Reparations Will Cause Segregation
Dear Editor,
High Point should save time and money and just apologize to everyone for anything that anybody ever said or did to offend them. Why? Because the High Point City Council has agreed to form a commission to study past discrimination and decide how much money (reparations) will be paid to those whose ancestors may have been slaves. The payments will not go to the actual victims of slavery but will instead go to their descendants. Will the commission provide a fair and impartial review? Not on your life. Take a look at the council vote and who supported this commission, the members of the selection committee, the requirements to be included in the selection committee and the members of the commission.
Three of the council members who voted for the creation of this sham commission are black. The black city manager will select two people and the NAACP will select four members. The council members were elected because they were better candidates than their opponents and the city manager is well qualified. (I actually hate identifying people as black, white, red, green or purple because it should be unnecessary. I don’t care what color someone is. I never have. However, in this case I need to make my point about the absurd nature of the commission, its legitimacy and mission. I apologize for using race to identify them.)
The required qualifications to serve on the commission include people who have “education, training, activism or experience, particularly in the field of African American studies and reparatory justice.” How can an activist or someone who already believes in reparatory justice be on a supposedly “impartial” commission when they have already made up their mind and believe white man, bad – white man must pay. Talk about stacking the deck. A gambler playing poker against a dealer using a marked deck of cards has a better chance of a fair outcome that the citizens of High Point who will have to pay God only knows how much money to God only knows how many people for God only knows how long.
I was raised to believe that enslaving people has always been wrong. My parents also taught me that the color of someone’s skin was unimportant. I took those lessons to heart in my youth and have followed them as an adult. However, giving taxpayer money to people because they happen to be black is wrong.
Governments already promotes and funds women and minority owned business organizations, established race quotas in hiring, college admissions, professional sports and coaching jobs, contractor set-asides and passed laws preventing red-line housing practices. Even toys like Barbie must be ethnically, racially and gender neutral. In virtually every aspect of life, you must not offend anybody for any reason lest you be called a sexist, racist, homophobe or whatever. Obviously, all this is not enough to satisfy the thirst for more money to pay for a practice that ended more than 150 years ago. How much longer and how much more money will it take for the sins of some (but not all) of our ancestors to be paid to the heirs of slavery?
What if the next generation says they want money too? Will they get it? Because black and white people pay taxes, will current and future generations of taxpayers be required to pay? Will reparation payments become just another line item on the HP budget? What about people who lived in territories that were not part of the US during slavery. What about people who immigrated to the US after the Emancipation Proclamation? Do they have to pay? Why? How will anyone determine when enough is enough? I say, enough is enough right now! No reparation money to anyone and no new set asides to anyone for anything. The longer society wastes time, energy and money trying to pay for past mistakes, the longer society will remain racially and culturally segregated. Is that really what people want?
When tax money is paid to people because they are black, will the money come from only white taxpayers? Since HP does not write income tax laws, will this money be taxable income according to the IRS? How will HP determine who gets the money and how much they will receive? Will the payments be one-time or annual payments?
Has anybody ever apologized to the Irish, Italians, Asians and Polish or every other group of people who had their turn being discriminated against when they came to America? The answer is No. The NAACP will say they came voluntarily while blacks were forced into slavery. Rev. Thomas said the same thing in a letter to the editor at the High Point Enterprise some months ago. However, not all Blacks who immigrated were slaves. I’ve got news for you folks. Slaves were viewed as valuable assets to slave owners. Some slave owners were white but some were Black. Jews on the other hand were viewed as being of no value and were hunted down and murdered by the millions since the beginning of time. Have Jews demanded an apology or reparations? No. If Jews have moved on and prospered, why can’t blacks? Funny how the NAACP thinks that being a live slave was and is much worse than being a murdered and dead Jew.
Stop wasting taxpayer money paying people who were not alive 150 years ago and are not now or have ever been slaves or victims of slavery.
