"Reparations". What if I'm half "black" and half "white"? Do I receive them, or have to pay them?

[Siri137]

For the descendants? How the hell does that even make any sense?

Not that I am of course, but I've been wondering about this ever since I first encountered that (very stupid, in my opinion) proposal.

[Logan-5]

Moot question

Statute of limitations are long-since expired. New laws would have to be made to extend them.

I think focusing on slavery is missing a better opportunity. Reparations for more recent infractions, e. g., holding up federal aid to farmers at the local level, might allow for a meeting the statute of limitations and for matching of funds to the same farm family.

I know of a German Jew who recently was repatriated with land stolen from his family by the Nazis... some 80 years later. It's worth a great deal today and allowed him to retire. But there again, it was a matter of being able to point to direct descendants of the family that was robbed.

Affirmative action has been around for a while in the U. S.. That's been complicated by the point that you bring up as well. It doesn't take an injustice as massive as the institution of slavery to quickly get into the weeds.

There seems to be a shift in the conversation in the past few years away from discussions of differences in resources and toward stereotype threat and sense of belonging. That is, does a person avoid, or leave prematurely, a field because they feel they don't belong, when they're only experiencing the same frustrations that are inevitable in the profession? This seems to me a more worthwhile topic of discussion.

[Avicenna]

That's a very good question. It could get even more confusing if someone is descended from black slaveowners like the Ellisons.

A better way is focus on helping the needy regardless of race.

[Rosexøxø]

Having white or any other cultures/race (yeah, sorry, I still don’t get all of that to this day), for that matter, will not disqualify a person for receiving those propositions or so, but as long as they have some ancestry and a direct link to perhaps a family who had endured/underwent racial injustices and such, would qualify. It’s not about what they aren’t or what else they have, it’s about what they have. Even 1% black but being related say to Harriet Tubman, or the Tubman family, maybe a family linked to till or other, that 1% individual would still qualify so as long as they applied.- THIS is what I ASSUME. It can also be someone who has suffered something, or having faced a set of conditions. I’m sure they have guidelines/protocol for that we just may not be aware to. But no one will be going about this mindlessly.

To add I have no idea what that is, when it started, who started it, what it’s for and etc. I suppose I could’ve given a far off answer or a good one grounded in logic and simply un-savvy, thus unbiased.

I mentioned all of this in a practical/ general sense.

[Rosexøxø]

I could read up on this but I’m too lazy. Just saw you were a bit bothered so tried to help a bit. 👍

[Siri137]

Well, I don't think I was "bothered" by this, but I certainly was (and am) confused.

[Anonymous]

My white European ancestors were most likely enslaved during the Barbary slave trade, Arab slave trade, or even in Ancient Rome. Never received reparations. Literally every race whether black, white, middle Eastern, Asian, Latino, etc has at some point in history been under slavery.

[_piotr]

True. Black Americans are not special.

[Siri137]

@_piotr Most of them aren't even "black", but brown or tanned.

[NaultD]

So, I'm a quarter Alaskan Native and other white. So, I just get Native benefits; my kids might, but their kids probably won't.

In alaska all the land was divided up to private corporations because the Indian reservation was THAT FUCKED UP. Alaskan natives said fuck it and suided up with the best land management deal possible.

If black reparations was to be a thing it should mimic alaskan native corporations with black ownership of potentially profitable land from former federal land management for future investment.

It's not a one time cash flow but a giant land management that does need giant responsibility and duty to distribute that cash flow to enrich black communitys.

[HighValue]

• Affirmative action already was reparations and it was only supposed to be temporary. All other races need reparations FROM Black people for all the crime, robberies, and murders so many of them have committed and continue to commit now.

[Abbycado]

You write yourself out a check and then rip it up in protest! XD

[Rosexøxø]

lol that’s so funny 😂

[DreamLife7]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[DreamLife7]

Best comment ever!🤣

[Abbycado]

@DreamLife7 @Rosexøxø XD

[Anonymous]

1. You're black
2. Black people love saying their mixed when they're not to feel better about themselves
3. No you don't deserve reparations you were not a slave
4. Stop being a bum looking for hand outs. Get a career and an education like everyone else.

The end

[Anonymous]

Pretty sure even biracial people identify as black in society, by force of white people grouping them that way unless they’re white passing. It’s not like they can fairly live their lives on either side of the spectrum.

Zendaya is biracial and you’d never see her claimed by the white community in any way shape or form, vs. Halsey who is also half black but looks white. But for the most part all biracials get the black treatment in life.

[Danny_dan92]

Only people that deserve reparations are people that lived through the jim crowe era or were slaves in the 1800’s

[Rosexøxø]

It makes sense there would be some guidelines for this.

[Danny_dan92]

Exactly. Afterall reparations by their definition is compensation for being put through hardship.

Segregation and slavery are the only two eras where black people actually were oppressed and faced hardships.

Not to mention, if we say gave reparations to EVERY SINGLE black person… our country would go bankrupt. Especially if we gave each person hundreds of thousands of dollars (which is what they’re asking for)

Side note: how many of those people would use that money on smart things? Afterall stereotypes exist for a reason but who’s to say most of them would buy dumb shit like drugs and jewelry… then want more money cause they’re broke again after spending all that free money rather than say starting a business or delving into other investments.

[Rosexøxø]

You make some really valid points but they’d never have to give to the offspring black people of the older generations of black people oppressed and brought here over. Imagine because of certain bad choices, offspring of slaves having slow to no access to reading and learning of good habits and all, that means those latter individuals go on making poor choices and having human needs for survival. The government lays without bankruptcy, yet those offspring live in poverty, addiction, depression, organized crime, violence, trauma, and all sorts with a lack of order and compassion.

