Activist takes cause for reparations to City Council
I cannot begin to express how tiresome the argument about and demand for slave reparations has become. I will not and cannot deny that African-Americans suffered as a result of the slave trade. That was then. This is now. If that sounds insensitive, I apologize, but I have grown tired of African-American activists demanding economic recompense for the suffering of their forebears.
Money will not change the past. It will not right any wrongs, nor will it mitigate any of the suffering that resulted from that shameful chapter in our history. Money will only result in upgrading the lifestyles of those "fortunate" enough to have descended from slaves. When are we going to see through this charade and put a stop to it once and for all?
My Irish ancestors also suffered horribly at the hands of the majority power structure when they emigrated to this country in the mid-19th century. No, they were not slaves, not in the sense that African-Americans were. Even so, they suffered terrible discrimation- miserable working and living conditions, virtual indentured servitude- and still they worked hard to try to make better lives for themselves and their families.
I would be all for paying reparations to those who had ACTUALLY SUFFERED. None of those folks are alive any longer. After so much time has passed, what, exactly would be accomplished by paying the descendants of African-American slaves? What will that money change? The answer is simple- NOTHING will be changed. Thousands of African-Americans will be given an immediate lifestyle upgrade, but history will not be changed, nor will prospects for the future be improved. Will the money somehow salve our "collective guilt" and win the approval of African-Americans? Will the money improve race relations and make this country a more harmonious place to live? Again, the answer is an unqualified NO.
If we cannot restrain ourselves from throwing money around, how about we do something useful with it? Why not set up scholarship funds, try to foster attracting businesses to blighted areas, or develop programs to help the poor learn how to help themselves? The money that some African-Americans are demanding could be put to much better use by setting up programs to help people make their own lives better. Scholarships. Training programs. Small business assistance. The list is long, and the opportunities almost endless. Why, then, would we want to pay reparations directly to individuals for suffering that they never endured?
If we're going to head down that road, I want my check for my Irish ancestors. Thankfully, I don't want that to happen, either. How about we start looking forward instead of living in the past?
