives would have been so nice if we lived in Africa. Slavery was horrible and among America's most shameful chapters, but if I am being honest, my life is better because of my ancestors' misfortune. All that free education and opportunities we have been given have been America's attempt at reparations, it just isn't handed out in the form of a check is all. If your arguement is that not everyone recieves it, not every white person benifitted from slavery either.
Were there any former slaves still alive today I would agree THEY should get direct monetary reparations.
Very interesting take on this and one I hadn't heard before.
Oldhag, you don't have a victim mentality, and that's the difference between those who take advantage of opportunities that come their way, and those who feel that not enough is being done for them.
That mindset is the difference between winners and losers in all races.
Reparations? My father was educated for free by the US Army, he rose in the ranks and had enjoyed a good retirement prior to his death. I received scholarships and have amassed multiple degrees. The US Army paid for my husband's degrees, he rose in the ranks, receives a nice retirement, and is currently enjoying a career in the private sector. All four of my children recieved higher education totally free of charge, and even received spending money in the form of stipends. One is in the military like his father and grandfather, one is still in school, one is teaching at a major university, and one is a stay-at-home mom. I find it very hard to believe our lives would have been so nice if we lived in Africa. Slavery was horrible and among America's most shameful chapters, but if I am being honest, my life is better because of my ancestors' misfortune. All that free education and opportunities we have been given have been America's attempt at reparations, it just isn't handed out in the form of a check is all. If your arguement is that not everyone recieves it, not every white person benifitted from slavery either.
Were there any former slaves still alive today I would agree THEY should get direct monetary reparations.
And it's this positive attitude that makes any American a success. I'm happy you and you're family are successful and it's well deserved.
Slavery was unjust. But it did result in one thing that conferred later wealth to Africans on a scale from their prior position in Africa: their presence in the United States.
Without slavery, the USA African population today would be very low. Most African Americans would have instead been born in Africa. There would have been almost no Africans here prior to the 1960s; after the civil rights movement had been institutionalized. In this hypothetical historical variance, the African American population would currently be very low.
The difference in wealth is great between the average African American and the average African.
Would African Americans rather not currently be here, and have no way of getting here, or would they rather slavery not existed? There is no third option, historically speaking. And I realize that this is not necessarily and easy nor given choice.
To summarize, the current wealth difference between African Americans and Africans can be considered to be a result of slavery. It's not a politically correct statement to make, but one cannot circumvent the logic either. This historical dynamic is a simple, indisputable fact.
I understand that there may be a third perspective that would hold that some descendants of slaves would rather live in Africa, currently, rather than in the USA. In this instance, I believe that there is a stronger case for a payment should these people actually want to return to Africa. However, I would not suggest that the nation discuss such a thing unless some African Americans broached the topic and were actually interested in that relocation.
BTW...about a year ago I traced my lineage back to a slave named Milton Jackson who was owned by a white man named Andrew Jackson. I did it through census records and draft records.
And for the poster above talking about welfare. For the first forty years welfare was like 90% white. Whites were given land and affordable loan rates. Amongst other things. Blacks haven't benefitted from welfare as much as whites have. People still in the welfare queen stereotype.
Since only Democrats owned slaves or hosed black kids out of schools with whites, I guess their beef would be with Democrats.
Was welfare with no chance to move up the reparations blacks had in mind since the 60s when their votes for welfare went Democrat? No problem voting for their ancestors slavers?
Slavery was unjust. But it did result in one thing that conferred later wealth to Africans on a scale from their prior position in Africa: their presence in the United States.
Without slavery, the USA African population today would be very low. Most African Americans would have instead been born in Africa. There would have been almost no Africans here prior to the 1960s; after the civil rights movement had been institutionalized. In this hypothetical historical variance, the African American population would currently be very low.
The difference in wealth is great between the average African American and the average African.
Would African Americans rather not currently be here, and have no way of getting here, or would they rather slavery not existed? There is no third option, historically speaking. And I realize that this is not necessarily and easy nor given choice.
To summarize, the current wealth difference between African Americans and Africans can be considered to be a result of slavery. It's not a politically correct statement to make, but one cannot circumvent the logic either. This historical dynamic is a simple, indisputable fact.
I understand that there may be a third perspective that would hold that some descendants of slaves would rather live in Africa, currently, rather than in the USA. In this instance, I believe that there is a stronger case for a payment should these people actually want to return to Africa. However, I would not suggest that the nation discuss such a thing unless some African Americans broached the topic and were actually interested in that relocation.
The problem with this bull**** stance is that your assuming Africa was some hell hole that Africans were saved from. Africa was stripped of resources by those same Europeans. They created a problem and then tried to act like they should get some of credit for letting up. I haven't heard a single legit argument as to why blacks shouldn't receive reparations. Its all "well nobody from then is alive"....well what about in 1866 or 1870 or 1890 or 1900 etc...and again wealth is passed down in the us so those former slaves should had wealth paid that they were owed and that wealth would have been passed down.
America went out off its way to liberate and create a nation state for the Jew and no one bats an eye.
You are full of crap.
The British was behind the creation of the colony along side the world Zionist movement. Britain wanted to protect its flank on the Suez. Then the US then wanted it as its Middle East eye of Berlin in the struggle with the Soviets.
Get a job.
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