Should White Americans pay reparations to the African American descendants of slavery?

[EricBooth999]

Apparently an extensive portion of African American peoples feel as though they are owed compensation for the slavery that they never experienced.
Does this make sense to you? Why, or why not?

[Miristheiss]

No, if anyone should it should be Africans. They were the ones who captured them in Africa and sold them to seafaring countries for money. Start at the source if you are going to venture down this insane path. Most people didn't own slaves and slavery existed all over the world. I don't know what this "Americans" thing is, is if somehow this place was unique regarding slavery. It wasn't. Learn your history. Slaves were sold all over the world.

[EricBooth999]

I disagree, as I don’t believe that the descendant of an African (or any other person in any country) that was enslaved 200 years ago deserves any sort of compensation. Wouldn’t it be nice to cash in on the pain and suffering if your ancestor? In a land that now offers you complete freedom?
I never said that slavery was only limited to the United States, but I was specifically talking about the American situation.
I’m not paying anybody for something they did not experience, nor am I taking responsibility for the faults of my ancestors.

[ENTP_EMO]

I'll say yes (cos everyone is said no lol)

If an extensive portion of African Americans feels this way after the abolishment of slavery more than 100 years ago, something must be wrong with your government.

[EricBooth999]

Or, what if the African Americans mistakenly feel that the system is set up against them? What if African-Americans generally tend to have less interest in working than white people do, and they’re just looking for a handout that they don’t deserve?
I can’t think of any reasonable argument in support of such reparations. These people do not live in chains and pick cotton like their ancestors so, why do they deserve to profit from the pain of long dead people?

[ENTP_EMO]

I don't think i can even argue this question lol.

if i say yes, it's only a temporary solution for African Americans and if what you say is true, will just create resentment from white Americans who have to pay for reparations for something their ancestors did. I don't think current white Americans deserve the blame.

If i say no, I feel that something must be done because if the majority of African Americans think this way... something needs to change. We can't blame them and call it a day either... It just reinforce the idea that white people don't care.

Now if we're not looking at race and just looking at the poorest people in the US.

And ask, "Why is the richest country in the world have such a high poverty rate?"

or
"Why is there 16.7 million children living in food insecure households back in 2011?"

The US Census declared that in 2014 14.8% of the general population lived in poverty.
10.1% of all white non-Hispanic persons
12.0% of all Asian persons
23.6% of all Hispanic persons (of any race)
26.2% of all African American persons
28.3% of Native Americans / Alaska Natives
Statistics 2014.
en.wikipedia.org/.../ethnicity

So these kids will grow up with the same resentment as their parents. Thinking they need to interbreed with white people just to survive, hate their skin color, play the race card if a white person offends them, never understood why they have to do well in school, watch the T. V and all they see is African Americans victimized because the media, almost everyone has a relative in prison, afraid of the police, why black on black crimes is so high etc

I think a good start is seriously crack down on corruption, reduce military spending (like a little please?) etc and use that money to reduce the poverty line across all of America.
Dw just wishful thinking lol

[Anonymous]

No. I mean, tbf, some Africans were promised land as reparations, but i think that before that thought should even be entertained white people need to start small. like accepting there's racism in america lol.

[EricBooth999]

You believe that institutionalized racism still exists in America? If that’s the case, I disagree. I believe that there are many individual racist people in America but the system is not racist! It’s a myth.

[Opinion Owner]

bro, did i even use the word institution lol i don't even belong to a political party but ik you must be a conservative. you put words in people's mouths constantly.

[EricBooth999]

We’re talking about reparations to black Americans which would obviously be an institutionalized system implemented by the Government so, I presumed that was what you were talking about.
If you read my response again, you’ll see that I asked you if my presumption was correct.
I’m actually a centrist Canadian.
If you are not referring to “Institutionalized Racism”, then why is the “existence of racism in America” relevant? Racism exists all throughout the world, among every single race.
I don’t think that many people would deny that is the truth lmao.

[Opinion Owner]

If anything, i'll settle on systematic. and you didn't ask me anything and opened up a "myth" discussion which LITERALLY PROVES MY ENTIRE INITIAL COMMENT. whites think racism is a myth. why? oh yeah! bc it doesn't apply to you, it's all in the imaginaaaation.

[EricBooth999]

Institutionalized, systematic- same boat to me. Either way, a myth.
I’m baffled by your response because I literally don’t know of any white person who would claim that racism does not exist. Of course it exists.
White people experience racism all the time!
Just last night I had a discussion with a black, hebrew Israelite from the states. He had no problem informing me that he was a “chosen child of god” (these people think that they are the real jews of the bible), that I was just some little dick, neanderthal rapist, culture stealing cracker. If you wouldn’t call that racism then I don’t really know what to tell ya 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Opinion Owner]

you've really NEVER met one? wow. consider yourself lucky.
also, the fact you recognized racism ONLY towards whites says a lot and really doesn't help your point.

[EricBooth999]

Girl what’re you talking about? You mentioned that white people don’t believe that racism exists because it does not apply to them. I’m only informing you that this is not true, as white people (as far as I know) understand very clearly that racism does exist.
All races experience it, and people of all races propagate it- black, white, latino, chinese EVERYONE.
You claimed that I was putting words into your mouth but look at what you’re doing? Lmao

[Opinion Owner]

im saying apply to them institutionally since you brought THAT up. not some weirdo you met at a bar or something.

