Posted on 07/03/2008 5:20:26 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3
Segments of Americans are gearing up to oppose Senator Barack Obama because they fear he will be more considerate of the debt America owes to Blacks.
Anti-Obama whites, in particular, are concerned he’ll get into the White House and put Blacks on track for “a reparations gravy train.”
CNN debate moderator Anderson Cooper put Black Reparations on track to be a part of the presidential dialogue during the South Carolina Primaries.
The African-American vote in South Carolina was very important, and that made the reparations question relevant in the Democratic Debate. At that event former Senator John Edwards said “ I'm not for reparations…but I think there are other things we can do to create some equality that doesn't exist in this country today” he said, going on to talk about inequities African Americans experienced paying mortgages in Charleston, S.C., where the debate was held.
When Cooper asked Sen. Barack Obama about reparations he sidestepped a yes or no answer instead preferring to redefine reparations to make it part of a broader conversation about economic justice. “I think the reparations we need right here in South Carolina is investment, for example, in schools.” Obama said.
To corner Obama and nail all the candidates down, Cooper asked for a show of hands and questioned: “Is anyone on the stage for reparations for slavery for African-Americans?” The only “yes” came from Congressman Dennis Kucinich who said: “The Bible says we shall be and must be repairers of the breach. And a breach has occurred. We have to acknowledge that. It's a breach that has resulted in inequality in opportunities for education, for health care, for housing, for employment.”
From then on, reparations have been an issue in the campaign. America owes Blacks $700 billion to $1.9 trillion for unpaid labor that built the country’s infrastructure, including the U.S. Capitol. While Obama dodges the issue, his “old church, Trinity United Church of Christ, lists “The Debt: What America Owes To Blacks, by Randall Robinson (Penguin Putman Inc., 2000) as recommended reading”. In The Debt, Robinson argues that America still owes an enormous debt to Africans and African Americans for the incalculable damage that backs have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of two hundred and fifty years of slavery and segregation.
Barack’s birthright brothers many whites; but Wautella Graham of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) breaks the question of slavery into four categories of involvement: victims, collaborators, perpetrators and beneficiaries and makes the point that, “Even immigrants and people whose ancestral line contains no slaveholders should pay reparations, since every American benefits from slavery.”
Slavery victimizes free blacks to this day. All American people are responsible for the debt America owes.”
Let’s see...if you oppressed someone, you owe everything you own. But then some claim that you were oppressed as well, so, someone owes you everything of theirs. I’m certain I’ve oppressed someone, so I owe them everything I have, but certainly, someone has oppressed me...so we’re back at square one.
**** Agree, start with the Brits. ****
Acually, start with the MUSLEMS....
Muslem traders traveled Africa buying the slaves from the tribes, and then sold them on the coasts.
And it was a thriving trade LONG before the Brits got involved.
I don’t owe them a damn thing. My ancestors came here and worked just as hard if not harder than slaves ( yes I know they still were not slaves ) to carve out a place. Blacks may have started behind the eight ball but the opportunity is just as open tho them as it is anyone.
Interesting reading from a controversial source:
http://amren.com/ar/1993/06/index.html
http://amren.com/ar/1993/07/index.html
(sorry, can't post a direct link - you'll have to cut and paste the URL's)
- John
Reparations? What were the trillions wasted on “The Great Society”
This one might fall under the golden rule.
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12. I’m pretty sure it’s in Luke too somewhere.
>>Is America ready to pay reparations for its sins of slavery?<<
Sure thing. Any of us who have ever owned slaves should pony up.
Easy to resolve. Just raise taxes on the rich and the problem is solved without affecting the rest of us. /s
If I gotta pay, I dang well want me a slave.
America doesn’t OWE anyone JACK.
I think the bigger question is since Obama's white ancestor's were slave owners, should he have to pay? The ancestor's on his Black side, were never Americans, much less slaves.
Is black America ready to repay White America for the welfare received? For the discriminatory affirmative Action they enjoy?
We have already paid with our blood. From April 1861 to April 1865 the Union Army lost an average of 77 combat dead every single day. A comparison of war deaths to total Union state population in todays population numbers would have resulted in more than ONE MILLION combat deaths, That doesn’t count illness and accidental deaths. Nor does it count those who fought to keep Blacks slaves. We have already paid in FULL. I say to the reparation hustlers: get lost!
. What infrastructure are they talking about exactly that was built before the civil war and has been used all these years to benefit white people, but not themselves ?
I mean, most buildings, and roads,bridges and such that might have been built before the civil war, have all been long ago replaced.
They never get into the actual details of how they figured these amounts. I'd sure like to see them ( if they actually exist).
Reparations is a BS idea that would reward those whose problems are the result of their own irresponsibility and not because of slavery.
The democrat party and not the country as a whole owes any reparations that might due. Before starting with the party of slavery and the KKK they should go to the still existing African tribes who captured and sold the slaves at the coasts; this would include the Luo tribe, Obama’s ancestral tribe.
My ancestors fought and some died to free slaves from the democrat oppression and I and my country owe them squat.
Easy to resolve. Just raise taxes on the rich and the problem is solved without affecting the rest of us. /s
Redistribute Opra’s wealth
Yup, that’s about right! What’s interesting is that Obama’s success depends on “victims” whether it’s blacks or hispanics or the poor or fill in the blank... people he can promise to “help”. It’s why liberals hate the second amendment — people who can defend themselves don’t need the liberal government. It’s why they hate conservative talk radio — conservatives can think for ourselves and don’t need the government making decisions for us. There are endless examples how libs hate self-sufficient, free thinkers. Enjoy!
5 Trillion have already been paid, since the start of the Great Society. I want a refund.
Britain may have brought them here first but who sold them to the British? If people think slave traders weighed anchor and went inland looking for slaves they are even dumber than assumed. Their own people, and the arabs sold them to the traders. They’re own ancestors got rid of every villiage idiot or lazy pain in the ass they could find and profited from it too. SUE AFRICA!
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