Reparations discussion

found this somewhere and uploaded it. good discussion about reparations.

Josh (Bradley Whitford) is assigned to talk with the administration's controversial nominee (Carl Lumbly) for assistant attorney general for civil rights who advocates that African-Americans receive financial reparations for slavery.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• reparations
• 40 acres and a Mule
• Josh
• west
• wing

[PeterFormaini]

I'd be all for reparations for any surviving direct relatives of any slaves one generation removed or fewer - a set of facts that probably ended around 1965 or so.

But farther back than that is unjustifiable. After all, I am Sicilian Italian. My ancestors likely were abducted from Sicily and forced into slavery in Rome. Am I entitled to reparations from Italy for their suffering? I don;t think so.

[galacticox4]

@PeterFormaini Sorry but it doesn't seem analogous. I can't speak for Italian slavery as i don't know much about it. But in this case one, Ancestory of black americans is hardly something that was accurately kept in mass. Two the current effects of past slavery exists today, in still underserved communities, police that don't serve certain communities, and a legacy that stems from 300 years of denying services to black communities.

[galacticox4]

the reality is the privileged in America got there's on the back of others to the tune of 1.7 Trillion dollars. That's the advantage in education, services, wealth accumulation, political power, social advancement. And it all stems from slavery and the following decades of segregation. I think to ignore the current effects is to bury ones head in the sand. America has never been equal even though it's in the documents. And it isn't now.

[galacticox4]

@PeterFormaini one last thing wasn't the Sicilian slavery like 2000 years ago? For me its kinda hard to equate them in terms of scale to me. one cause of the time period, one cause one trade was global. and lastly just the ethnic component. African heritage and black color is still an issue from the U.S. to France to Brazil. I think the plight of sicilians is slightly different. That said it doesn't mean you're not owed either.

[YNot1989]

Fine, then I'd like the land back you stole from Great Grandpa Grey Sun and the other Cherokee Indians, I'd like to be given Great Grandpa Fousel's back pay for the poor working conditions and unfair wages he received as a German Immigrant at the turn of the century; oh and considering half my family members are women, I'd like the money they were denied despite doing the same amount of work as their male coworkers... or I could just move on with my life since I wasn't the one being persecuted.

[younghoss]

@PeterFormaini

Might also consider reparations if we "knew who to bill". Not all whites in 1800 had slaves, so not all of today's whites owe a debt for slavery. Not all blacks here now are decendants of captured Africans. Plus, the French, Portugese, British, and some African tribal leaders participated in American slavery. Discussing reparations, who to pay and who should pay counts as much as- should today's black Americans be paid?

[cshubs]

Does room and board count toward the reparations? (kidding!)

[abcdkid7]

But Josh brings up a good point. Josh's family had nothing to do with the slave trade, and neither do the families of what must be a majority of americans, considering that a quarter of all americans today are first or second generation. How is it fair to force these people to pay reparations for a crime they did not commit?

[hilstroy]

I knew I recognized Dixon from Alias from somewhere!

[sunnchilde]

"I'll be back for the mule.." haha