People from all around the world shop together at grocery stores and worship together at churches. They live in the same neighborhoods and work together at their jobs. Come on, people. As my mother use to say, toughen up, buttercup. Move on and live your life as the best person you can be using the talents you received from God and your family. Be a good, thoughtful, and caring human being because Nobody cares about the color of your skin. Nobody. Be judged and identified by the person you are and not by the color of your skin. If you are always viewed as a white or black person, you will never be viewed as the person you are and society will never evolve and progress. Dr. King wanted people to be judged by the content of the character not the color of their skin. Why is that not good enough for you?
Ken Orms
Lots of people have grudges from their ancestral past, but there is no way of reconciling past ills with current day lame-brained ills either. The Romans conquered Europe and there’s evidence they controlled England, so can all of us with Anglo-Saxon heritage be eligible to sue the Pope and Italy for their ancestral transgressions?
The word “reparations” means taking from someone and giving it to yourself, and those that support it become the judge, jury, and also as the recipient of the payouts. My suggestion? Pray for forgiveness and the ability to move on with your life without a grudge from things of the past that you were not involved, and ask God to forgive those of us who stand accused of being part of the past.
I agree with your gist Joe, but when the Romans occupied Britain the indigenous people were the Brythonic Celts, or Brythons, or Ancient Britons as we’re called now. The Anglo-Saxons came later. There are Gaelic Celts and Brythonic Celts. The Brythonic Celts were the first Britons (the island is named after us – Brython, or Britain). and we are the people of King Arthur and Merlin. We were driven progressively Westward by successive waves of invaders; Angles, Jutes, Saxons, Danes, Vikings, Normans… they all came, and as always, we were outnumbered. And the coastline is so indented that a Viking convoy could make land in the next cove and you’d never know it – until too late.The Ancient Britons are today’s Welsh, and even now we number just 3 million in a nation of about 66 million.
Like the Native American we lost our land to newcomers.
We need reparations!!
And then we stole the country from the Native Americans. Remember Columbus “discovered “America
AMEN, Brother. I know all about the Italian discrimination. This is where you show what you are made of and realize everyone who does not look like you is not your enemy. If I ever amounted to anything in my life it is because people who cared about me put out their hand. (it was empty, but hung on until I could stand on my own). My gratitude goes on and on to this day. The world is full of good people and if you get the other kind, go to the next one, ’cause you almost can’t help getting the good one. Some people will never care about me but there are so many who will.
Read what honest Abe said about building your own house and not trying to gain ground by taking advantage of others.
I know, I expect I’ll hear from someone, but it will be someone who can’t find their backside with either hand.
I agree 100% Mr. Orms. The only point you left out was that the kings or rulers of the african countries where the slaves came from were the very people who sold their own people to the slave traders. Maybe the reparations should start from the countries where their descendants came from. Not to mention that africa held the Jewish people in slavery for a very very long time. So as far as any reparations be sure that the ones asking for it to please look into a mirror. Because in America their are no clean hands
I agree. I have never understood the rationale for reparations.
One comment as response to your letter…While color of skin is not important per se. I would encourage you to recognize people from different backgrounds and how their upbringing may be very different than yours. This includes the black community but also the Muslim community, various different Hispanic communities, etc…. It is ok to talk about how different communities within the whole are different and may have different perspective on issues. Being color blind assumes you will treat all the same, which doesn’t actually work well. Some people with different backgrounds have different expectations, challenges, fears, offerings, etc…
Diversity is NOT an ugly word as the modern conservative would have you think.
Chris always has to criticize conservatives, even when it’s has absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand.
Yes Mr Ed, that’s why he’s here. He likes insulting people, trying to belittle them, and being gratuitously argumentative.
Captious Chris is, in short, an odious little jerk.
He kept mentioning that he doesn’t see color in his letter. It is a mistake worth calling out.
Sorry to say chris but I didn’t set he word color mentioned in any of the aforementioned replies only yours.
Well, I meet all individuals with equal regard and respect, even if you harbor certain prejudices about them. I do not presuppose that they have particular “expectations, challenges, or fears”. In other words, I do not prejudge them, because I am not prejudiced. You are, it seems. I always knew you were a bigot, Captious Chris.
You have outed yourself.
