On Slavery, I’ll Do Like Obama
by Big Dog on Apr 21, 2009 at 18:09 Political
I wrote some time ago about the bill introduced to study reparations for the descendants of slaves. I am opposed to paying reparations for slavery for a number of reasons but mostly because no one alive today was a slave or owned a slave. Slavery is immoral and I could never own another human being but the descendants of slaves are better off today because their ancestors were slaves. If they had never been sold (by other blacks) into slavery then the descendants would have been born in Africa. No one can tell me that life in Africa today is better than life today in the United States.
For the sake of argument we will assume all blacks here are descendants of slaves. That means Barack Obama, a black man, holds the highest job in the land. His brother lives in poverty in Africa and his Aunt is an illegal immigrant from Africa. Would Obama have been better off if his lineage had stayed in Africa? The US would be better off but would Obama?
The same is true for ALL blacks living here. Even the poorest of the poor have it better than the people living in Africa. Those in Africa are in absolute poverty with kids dying of malnutrition, people dying of AIDS and malaria and on top of that they have to worry about fighting among tribes. Where in America does anyone, black or otherwise, have it that bad?
But, there is this call for reparations and I am sure they will work real hard to find a way to make the taxpayers of today pay for the immoral (though legal) actions of the ancestors of white Europeans. I have to voice my opposition and I want to use the Obama approach.
When Bill Ayers and his terrorist acts were discussed during the campaign and his relationship with Obama was brought out into the light, Obama said that he should not be held accountable for his ties to a person who did bad things when he was only 8 years old. When Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega went on a 50 minute tirade against the US (one Obama never defended) Obama said he was glad that Ortega did not blame him for things that happened when he was 3.
I see the rationale here. To Obama, he should not be blamed for things he had nothing to do with. Of course, no one blamed him for things he had nothing to do with. With regard to Ayers, it was his relationship with a man who had done bad things. No one blamed Obama for what Ayers did, only for being his friend which gives the impression (which is actually the truth) that Obama is just as radical.
Be that as it may, Obama said he should not be held accountable for the things that happened when he was a child. He said not to blame him for things that he had nothing to do with.
EXACTLY!
I had nothing to do with slavery. I did not own slaves and I never mistreated anyone based on his color. I am not responsible for what happened so my tax dollars should not go to pay for reparations. As a matter of fact, I had nothing to do with Jim Crow Laws (the Democrats gave us them) and I had nothing to do with segregated lunch counters, rides in the back of the bus or anything else.
Let me put it in Obama’s language:
For slavery, don’t hold me accountable for something that ended 96 years before I was born.
For discrimination, don’t hold me accountable for things that happened when I was a kid.
I am a Republican so don’t hold me accountable for the racism and discrimination that the Democrats caused.
Now you libs have two choices. You can agree with me and say that we are not accountable for what happened over a century ago or you can say that we are responsible and have to pay.
If you take the second course of action you are saying that Obama is accountable for what Ayers did and for the things Ortega ranted about.
The choice is yours. I already know what I believe and nothing will change that.
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Tags: ayers, Obama, ortega, racism, reparations, slavery
Very well said. I, for one, am tired of hearing about past reparations. As far as I’m concerned this is a crutch used by many.
I have good friends who are black and I did not enslave anyone.
At least the slaves got to live and eventually became free. WHat happened to the Native Americans that were here. Killed off by BUFFALO soldiers (black calvery) and the whites. Where is the money for the land they stole and the lives they took.
The Indians are taking back America one nickel at a time. They have casinos.
Well, you weren’t killed, were you? Were you shot at? If so, that is already a crime, punishable by law.
Was your buffalo shot??
As for reparations, I think there was a native land claim settlement act in the late 80’s or early 90’s? Were you drunk and missed it?
Note; you wrote so I can assume you are alive, and are on the internet. You got to live and you are as free as anyone else. And you got paid off, or your parents did.
So what’s your problem?
