[mhking]

Now you can even see what my ugly mug looks like...

[eddie willers]

I see why you're on radio. : )

[eddie willers]

PS. Good essay.

[Travis McGee]

Where's the ugly mug? I feel ripped off.

[aristotleman]

Time.com Jenin Poll

This poll needs lots of freeping. The pali-sympathizers are casting 500 votes a second claiming they believe there's been a massacre. Freep often and lots of.

[Fred Mertz]

I think you may have coined a new acronym. At least I've never seen it before.

Super essay.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Good article, bump.

[Torie]

There is such a thing as a free lunch to an "aggrieved" group. It is called Indian reservation gambling casinos. How this particular cancer metasticized is an interesting topic. See ya.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Excellent column, Michael. Thanks for posting it.

[Lazamataz]

You kick ass.

However, can I present you my idea?

Each and every time someone mentions reparations, enthusiastically agree. Tell them each and every black person -- or even any person who is slighty tan from a little exposure to sun in June -- should get 40 acres.

Of FEDERAL land.

This does two things:

1. It pits the race hustlers against the greenie weenies, who want all land in government control. And any time we can split the Democrat party and encourage bloodletting within it, life is good.

2. If by some miracle it does pass, it frees federal land and puts it in private hands. Anytime this happens, capitalism increases and everyone profits. I don't care if the land goes to every drug dealer and crack whore in America -- they will sell the land, someone will use it wisely, and wealth will be created. Land rushes are followed each and every time by massive increases in prosperity.

I've already done the math -- it would free up less than 2% of the nations federal land.

So in a way, if reparations happened -- this way -- the left would be hamstrung and wounded in several ways, and we would flourish and wealth would be created. LONG LIVE (MY VERSION OF) REPARATIONS!!!! :o)

[Lazamataz]

Also, did I mention that your article totally kicks ass?

[Khepera]

It's about time you expressed an opinion. And a good one too.

[Lazamataz]

BTW, I just called you an 'occasional visitor' to the forum. My intent was to provoke you to share your thoughts with us more often. :o)

[lonestar]

see what Michael looks like, bump

Great article, too!

[Britton J Wingfield]

Heinlein bump :)

[Centurion2000]

That's right. Slavery was legal in the United States for only 89 years. It may not have been right in the eyes of God, but it was right and legal in the eyes of the law of the era. Should the government apologize for slavery? Yes and no.

Actually they don't even need to apologize for it. True slavery was (and still is) a crime in the eyes of God, but if you want to direct your wrath somewhere point it back at Africa where slavery is practiced to this day, and to Saudi Arabia (where it was legal until 1968 I believe).

The American blacks in this country, while their ancestors worked, bled and died in slavery, are the recipients of an excellent inheritance; they are here and not in Africa.

Also I think 600,000 dead from the Civil War repaid in blood any debt that was owed to the slaves.

You are absolutely correct in one thing though; TANSTAAFL :)

[WFTR]

First, this is a great commentary.

Secondly, this statement You don't see the government apologizing for not granting women the legal right to vote prior to 1920. is not entirely true. In the late 1700's and early 1800's, many states allowed women to vote. Eventually, the attitude became that every family had one vote, and the man who headed the family cast the vote for that family. In this sense, denying women the vote was in no way morally equivalent to the wrongs of slavery. In some states, women who headed a family (typically widows) would cast the vote for their family unit. I believe at the time that the amendment was passed giving all women the vote, several states had already granted women the right to vote. You may already know all of this, and it doesn't lessen the point of the commentary. However, sometimes these details can be helpful in an argument.

WFTR
Bill

[PMCarey]

I highly recommend The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - arguably Heinlein's best novel. There's also a wonderful passage from Heinlein's The Cat Who Walked Through Walls about how air on a Lunar colony is not free, though it appears that way to that society's sponges.

[lizma]

Great essay and thank you.
Every demorat I know, black or white, thinks this is just plain silly. Why do these people still cling to it??

I do alot of education activism. Two things make my blood boil.

First, the black community complaint of low expectections of their children goes unheeded. (And I live in the Peoples Republic of Maryland!)

Second is the kind of black pop culture thing that to get good grade in high school is a "white" thing. (We're going through this with my nephew. He and his sister are are adopted, sorta, long story) (Straight A's in a private school, but did a masive bail out in public high school. I could throttle him!)

I get so angry listening to these "leaders" complain about few hundred bucks and then turn their backs on education
They're scum.

[Post Toasties]

That's right. Slavery was legal in the United States for only 89 years. It may not have been right in the eyes of God, but it was right and legal in the eyes of the law of the era. Should the government apologize for slavery? Yes and no.

Plus, I have read that most states north of the Mason-Dixon Line passed laws restricting or eliminating slavery within their borders by soon after 1800 which tells me that there was widespread sentiment against slavery at least in the North all along.

[Free Trapper]

Well said.;o)