Diversity doesn’t involve treating people based on YOUR bias and prejudice (although I am sure you do). it involves understanding people’s perspective from their unique background and experiences that are often defined by their culture. For example, discussing policing with a minority is to understand the cultural history of discrimination and racism’s impact on policing that has left a deep and lasting distrust within minority communities.
Not complicated.
Not complicated at all, in fact you’re very simple.
You impose your prejudices on others. I do not.
You are a prejudiced bigot, I am not.
Not complicated.
The fact you trigger to hard off of and show no understanding of even basic talking points about diversity shows your bigotry very very well. Thanks for sharing!
Do try harder to master elementary English, dear fellow. Your comment is utter gibberish.
Surely you’re not that stupid…
What did you expect? Gimme gimme gimme. I’m black. All is well in Guilford County.
If you actually read the news about the group in Hight Point, you would know they are not planning on asking for cash reparations. They are mostly looking to acknowledge how the history of slavery and the decades of racism that followed has impacted the community. The reparations are about how to help the community overcome these burdens. Cash handouts is NOT what they are looking to justify.
Patience chris patience the asking had will come
This reparations endeavor is completely racist and law suits need to happen!
We already pay for the medicaid and WIC programs given to the 70% single parent homes and give racial
Preference in higher education.
What more do they need????
Maybe morals?
AMEN !!
Or a work ethic
Careful Will. Your racism is showing.
I can only hope so. I try hard. Unlike you chris I’m not a hypocrite
“What more do they need????”
They need to be held accountable, expected to act like civilized people (which most of them already do) and be treated with whatever amount of respect their character merits. Most of us hold no ill will toward anyone based on skin color and indeed, shouldn’t. None of us had any choice at all about the color our skin would be. To hold ill will toward any person based on that person’s skin pigmentation is profoundly stupid and morally evil. We can do better than that. But stealing from one group of people in order to give it to another group of people is blatantly evil. Not only will it not end well, but it will most likely never end at all.
Your truth is ignorance. Why don’t you actually read what the group is actually planning to do versus triggering on the concept. They are NOT planning on asking for cash payout. What are you going to sue about?! A group of people getting together to explore history and brainstorm on how to improve community?
Sad
I suspect that many of the blacks in America can trace their ancestors to slaves that were brought to America from Africa. Think of this – the descendants of those slaves have wonderful opportunities as Americans. Had there been no slaves brought to America, those descendants might now be living in a third world country in Africa, with little to no opportunity to excel.
It is totally ridiculous to even consider paying “reparations” to folks who have never been slaves, just because their ancestors were slaves.
While we’re talking about blacks, what’s the deal with almost every TV commercial being done by blacks; even for some products that blacks don’t even purchase? If it’s not all blacks, you have a white man with a black wife and mixed kids. That is representative of only a small portion of American demographics. Why do we see almost NO Hispanics, Asians or Middle Easterners in TV Commercials?
“Why do we see almost NO Hispanics, Asians or Middle Easterners in TV Commercials?”
Why? The simple answer is they are trying to do the best they can to survive and grow, versus wanting financial payouts based on their skin color and past wrongs. Even if reparations were provided, that would NOT be the end of it. Pretty soon, and really . . . .now, lots of people who are not “white” will jump on the band-wagon of gimme, gimme, and pretty soon the non-white culture will devour themselves as to which race should get the largess of money they believe is theirs based on their race.
In the early 1940s and after the Pearl Harbor attack from Japan which brought the US into World War II, it was a Democrat president who rounded up Asian Americans and put them in prison camps, er um, containment camps. Do you see the descendants of these Asians marching for “reparations”? Not hardly. They are too busy making lives for themselves and their descendants by supporting rigorous education for their children in math & science which then leads them to be one of the top “races” in the world in science and technology.
It’s not about the color of your skin, it’s about whether you look forward rather than looking in a rear-view mirror.
Good letter, Ken.
And if I were black, I would thank God that my ancestors were brought to America, no matter how dreadful the conditions. It beats living in Africa. By a mile.
wow. I think that is the most racist and ignorant thing you have ever commented here. To say that is to say that their is no pride in being African in today’s society. That an entire continent is so not worthy of living that someone would be thankful their ancestors suffered immeasurably at the hands of slavers.