And what is “black calvery?” Some religious icon?
I have one thing left to say to you, you dummy. “Get an education, and a JOB!”
Who do you think you are talking to hdrk05 that way? He expressed an opinion. “I think there was a native land claim settlement act in the late 80s or early 90s?” Well which is it do you even know what you are talking about? What have you got against Native American people that you make a crack about drinking anyway? and what do you know about alcoholism among the Native American anyway? Your problem is they are not white enough for you isn’t it. They don’t fit into your idea of what they should be. Do you know that back when the white man took over the west coast their culture was taken from them and they were put on the reservation or many were put in boarding schools and forbidden to speak to each other in their own language or to dress in their own clothes? or to observe their own feasts and celebrations. They had to whisper and sneak to preserve some of the stories and cultural ways. You have no clue what Native American life is like and I have one thing to say to you dummy, you get an education on how to treat people. No matter who they are.
In on it no, Do you even know who the Buffalo soldiers were, or are you one of those who believe that history does not matter?
The Buffalo Soldiers were a regiment of Black Cavalry soldiers, formed after the Civil War, in order to help fight the indians in the west. Many of these soldiers and their descendants later settled in the west.
It’s truly unfortunate that your tone is so insulting- juxtaposed with your ignorance of history, the combination paints a picture in my head of some white trash guy who just learned to type.
For all of our sakes, let’s hope I am mistaken. We love vigorous debate, but let’s try to raise the level of discourse above that of simplicity, shall we?
hdrk05, the same argument also works for the Indians. I am a sixth generation Texan, most of my family lived in areas inhabited by Tejanos, Texans of Mexican descent. Everyone got along- as far as I know, no one in my family ever owned a slave or exterminated Indians, and since I have a written family history that goes back to England and Germany, I can be confident in this assertion.
Every race has it better here than where they were- that’s just a fact. How they got here should matter less with each generation, but there are factions that make a living off of “perceived injustices”- they have to find something to complain about, because their money depends on finding racism- it’s called a vested interest.
Oh- the buffalo had no one’s name on them, either- I don’t condone what was done, but because I was not there, I had no way to stop it either.
Sometimes you libs present the MOST childish arguments.
Every race has it better here than where they were- that’s just a fact. How they got here should matter less with each generation, but there are factions that make a living off of “perceived injustices”- they have to find something to complain about, because their money depends on finding racism- it’s called a vested interest.
There is a difference between slavery and genocide and forced assimilation–what was done to the Native Americans.
Wow. You are an ignorant moron.
Who are you calling an ignorant moron?
I don’t know if she was talking to you or to Big Dog, but you both qualify.
“There is a difference between slavery and genocide and forced assimilation.”
Right, the fact that genocide is about the most evil thing imaginable makes slavery not such a big deal. Human rights are a zero-sum game now?
I’m constantly astounded at how wingnuts are able to propose that minorites *want* racism to exist so they can profit. You have to be stupid as can be to make that claim–but then, look where you’re posting.
Right, and Sharpton, Jackson and the rest want this to end so they can be out of work.
Genocide and slavery are both terrible and no one wants either. The problem is the victim class that continues to demand action for something that ended nearly a century ago.
No one alive owned or was a slave.
End of story.
There is nothing wrong with posting here. Stick around, you might learn something.
Harriet, not all minorities want racism to exist, but there ARE elements that make a fair living off the backs of those it claims are debased.
I can’t and won’t deny that racism exists- there will ALWAYS be ignorant people- that’s just life. Deal with it- what is true is that the level of racism has steadily gone down over the years. I came from a time when there were separate entrances for Blacks and for Whites, so I know-and while we can all agree that slavery is a bad thing, if you go back far enough, all of our ancestors, black AND white, have at one time or another, been enslaved, so how far back does the scale of injustice go?
I believe that it is true that, regardless of the slavery question, you would have to admit that most Blacks have it better here, than if they were still in Africa- or do you see it differently?