Black reparations

arbilad · Head Chef

Black reparations

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

Offer them a tidy sum to leave the USA and never return. Of course that won't work, because they'd just sneak back in across the Mexican border.

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

Hey, many of my pioneer ancestors had personal and real property stolen from them in Illinois and Missouri. I think all of us Mormons should file a class action suit for reparations.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

lundbaek wrote:

Offer them a tidy sum to leave the USA and never return. Of course that won't work, because they'd just sneak back in across the Mexican border.

I find that remark highly inappropriate and very unbecoming of any man who claims to hold the priesthood of God. I doubt that I stand alone in finding the attitude behind the comment something to be concerned about.

-- Edited by Cat Herder at 10:24, 2006-11-05

Jeffery_LQ1W · Senior Member

Aside fromt he inappropriateness of the remark. It has been tried. Monrovia is the capital of Liberia which was carve out in order to send slaves back to a life of freedom elsewhere. Look for references to the "American Colonization Society". It was a failure.

Perhaps you are highlighting the lack of border controls which make you frustrated, there is truth in that portion of the statement, however the ambience of the remark is inappropriate.

Reparations by the way are not legal unless there are living recipients thereof that can bring the case. And it opens up the can of worms as to what the true benefits are.

1-Given Africa's state, are those seeking reparations stating they would have been better off remaining in Africa?

2-What of the costs and benefits for those living in the US, ie through payments in welfare, earlier quotas systems and so on.

It is a never ending cycle of national emoliation.

Pt314 · Senior Member

I don't think reparations are fair at all. The offenders are all dead, and most americans have most of their ancestors immigrating here after the civil war.

The black community may have their problems, but they are not the kind of problems that can be fixed by giving them money.

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I'll be happy to pay my fare share of reparations to any black man that can prove he was a descendant of slaves in this country that were put into slavery after this nation was formed and only if he can prove one of my ancestors actually owned his ancestor. Then we will take the percentage that he or she is owed by me divided by all the progeny that came from my ancestor and divided among his decendents. By my calculations it works out to about 1/2 cent, if he or she can make the connection which they won't since my ancestors were dirt poor New Englanders who barely could afford to own a dog let alone a slave.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

It's difficult to discuss this sort of topic without breeching areas of discussion in the fuzzy racism. I think anyone, if they try hard enough, can see themselves as a victim. I think the concept of reparations is inherently damaging, because even when there is legitimate abuse and harm, (as has been noted here) giving someone a lot of money hardly heals the wound.

I am one of those guys who tries hard in the LDS community to turn away discussion of victim status among mormons, though certainly there're occasions when it is legitimate. Christ was not a victim-monger. In fact, taken literally, one might argue that Christ's gospel sets us up to to be victims, by allowing people to perpetrate violence against our cheeks, and steal our coats, and make us walk long distances...

By acknowledging that there is a good God over all men, who loves all men, I think we do better to embrace and invite more to come into our country and partake of the blessings of freedom, than we ever will by trying to root out all those victims who don't fully appreciate the opportunities before them.

Best,

--Ray

Randy · Senior Member

From the standpoint of black people slavery reparations is the worst thing you could do to them short of overt violence. In fact, it might be worse than overt violence. Not that I would ever condone violence.

The main thing holding the black man back is the attitude that the government should take care of him. Giving him money from the government would only reinforce that belief.

Blacks have enormous potential. They have the ability to make outstanding contributions to our nation. Many of them already do. But there are also many who do not.

Once they come to understand that the power is in them, and not in the government, they will blossom as the rose. They will become leaders in business and industry. And they won't be needing any handouts.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

This is already happening. I worked with an black engineer at a large firm, and whenever these types of discussions came up, he would clam up. He wanted nothing to do with them. He had a PhD in Electrical Engineering, and was very talented, and worked hard, was married and trying to tend to his family, and he found all these things a distraction to him and completely unhelpful.

Ultimately I think we should all, regardless of our race, religion, orientation, and even our handicaps, be a bit more prone to focusing on what we can accomplish rather than what others can accomplish for us.

Like the buddists suggest, "Life is suffering, and still we manage to have hope."

--Ray