Katczinsky

People alive today are affected by our country's past in slavery and racism, and many more generations will be affected if nothing is done. For the most part, the conditions the majority of the African-American population find themselves (poor inner-city, poor education, etc.) is mostly manifest from the causes and conditions laid out by our country's history in racism.

They deserve reparations, along with Native Americans, because they continue to suffer by this wrong that has yet to be put to right. I personally believe the best way of giving reparations is providing them with top-notch education; something that should already be happening in all public schools anyway.

And even if they weren't being effected directly by it, the government of the United States still owes them, along with the Native Americans. The fact that there is no one left alive from slavery is irrelevant. There was still a wrong committed and those families still deserve justice.

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Political Compass:

Economic Left/Right: -9.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.72

KnightOfSappho

Honestly, I suspect that if the after-effects of slavery (Jim Crow and other similar injustices) had not been so long lasting in this country, then it wouldn't be an issue now. The reality is that Jim Crow ended only about 40 years ago, so there are many people still living that experienced it. The frustration of the situation would have been passed to their children in their thoughts and attitudes.

I suspect that in another generation, the effects of that attitude will lessen significantly, and even more the generation after that. Time heals all wounds, true, but inter-generational wounds must heal as each generation passes.

Things have improved, though there is clearly a long way to go.

I'm happy that everyone is getting along again!

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nuttyjoe

You are very correct KOS. That is what is happening and will always happen in the case case of Blacks in America. The key, I think, is to recognize that very fact. The way my father has always taught us is can be best be summarized in his one-liner that: "Life is a ladder. The rungs lead up and down; but you have to choose to raise your foot or lower it to make that step".
I do not proclaim my father to be the personification to this issue for all of us- I will say that he has definitely influenced much of my thought process here. The very reasons I think the way I do is because of how I was raised to not embrace racism in any form was from my father and my mother plus that I know that, as Ali stated, there were also many Whites over the years that were persecuted, humiliated, physically beaten, and such to work towards trying to end the racism against Blacks. I would be less than human to not recognize this. I believe that I have a social debt to honor such people, Black or White, that have sacrificed themselves to become the best possible person I can.

Toxic

Hahahaha The only thing holding black people down at this point is black people. They fall for every thing that is put in front of them. First it was christianity that helped keep them subserviant and mentally enslaved. Then after they fought and worked so hard to get civil rights, the CIA injected drugs into the black community, and they fell for that. Then hip hop, a form of art used to uplift people and expand consciousness was usurped by the gangsterism that pervades young black culture today, and the rest is history. Reperations? For what? No one who is alive today did any of the work that you are talking about? Anyone can go to public school, work hard, do well, and get a scholarship to college, especially if they are a minority. To me , that levels the playing field totally. Once someone has worked hard, worked smart, has been ambitious ,has strived and sacrificed and still can't be succesful because of their ethnicity, that would be wrong, but that isn't the case. In America, anyone who is smart and willing to work hard WILL be succesful, regardless of race. But until you have done everything in your power to work hard and be succesfull, then you have no right to complain. The only thing holding the black community down is a lack of ambition, ingenuity, and work ethic and a lack of emphasis on education. Affirmative action and reperations will only have one affect. The black people who are already thriving due to working hard will continue to thrive, and the black people who would rather sit in the ghetto and do nothing than work and succeed will continue to do nothing, and will squander whatever reperations are given on rims for their whips and big screen tvs.

waitingtables

You sound like a real gem. Why not use that very logic to explain why there are poor white people on welfare? Why is it a black issue?

knot_e_lady

This person is obviously a troll.

Toxic

waitingtables:There are poor white people on welfare for the same reason that there are poor black people, ignorance, a lack of education, and a lack of ambition. I never said it was solely a black issue. I was merely interjecting that poverty in the ghetto is not an issue of residual social inequalities and merely a product of a stagnant mindest (ghetto mentality). My point is that it is not societies fault that there is an element within society that is parasitic, it is the fault of the people who can't take care of themselves. The thing is that a disproportionate amount of black people are on welfare.

Crime is not a racial issue either, but pleeease explain to me why 12% of the population cause 60% of the crime in America. Please explain this to me, no one has been able to so far. Those are Justic department stats for the year 2006 by the way if you have an issue with their credibility.

knot-e-lady : I'm not a troll, I'm just an asshole who is more fond of reality than fantastical ideologies that dont work.