Slavery reparations gaining momentum

madlilnerd · **Sun Jul 09, 2006 4:18 pm**

I saw a man on television a few months ago ranting on about how he was entitled to thousands of pounds because his ancestors were slaves.

This is truly rediculous. What about all the people who had to live a horrible existence in victorian mines or cotton mills? Or those who died in WW1 because the government was too mean to look after them? Should their descendants be given money?

I can understand people apologising for the past (although, as they weren't born yet, they really have nothing to feel guilty about), but I don't think the descendants of slaves should recieve compensation.

Founder · **Sun Jul 09, 2006 4:30 pm**

I agree completely. I'm not paying a cent because I didn't own any slaves. Not to mention, I'm not paying the slaves, but their descendents. Seems like a good deal for them...

madlilnerd · **Sun Jul 09, 2006 4:37 pm**

Exactly, Founder. They weren't whipped or stored in tiny ships. The guy that was on British TV was a very well off young man who owned an apartment in central london, so he couldn't even argue that having slaves as ancestors has damaged his fiances or lifestyle or given him a disadvantage in life.

Lord Borg · **Sun Jul 09, 2006 5:10 pm**

Yeah, this is a touchy situation really. I mean no harm, but I see what you both are saying, they feel they are OWED something becasue of their skin color and thier family history. See, that just bothers me. Perhaps there should be some sort of aplogy, IDK. But to give someone many, many years later money for something done in the past that wassnt even done to them seems odd.

Puck · The Texan Joined: 05 Jan 2004 Posts: 5596

This is the most stupid and absurd idea I have heard. While we are at it, why don't we find any Native American's and pay them back. Really I mean, we killed of nearly all of the Indian population when we came over from Europe by bringing disease and enslaving them as well. I think too, as a Catholic, that I want reparations from back in the colonial days, because of the anti-Catholic laws passed in nearly all of the colonies. Of course, my ancestors didn't end up in America until well after all of these events, but it makes since that we should pay people for something that no one in my family participated in, and that they should get money for something they never suffered. I also still want my money, because even though no one ever did anything to me, it still hurts my feelings. Oh, I'm part Indian to, I want some of the money that they are getting. I'm sure you can think of some way that you are owed money too. Part Chinese? We segregated them. Part Japanese? Go for it. Eastern European descent or Irish? Probably something you can find.

This situation isn't sticky or touchy, it is simply stupid.

IntrepidIsMe · **Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:55 pm**

This would be rather detrimental towards everybody's (as in: everybody who matters) goal of equality and eliminating racism. If people want to get technical about it, I doubt that there's a single person who doesn't have a history of relatives having been subject to genocide, slavery, or other terrible crimes against humanity. And this isn't just about race in the long run, but also about religion and personal beliefs.

madlilnerd · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:55 am**

webtaz99 · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:41 am**

According to our "family tree", none of my ancestors ever owned or managed slaves at all. "Reparations" should not come from the current population, except for those who currently "own" slaves. (And it does happen in America now.)

Arellia · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:21 am**

Republican_Man · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:53 am**

madlilnerd · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:17 pm**

So... I guess we're all agreed?

Theresa · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:00 pm**

An historic moment for STV, no?

Lord Borg · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:03 pm**

It'd have to be. So do we make some sort of historical poost for it?

Republican_Man · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:10 pm**

That's a quote for the ages. "So... I guess we're all agreed?"

The answer would, surprisingly, be "Yes." Everyone here has what I would call a conservative position on their side!

In all seriousness, though, if there's no disagreement, then this is ground-breaking for STV. It's a thread for the history books.

Theresa · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:10 pm**

Lord Borg · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:12 pm**

BAH! you know full well what I meant!

BOT.....

I guess I agree with what is said above me

Ziona · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:13 pm**

I adhere to all the rest of your statements

This is scary... we all agree... the world is coming to an end!

Republican_Man · **Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:24 pm**

Got a big news story I just saw on Hannity and Colmes to share with you.

Captain Dappet · **Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:48 pm**

Republican_Man · **Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:51 pm**

Maybe in your country, but that didn't break the historical event, because no one even replied to my statement.
But in America it does tend to be a more conservative stance to oppose reparations for slavery. You see liberals out there supporting it a hundred times more than you see conservatives.

Captain Dappet · **Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:00 pm**

Yes...I've gathered that "the liberals" are stupid, brainwashed hippies, while "the conservatives" are rich, capitalist warmongers with an agenda.

Yes, I'm kind of declaring war on both sides here.

*prepares to be butchered*

IntrepidIsMe · **Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:22 pm**

Either way, that isn't a topic for this thread, so I'd suggest that nobody respond. Thanks.

Founder · **Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:39 pm**

Yeah, if anyone truly deserves reperations, it would be Native Americans. I mean, the land was stolen, they're an endangered people, they live in utter poverty, have the highest suicide rates, and have no soveriegn country of their own...

Republican_Man · **Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:11 pm**

But was it the Native Americans currently alive that we stole their land from? No, it wasn't. You can't have it both ways, saying we'll give reparations to Native Americans but not to blacks because they weren't around during the slave times, etc.