Maybe trying to right this one wrong is just as you explained with the details there but didn’t necessarily say- would have long term effects all over and down the road. It’d affect so many things. Just as the oppression did. Trickling down and spreading around.

Maybe we can’t right this wrong in such a direct way, but maybe it’d be better to offer some assistance to those who were oppressed and carried baggage along the way.

We can’t pay our debts. The wrongs made and the crimes committed, but we can help bring about change and change the tracks so the train goes in the right direction, with everyone successful, happy and healthy, and a major contribution to society.

I think this may be a dead end thing. Surely as you explained we couldn’t pay everyone. That IS. A lot of people and we let too much time pass. It still was just too many back then and America is simply not that rich. No country is. Maybe it should be a strong reminder not wrong others in such a severe way, that we wouldn’t be able to pay them back or make it right- and for those killed, even if the families received compensation- would never be at peace just for some type of money. Some moral payment or other. It still wouldn’t replace the pain or refund them of their loved ones and the lives before or aside of oppression.

[Rosexøxø]

Feel free to disagree with me.

[Danny_dan92]

The offspring of slaves or people that went through segregation didn’t suffer like their ancestors did…

Consider this. My mom has cancer, say the treatment she’s going through goes wrong and my mom sues the hospital. Any financial compensation for the lawsuit goes to my mom and dad. Not me and my siblings.

[Rosexøxø]

Ofc! But I’m talking about psychological effects and advantages and disadvantages.

Like comparing the progress of a student who studies by themselves with no supervision near a rail road track

Vs

A student who has a paid or I don't know loyal tutor who is also well versed and well rounded.

Many other factors play parts, but the one with a tutor has significant advantage.

Now say the railroad student was somehow abused by his/her teachers at his/her school and was only allowed a pencil instead of proper school supplies.

I’m just saying there was systematic things, limitations, segregation and a bunch of red tape. It can all be summed to advantages and disadvantages that link up directly to one’s success or one’s struggle/failure.

Say the relative with cancer was denied proper medical treatment/attention cause of color. Sure her family doesn’t need treatment or any compensation, but let’s change the scenario to some other disease and she could be treated- but IS denied and YET has a child in her womb. Left untreated that sickness will affect her offspring. Any disease she could’ve had- could’ve been treated- but wasn’t, and so her offspring contract/develop the same thing.

Bottom line of my point is they should’ve NEVER done the wrongs they did because ONE- it was WRONG, and TWO- they didn’t/don’t have the funds to even repay all those it TRULY affected in ways big and small known and unknown to you and me. If you want to say you know all of that and about that from A-Z, sure go ahead, but I stick by my bottom line and add they should find a way to make the wrong into a right, in a different manner is all. But you can disagree with this! And my claims.

[Danny_dan92]

The best way we as a society can recover. Is by doing what we are currently doing. By giving equal opportunity to everyone. Alongside not forgetting the past so we don’t repeat it.

[andreasderjuengere]

Both at the same time, I'd say. But only 50% of what is due.

Now my counter question:

If your grandfather is caught in a traffic offense... would YOU think of being obliged to pay his fine?

[SotiCoto]

If reparations are supposed to be paid for the sake of injustices against the long dead... then am I, a Celt, entitled to reparations from the Danish for the annexation of our beloved Prydain multiple times throughout history?

[DJB72]

And what about the reparations due to the families of the Barbary slaves - the European slaves kidnapped by the Ottoman Empire?

Or the descendants of the Roman slaves?

[Dargil]

Reparations have been "paid" many times over since Johnson initiated The Great Society welfare freebees in 1968.

[jjj101010]

As an Englishman I accept that we historically did some bad stuff with slavery, that said, can I off set any reparations I owe against the ones the Italians and Danish will owe me from the romans and vikings?

[DrPepper12]

Reparations are a stupid and frankly inflammatory issue that only damages efforts to bring about racial equity and equality. Most liberals like me think so as well. Crazies on the ultra left are nuts

[standardguy]

So the money you have to pay and the money you get are the sane. So you are out of the game.
But you are right that neither the nowaday whites are guilty for the past nor the nowadays blacks are disabled by the past.

[dreamstar72]

Why should you, are that poor, miserable, mistreated etc looking for someone to blame for your incompetence

[normalice]

Sounds like the sort of thing that could be determined by reading the bill.

[handsomelad70]

Why do I believe that were reparations given to African Americans, within a year the money would be in some corrupt "clergymen's" bank accounts?

[Miristheiss]

You break even. The white half of you has to pay the black half so it is a wash.

[AviatorTom]

Another reason why reparations make no sense.

[exitseven]

It turns out that I am descended from slaves. I want a million bucks and a Cadillac/

[Snakeyes7]

People who were never enslaved are begging for reparations from people who never enslaved. No one owes anyone else anything.

[Twalli]

I will pay reparations to ever descentwntof slaves that can prove in a court of law they were enslaved by my ancestors.

[LiamS95]

I'm not aware of anyone that is alive today that has been under the oppression of slavery.

[Amur8711]

It doesn't matter reparations on race is completely unethical. Also every race has been enslaved on mass to another race at some pont.

[noohair]

You pay yourself and call it even. But that is not a Black and White question.

[FreyaRed]

It's a null sum for you

[electromagnetic]

You get nothing and pay nothing. You cancel out.

[BoopBoopBeep]

You gotta pay yourself.

[BCRanger10]

Both, I guess 😄

[CrabCakes11]

You pay yourself

[gorydetails]

you pay and receive yourself in an infinite loop.

[AngryCarl]

You have to pay yourself.

[FenixG45]

Ya, that is fraught with problems!

[QuietRunner]

you pay yourself