A friend called to talk about this case. I just got off the phone.
My friend said he believes that the descendants of the slave holders should be forced to pay reparations. I said I agreed that in those cases where they had inherited the wealth, descendants of slave holders should be forced to return it to descendants of the victims.
Then he said that all of white America should be forced to pay reparations also. Affirmative Action, he said, was a form of reparations. My children and grandchildren, he said should be penalized also In addition cash reparations should be paid.
I said my family and that of my wife also had been Abolitionists, had taken up arms against slavery, and had paid a terrible price. Why should their descendants be punished?
We should not be looking for villains, should not be playing zero sum games with people's lives. Everyone deserves fair treatment. If more opportunity is needed, then we should create it.
Maybe the cause of those excluded is just.
One of my great grandfathers wound up 100% dervice connected outside Corinth. A great grandmother put her life on the line during Morgan's Raid. Her dad was an Abolitionist. My wife's 2nd great grandfather volunteered, was put on 100% service connected. He couldn't work. The family went through a great deal of hardship. Her maternal great grandfather worked for Lincoln.
A friend called to talk about this case. I just got off the phone.
My friend said he believes that the descendants of the slave holders should be forced to pay reparations. I said I agreed that in those cases where they had inherited the wealth, descendants of slave holders should be forced to return it to descendants of the victims.
Then he said that all of white America should be forced to pay reparations also. Affirmative Action, he said, was a form of reparations. My children and grandchildren, he said should be penalized also In addition cash reparations should be paid.
I said my family and that of my wife also had been Abolitionists, had taken up arms against slavery, and had paid a terrible price. Why should their descendants be punished?
He hung up on me.
And the point of this story?
We should not be looking for villains, should not be playing zero sum games with people's lives. Everyone deserves fair treatment. If more opportunity is needed, then we should create it.
Maybe the cause of those excluded is just.
One of my great grandfathers wound up 100% dervice connected outside Corinth. A great grandmother put her life on the line during Morgan's Raid. Her dad was an Abolitionist. My wife's 2nd great grandfather volunteered, was put on 100% service connected. He couldn't work. The family went through a great deal of hardship. Her maternal great grandfather worked for Lincoln.
What right do these posers have to judge us?