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OzesWorld Commentary April 6, 2001 What should be the payment for Slavery? By Oze McCallum - OzesWorld Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is a movement today from America's so-called Black Leaders, who are really just big-government liberals and racist profiteers, to have the U.S. Government pay lots of money to atone for slavery. Lots and lots of money! The argument for reparations is basically that the whole country benefited from the effects of slavery, so the whole country should pay. This argument is very simplistic, and therefore unworkable, for a number of reasons, a few of which are pointed out here: 1. What of those U.S. citizens that came to this country after the War Between the States? What of a first-generation American who came to this country, say, in 1995, from Bosnia, or Vietnam? Why should these people be required to pay for something no one in their family was a part of? 2. The latter half of the 19th and early part of the 20th century saw many immigrants from other parts of the world who, due to their working conditions and the hold over all aspects of their lives that the company had, were basically the same as indentured servants. The Irish and Chinese are the first to come to mind. Ever hear of the phrase "I sold my soul to the company store"? These are people that could not leave, were the company's "property", and were worked under extreme conditions; some were beaten, some were worked to death. Does not the country owe them something as well? 3. Most of the arguments favoring reparations use the example of Americans of Japanese descent receiving compensation as justification. However, since the compensation paid to those people was paid to the actual people that were harmed, it was justified. There is no one alive today that experienced the horrors of slavery first-hand, nor anyone that owned slaves. 4. What of those Americans that gave their life in the War Between the States? Not only soldiers, but also those, on both sides, that saw slavery for the evil it is, and tried to stop it. How much more should we demand of their descendants? Is not life enough? There are many more reasons why reparations are unwarranted. David Horowitz, the conservative author and former leftist, wrote an article about his views on his website, www.frontpagemag.com. While I do find some disagreements over some of his reasoning, overall he does present a good case. Plus, the fact that so many of the liberal side of the fence want to shut him up indicates that he is on to something. Since there is no way to fairly pay reparations for slavery, and since slaves were brought here illegally (which of course, was an atrocity), I feel that the only possible way to adequately repay those that feel some sort of restitution is needed is to give anyone who wants it, a one-way ticket to the land from which their ancestors were taken. That way, the initial act that started it all would be acknowledged and repaid. Anyone that declines the offer should just leave the past in the past, get on with life, and try to make today as good as possible. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ © 2001 by Oze McCallum |
