On slave reparations
Originally published March 7, 2002
Reparations. Few words make my blood boil like this one does. The very thought of something so vile and disgusting as reparations for something I didn’t like in the first place just makes me angry.
The idea of reparations has been bandied about for a while now, and I’m convinced that the reason nothing has been done is because it’s a such bad idea. Why? Oh dear, let me count the ways.
There are a myriad of logistical and logical problems to deal with. The logistics include why, how, who, and how much, and the logic involves the seeming lack thereof in the fact that these demands are being made in the first place.
Why, why, why, why, why?!?!?! I don’t like slavery. I think it’s a horrible, nasty, and morally repugnant institution, and I’m glad someone did away with it before I came into being because I just don’t have the time and energy to devote to the abolitionist movement.
There isn’t a soul who was alive during the Civil War living now, and there isn’t a soul living now who owned slaves or was a slave. With the possible exception of Strom Thurmond (who may very well have been alive during the Civil War), I don’t think anyone in this country would even fathom the idea that slavery is, was, or ever will be a good thing.
So why in God’s name should I apologize for something I didn’t do and don’t agree with? Furthermore, depending on how the powers that be plan to carry out this brilliant proposal, this could put me out some money that I really don’t have.
How exactly do blacks think they should be paid for the horrible injustice that got them to a country where they can publicly disagree with the government, not get caught in the middle of a nasty and violent civil war, and perhaps live past the age of 30?
Should all non-black people pull out their checkbooks and write a check to the “We want your money for something you don’t like” fund? That would surely go over like a lead balloon.
Then there’s the idea of giving blacks tax credits or exempting them from paying taxes altogether. If this is the way it goes, fine, but blacks better be prepared to give up a lot.
If they aren’t paying taxes, they shouldn’t be afforded any of the services that tax money pays for. We’ll neglect their roads, not pick up their trash, make them send their kids to private schools, and take away any hope of blacks getting scholarships to public colleges.
I hope there isn’t much violence in their neighborhoods, because the police, whose salaries they wouldn’t be helping pay, would be under no obligation to serve and protect those areas. No, that probably isn’t a good idea either.
I know! We’ll just have Uncle Sam cut a check to every black in the country. Of course, this too, would take money away from federal, state, and local programs that are beneficial to everyone, including blacks. So, maybe not.
This one’s for all the true cynics out there. We’ll all pitch in and buy any black who really feels like they’d rather go back to Africa a plane ticket to the Congo or Chad, where they surely won’t last a week.
Who should get reparations and who shouldn’t? Does there have to be proof of ancestors who were enslaved? What about people who may be the product of an interracial marriage? Does the presence of white, Asian, or Hispanic blood make a person ineligible to receive reparations?
What about the blacks who owned slaves? Yeah, that’s right. Blacks owned slaves too. Should the descendents of those people get some money too? All of these are questions to which I have seen no answers.
Furthermore, how much should people receive? Trying to put a dollar amount on a person’s suffering has always seemed a problematic idea to me. The value of life is cheapened the minute someone tries to put a monetary figure on it. Do you really want to do that to dear old Great-great Grandpa Joe?
What good are reparations going to do, exactly? Please, someone feel free to let me in on the secret, because I fail to see the logic to this absurd argument. Yes, slavery was a horrible institution, and the suffering of slaves was certainly great.
But it wasn’t my fault!! And insisting that I should somehow provide restitution for it will only cause a greater split between blacks and whites in America than already exists.
I believe that good can come from bad. Yes, your ancestors may have had to endure the degradation of slavery, but because they came to this country, you have been blessed with infinitely more opportunities to survive and thrive. Maybe I should apologize for that too.
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