Okay, as a white person here's what I don't understand: This guy is saying "give me my stuff." Who is he expecting to give it to him? White people? That seems pretty racist to me. My family didn't own slaves, and even if they did am I really supposed to pay for something that people did before I was even born? Am I supposed to feel guilty for crimes committed by people who may or may not be my ancestors?
This kind of attitude is for sure going to lead to more division. I totally agree that slavery was evil, but it did happen pretty much all over the world, all throughout history. Not to mention the fact that most of the African slaves were kidnapped and sold into slavery by other Africans.
Are there people marching around the pyramids in Egypt ready to tear them down because they were built by slaves? Are you going to Rome next to tear down the Colosseum? It's crazy! This has got to end somewhere. At some point people need to just take responsibility for their own lives and stop demanding other people pay for them.
If you are a slave that I once owned, then I owe you something. If that's not the case, then pay for your own education.
Hi @garthfreeman This always happens without fail, because people are not aware of history of laws and policies put into place to keep black people from acquiring wealth and property, during the growth of this country. Today, 96% of the wealth of this country is in the hands of white people. I believe the government owes reparations just like our government paid Jewish people reparations for what happened in Germany and I was not part of that but my tax dollars paid for it. You shouldn't feel guilty for what your ancestors did or did not do to black people. But when a group of people who are affected still to this day by the government policies put into place throughout the history of this country then reparations are in order.
For some reason a lot of white people think it creates division when black people point out policies put in place by the government and industries which have harmed black people. For instance Jim Crow laws, redlining and 3 strikes are 3 policies that have harmed black people. 3 strikes laws that has decimated the black community today. Black men are 6% of the USA population and make up 50% of the prisons. Right now in the US there are more black men jailed than were jailed in S. Africa during apartheid 10,000 per 100,000 vs 1,000 per 100,000. I realize no one really cares about what it means to black people when white supremacy is terrorizing black people. https://theintercept.com/2017/01/31/the-fbi-has-quietly-investigated-white-supremacist-infiltration-of-law-enforcement/
I share information based on facts and if you don't like it or don't want to believe it makes no difference to me. I don't think it create division as my father is a white man, actually he is my step dad but I consider him my father.
Okay, well I think you're taking a little of what I said, and inserting a bunch of things I didn't say. I have no disagreements with you regarding the historical treatment of black people, nor do I disagree with the fact that laws are still in effect that disproportionately effect black people.
I can't claim to speak for white people, because I'm just one dude, so I'll limit my comments to what I think. The thing is, from where I'm standing it seems like you don't understand that the government doesn't produce anything. If the government were to give 16 percent of the population some financial reparations, that money would by necessity come from the other 84 percent. Who are those people? Well, it's me.
Also, you seem to think the 96 percent of wealth in the county you say belongs to "white people" is something we all share. I can tell you sir, I'm not getting my cut. Actually, there's about one percent of people in this country who own about 90-95 percent of all wealth, and the rest of us are splitting the rest. Sure, those few people may be white, but do you really think they will be the ones paying the reparations tax? No, it's unlikely. More likely, it would be the middle class who pays the lions share of that tax, and they are already being squeezed. And in fact, it's most likely the ancestors of those ultra rich who were the actual slave holders, and the driving force behind all the BS laws. Those people will avoid the tax, just like they avoid most other taxes.
Also, how exactly are you going to implement this tax? Will you actually pass a law stating that white people must pay a tax so reparations can be paid, or would you make everyone pay including black people?
Another thing: you seem to like to make things less complicated than they are. You complain about the disproportionate number of black men in the prison system, and I agree it is a fact. I also agree that some of the laws, specifically drug laws and mandatory minimum sentencing, are major contributing factors. However, this doesn't answer the question fully. The fact is that black men commit a disproportionately larger number of crimes, specifically violent crimes, compared to other demographic groups. We can discuss the reasons as to why, but it's just a fact.
As to creating division, who can say ultimately what the causes are. It's pretty hard to argue that it's there and getting worse, though. It seems to me that talking things out is a better approach than loudly demanding that someone give you their stuff. I hope you don't think I'm posting this because I have some agenda, I just saw your post on the new feed and thought I'd give you my perspective. I gave an honest reaction after seeing the video.
One last thing I'll say is this; receiving handouts from the government has a terrible historical track record of enabling people to rise above economic destitution. There's almost a hundred percent chance that if reparations are paid to any group of people that that group of people will become dependent on those government checks. That situation will lead to more people with their hands out, and less people with their hands to the plow, so to speak. In the long run, the way to wealth is hard work, and free welfare checks inevitably lead to laziness. I know it may seem hard for you to imagine a white man knowing this from first hand experience, but I can assure you there are plenty of us raise in the trailer parks who know all about it.
Take it easy man, and here's hoping I never have to see you from behind a black hood with a bottle of piss in your hand.