Just wow.
Chris blacks were not the only slaves this world has seen.
But I didn’t say that. Read it again, moron.
And also, it’s true.
Would you rather live in Africa or America?
You very well did say that. Read your ignorance again. How can it be read any other way than justifying slavery as a good thing? WTF. To imply that someone would value the family’s enslavement to avoid living in Africa is absurd. Many in Africa love their countries and their heritage.
You can avoid the racism label by admitting a deep insensitive and ignorant world view due to your bigoted personality.
Personally as an outdoorsman, there are a number of places in Africa that I would enjoy living. I happen to have been born here and have no real complaints other than you nutters dividing our great country with hate and ignorance.
You’re unhinged.
And prejudiced.
And you can’t refute the truth in my statement, or answer my question – would you rather live in Africa or America?
Everyone knows the answer, buddy. That’s why Africans to this day risk their lives to get here.
Right?
I would encourage people to watch YouTube videos by Benjamin A Boyce called The Complete Evergreens Story about student unrest at Evergreens College in Washington State in 2015 and on. It’s been enlightening to me as to so much that has happened in the last years regarding racial and social issues and the huge lack of understanding most of us have regarding what many young people now believe.
The videos are astounding, raw, challenging, but address every point the writer of this letter mentions. If you only watch one it will open your eyes to the days ahead. This is just the beginning.
Will those black families then pay reparation to Irish immigrants that died to end slavery during the Civil War. Immigrants that had just been oppressed by the British government for 400 years. When does it end. Unfortunately oppression is part of the global human experience historically.
You’re right. Oppression, degradation and violence are an inherent component of the human condition, sadly.
For one race to demand money for their historic misfortune is galling.
Welcome to the club.
And get over your precious selves.
Where in their public statement are they asking for money? You are just trigging on your personal bias and ignorance yet again.
Do I have to explain what “reparations” means?
And thank you Chrissy. I have never before been accused of being ignorant. Other things, yes, but ignorant, no. So either the rest of the world is mistaken, or you are.
Take a guess.
Ignorant and bigoted. Don’t forget I called you bigoted.
You can call me the Man in the Moon for all I care.
There is no basis for reparations. None of my ancestors owned slaves. I have always believed that slavery is wrong and yet it is an historical fact throughout time and still remains so. The reparations movement has nothing to do with attempting to reduce the impact of slavery. It is simply a leftist means of redistribution of wealth. How can it be fair that not everyone is equally successful? That is the mantra and therefore, it is the white wealthy people that must pay. Well there are plenty of successful, wealthy non-white people in this country who have worked hard to obtain their present position. Reparations imply that because of slavery, black people cannot be successful without handouts from those who are. This is pure socialism. The effect of reparations will be to further divide our country which is one of the main motivations of the leftist movement.
We will have reparations – thru extortion. See: Asheville.
There is no way I will ever be held accountable for something my ancestors did. That is not on me. I will only ever be held accountable for my actions.
There is way too much emphasis on skin color these days. We are supposed to have moved beyond that, but some people won’t let us. Should I be proud of my skin color? I had no control over what color my skin was when I was born, so the answer is “No”. No one should be proud of their skin color, and no one should be put down because of their skin color. Be proud of your actions. Be proud of your accomplishments. Be proud of the way you’ve raised your children. Be proud of obtaining a good reputation because you’ve lived your life responsibly. Be proud of your morals and ethics.
EVERYTHING the left tries to do is based on greed. They’re either greedy for money and possessions, or greedy for power and control.
“That group of people has something that I don’t have, or can’t have, so they shouldn’t be allowed to have it!”
“That group of people has taken better advantage of the opportunities afforded to us all, than I have, so they should give me some of what they have!”
“I don’t like something that that group of people enjoys, so they shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy it any longer!”
“I’m afraid to leave my house because I might get the sniffles, so everyone should mask up and take a dangerous injection to make me feel safe!”