Reparations

[Peeze]

So february is black history month, and its a time when America is supposed to reflect on the heritage and history of blacks in america. A major part of black history in America was slavery.
The debate over reparations(which suggests that the government apologize to slave descendants for their hardships, and bestow on them reparations, whether it be in the form of money, land, or other goods) also heats up this time of year(well in my neck of the woods).
Your opinion? Should america apologize and give the descendants of slavery some form of repayment? Or did America acquire slaves fair and square and owe blacks-generations removed from slavery-nothing? If you think yes then how much should be offered. Harper’s Magazine has created an estimate that the total of reparations due is over 100 trillion dollars, based on 222,505,049 hours of forced labor between 1619 and 1865. If you think no, explain why not.

 

[adumbrodeus]

So february is black history month, and its a time when America is supposed to reflect on the heritage and history of blacks in america. A major part of black history in America was slavery.
The debate over reparations(which suggests that the government apologize to slave descendants for their hardships, and bestow on them reparations, whether it be in the form of money, land, or other goods) also heats up this time of year(well in my neck of the woods).
Your opinion? Should america apologize and give the descendants of slavery some form of repayment? Or did America acquire slaves fair and square and owe blacks-generations removed from slavery-nothing? If you think yes then how much should be offered. Harper’s Magazine has created an estimate that the total of reparations due is over 100 trillion dollars, based on 222,505,049 hours of forced labor between 1619 and 1865. If you think no, explain why not.

Here's the problem with that, the people who actually enslaved the African-American population is long dead. So where is the United States going to get the money for reperations?

I don't remember owning slaves or my ancestors owning slaves. In fact, certain provisions tied with official racial discrimination (particularly the grandfather clause) was applicable to my ancestors as well due to particulars of the wording.

I understand what you're trying to say, and it's noble, but the people who owe unpaid labor to the former slaves and their descendants are the people who owned the slaves.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

Yes, we should go to war with all of the various countries in Africa that sold the slaves to the Dutch... And go to war with the Dutch for selling us the slaves in the first place. Then we can take the spoils we get from these shazbots and pay all the African-Americans that can prove that they are descendants of slaves who were mistreated.

 

[Peeze]

Might as well. America feels like its the world police anyways.