[LingyRoll]

Lol no. None of those people are even alive today. You'd be punishing somebody for something they didn't do. Plus... 600,000 white men died to set blacks free. I think that's a high enough price

[Evo6TommiMakinen]

Depends on person.
I know some white people who always promotes the non-white guilt and always blames some other non white ethnicities for mistakes that their ancestors did in past. For example If a white wants current gen. arabs to pay for slave trade or wants current gen. japanase to pay for nanking genocide or wants current gen. Turks to pay for armenian genocide etc. etc. then he should pay for crimes of his ancestors too.

I would not accept the double standarts.

But other whites shouldn't pay for things that their ancestors did.

[wiseyoungman]

I think the most recent estimate of unpaid wages (plus compound interest to adjust for inflation) comes to about $3.5 trillion. I do think that their descendants deserve back pay, but we can't exactly track down their former "employers", and it seems unreasonable to take it out of tax coffers since all citizens pay into that.

[EricBooth999]

Why do the descendants of slaves deserve anything?
I’m the descendant Irishmen that were subjugated by the British, and treated like second-class citizens.
Do I deserve reparations because the British abused my Irish ancestors 150+ years ago?
Of course not.
It had nothing to do with me, nor any living British person.
Same goes for African Americans and white American descendants of slave owners. It’s ludicrous.

[wiseyoungman]

I'm not talking about you and your ancestors, feel free to have that argument elsewhere. I'm talking about American workers that never received back pay. If my deceased father was owed unpaid overtime, I get the money. That's the law.

[EricBooth999]

I understand what you’re saying but it’s not like there’s anyone living today had a mother or father that was a slave.
It is the law to provide you with your father’s unpaid overtime sure, but he was legally employed as a worker within a company, and owed compensation for his work.
There is no law which states that the descendants of a man who died four generations ago as a slave is to receive compensation, and it should remain this way. A demographic of people who get to cash in on the suffering of their ancestors. Illogical.

[QuietRunner]

No it doesn't. I don't think I should have to pay for the sins of others.

Also are we going to trace the linage of slave holders only? What about White Americans that didn't own slaves and felt slavery was wrong? Why should those descendants pay other descendants?

What about the Whites that died during the Civil War to free the slaves? Isn't that payment enough? 828,000 Union soldiers died to crush the confederacy.

[ChiPaPa]

Fuck no. I'm white and my ancestors didn't even own slaves. I'm only a third generation American on one side and a fourth on the other. My dad's side fled the Nazis.

[BronzedAdonis]

whats your ethnicity?

[ChiPaPa]

@BronzedAdonis
French, Irish, Swedish, German, Russian, and a few other European ancestries.

[Anonymous]

No. They didn't experience it, and the white Americans of today had nothing to do with slavery in the past. Why should whites have to pay for something they couldn't control or have any part in?

[MarkRet]

If you want to go THAT route, then maybe African American descendants should also pay reparations to White descendants who fought and died in the Civil War to free slaves. Where does it end?

[weirdoweirdo]

Lol no. We in present day have nothing to do with what our ancestors did and should not be blamed because of their decisions.

[loveslongnails]

That'll never happen. What about their own people in Africa who rounded them up and sold them to white folks?

[humanearth]

No. our long dead families were part of that. Both sides are long gone. It would not be fair to anyone. Now if there was some still living then I say yes by all means

[hansukota]

Nope. If people abuse or treat a African-American person badly then they have to compensate. But not for something done to ancestors because if v c it that way everyone has to pay every one

[Philyouup]

No f'n way .. My people didn't make it here until the late 1800's early 1900's
Should Irish Americans sue Britain for the 700 years of hell they put my ancestors through? Or germany for the catholic repression they suffered since the Reformation?

[Anonymous]

But they already are, it's called the welfare checks.

[EricBooth999]

I like that. People are quick to forget that it is mainly the “oppressed minority” that cash in welfare checks, and cost the taxpayers millions, if not billions every year.
Must be nice to get free money!

[Opinion Owner]

And it doesn't stop with the checks, they get close to free housing as well. I once worked construction in an apartament building in NYC where I found out that they pay $400 a month for apartaments that any white person would have to pay at least $1500 a month for.

[Opinion Owner]

Also we had to hire at least 20% of workers who weren't white. So we found a few from the apartametns we worked on, they got paid $35/h for just standing there, no one even asked them to work, but the best part is that they came maybe once or twice every week or two. Where all they had to do is come down and sign in. But this was too much I guess.

[EricBooth999]

That’s ridiculous. I can’t even begin to comprehend how moronic the system has become. It’s now literally white people (mostly white men) that are facing oppression.
I can’t get into a University because of my shitty grades but, a black kid from Compton whom also had shitty grades & possibly even a criminal history will get in due to affirmative action.
Just mind boggling to me.

[TheFlak38]

Yes. And Africans, as well as Arab muslims should pay reparations for the enslavement of Europeans. Im an 8th generation slavery survivor. Give me money.

[HereIbe]

Only if ALL the other countries that took part in it pay their share, too.

[ZeussLightningBolt]

Hell no! Why would we do that? The current blacks weren't slaves.

[Rissyanne]

This actually made me laugh. It’s ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Those who inherited a family fortune gathered through exploitation of slaves.

[CuriousMufuxka]

Lulz there should be a gofundme!

[Grotty]

What an utterly stupid question!

[ChetAtkins]

LMAO Fuck no!