Monday, August 19, 2002
Reparations
I have heard a councilman from New York, Charles Barons, on talk radio and television twice in the last month, arguing for the case of reparations to African-Americans for slavery. Although the idea of reparations paid around the end of the Civil War seems, in hindsight, a logical response to slavery, I think it is impractical to ask the population of today to pay for these reparations. Many immigrants came to the United States after the Civil War, and had nothing to do with slavery. Barons argues that by immigrating to the U.S. they take on the responsibilities of that country and should therefore have to pay. Hw uses Reagan's payments to the families of Japanese interred during WWII as justification. One can argue that these reparations made more sense as both parties still had living participants in the situation. Barons argues that white people simply don't understand and are incapable of understanding...we can't even understand the humor or hyperbole in the statement "slap you into next Tuesday". I can understand your argument, Mr. Baron, I just don't accept it.
------------------------------------------------