Real points on reparations Michael Medved missed
Written by Michael Vass
**This is a continuation of a discussion based on the comments by Michael Medved against reparations. It can be seen at Responding to Michael Medveds rant against reparations - 10.9.2007.1**
So how about I actually discuss the reasons why reparations make sense? How about we actually talk about American slavery and not detract from the subject in discussion of eras and societies that are not American?
There were millions of slaves that were forcibly taken from Africa to America, and died. That means families experienced the loss of fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, in a boat under duress. Murder is punishable, and as we have abundantly seen with the OJ Simpson case, profitable. Genocide, since this was a willful act done repeatedly to a singular and specific group of people, would seem to up that exponentially.
Of the surviving Africans, they were sold of without regard to their families or any factor other than their perceived ability to work, in the most humiliating manner. They were placed on display similar to a car in a showroom, with potential buyers pawing and prodding them. That is further duress and suffering.
Once sold, the slaves were guaranteed a lifetime of work. This work was menial at its best, without breaks, without pay, without time off. Medical care, which was not guaranteed, could range from intense to minimal and provided no guarantee of time off to recover.
Slaves were routinely beaten, mutilated, physically and mentally abused, sexually harassed and raped while forced to work. Any one of these is enough to cause the employer to be jailed, then or now, if it were done to another human being.
Slaves were denied their right to freedom of religion. They were denied an education. They were fed and clothed just enough to allow them to continue to work. They were denied freedom of speech. They were denied the right to have and/or raise a family.
Slaves built cities, roads, infrastructure, and agriculture. Every aspect of any business and establishment that exists in America today that has a tie to colonial America is connected to the slave workforce. That’s North or South.
If the average slave worked only 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, 360 days a year for 4 decades of life that’s 158,880 hours of work per slave. If we assume that there were 3 million slaves from 1619 to 1865 (which is a low-ball estimate) then that is 476,640,000,000 hours of work done. Those are BILLIONS of hours. This does not even touch the Jim Crow era. Assuming a pay of just .05 cents an hour in 1865 money (no adjustment for actual worth in money today) that means $23,832,000,000. If I adjust by taking an increase of just 10% for each year for 55 years that’s a 9150% increase to $2,180,628,000,000. That’s TRILLIONS of dollars, adjusted just 55 years at 10%. There’s still another 87 years to go and we are adjusting from .05 cents. If anyone feels that more than TRILLIONS of dollars of work did not change America, they are stupid in my opinion.
In addition
And lastly there is the FACT of precidence.
Perhaps Michael Medved would like to dispute these facts. He cannot nor can any person against reparations. That is why they seek out any and every other argument.
As for how to pay the reparations I offer this idea. Provide a tax credit, of say $3,000 for any African Americans that can provide proof of heritage. This will also cover all children of those African Americans from the inception date to 18 years later, thus covering all children born the year of the reparation. The proof would come from authenticated family trees that date back to at least 1865 and can show slavery. This tax credit is a lifetime credit, meaning that you have a total of $3,000 for life, being used over that lifetime. If you use it all in one year its gone. If it take 10 years at $300 a year then so be it. You don’t get more and the max is the start amout of $3,000.
This plan builds the economy, providing jobs for researchers and companies providing authenticated certificates. The Government would increase workers that would manage the list with the I.R.S. Oversite groups could be created to ensure that the fund is not mismanaged. Enforment jobs could be created to protect that scams could not take advantage.
Plus there is the fact that the economy would get a boost from the additional money being used to pay for goods and services. Credit cards coulds be paid off, downpayment and improvements on homes, pay for college tuition and supplies, investments in 401K’s and the stock market. Not to mention purchases of food, clothing, and whatever else.
Explain where this is a bad, or impossible thing to accomplish?
America had slaves, and made them build the nation. America profited and grew from this slave labor. Some of the worst attrocities known to man were commited to the slaves and their descendants, for centuries. America refuses to acknowledge what it did, or the benefit it received. At the same time America has apologized and made reparations to others of its people who were arguably far less abused and persecuted.
I will not put my head in the sand. I will not allow half-thought, tangent laden, slippery-slope arguments to obfuscate and distract me and others from the facts. I do not accept the romanticized arguments and media imagery.
America owes reparations and an apology to African Americans. They can be paid and must. America will always have over it’s head this division of it’s people while avoiding the honest debate and response.
Medved may enjoy this denial, and others like him, but the fact is that this is a rot in America. And given time, any rot will eventually destroy whatever is rotting. The same holds true for America.
This is what I think, what do you think?
October 10th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
First I would like to say great post and nice blog. Secondly, let me introduce myself as Seattle Slim of the Happy Nappy Head blog. Pleased to make your acquaintance. With that said I would like to speak my opinion on the post.
Although it is one of the most well-written ideas for reparations I still must disagree for several reasons.
1) We as blacks and minorities period are still the object of white paternalism. We are still viewed as substandard more often than not. The majority still feels that we need to be taken cared of and coddled even after the strides most of us have made. Reparations, in my humble opinion, would only further worsen this when in reality we can’t afford that. We need to be seen as a power to be reckoned with.
2)What do we do about the black families who were subject to rule by black slaveowners?
3)How does this help with our independence? We’ve gotten affirmative action, funds set up for our kids to go to school, etc. but why are we still underperforming as a collective? How would the reparations help where other incentives have not?
The solution you offer isn’t impossible to accomplish and again well thought out. I think that honestly all of that money, if we do get it, should go to a fund to help do one thing for us: clean up the ghettoes, clean up our inner city schools, give these poor folks a place to be proud of, clean out the drug houses and the gangs and set up a fund for black kids to go to college.
We’re not spending enough money on our communities but in THEIR communities. Let’s do something different and build our own.
nuff respect
October 10th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Written by Michael Vass
Thank you Seattle Slim for your comments and reading the post. We always enjoy hearing from our readers and their comments on the issues we cover here.
To address your comments:
I agree that there still are many in America that believe African Americans are unequal and in need of ‘protection’. Obviously the media, in all forms from news to movies, portray very negative images that compound this feeling in many individuals. But I do feel that there is also an understanding that Black Americans hold a great deal of power as well.
Democrats directly pander to African Americans as a voting block, though they do not seem to be as concerned about issues they were elected on. Businesses directly understand the power of African American money, and target us constantly. And many professions that were virtually ‘White only’ are now somewhat mixed.
All of these things can and need to be improved, but some understanding of the impact of African Americans on the economy and politics of this nation is known. We just need to focus that power.
As for the Black slave-owners, I don’t have an accurate answer. I realize that there were Black slaveowners, but to my admittedly limited knowledge on this subject, though I am under the understanding that this was a small group holding a minor number of slaves for a far shorter duration. They definitely did not maintain power, as they had no legal rights and could not vote either.
I would say that they had no right to any reparations, just as White slave owners did not. Where it could be proven, their descendants would not be eligible as the reparations are due to African American slaves and the work they provided.
As for the question of help, yes I think it does. This is a difficult question and one of the main ones used against the concept of reparations. I feel it helps on several levels.
This would provide a salve to the wound that slavery made in this nation. It is both the admission of guilt by the nation, and a recognition of the suffering felt by millions over centuries. It gives the descendants of victims of slavery, and those who suffered under segregation, racism, violence and the like a means to ‘come to peace’ with what they endured.
It is not a cure all. But it does remove some of the racial tension that envelopes this country. It can be a means of having productive conversations and debates. It brings racial inequalities to the surface and thus forces them to be dealt with on both sides of this issue. It would remove excuses from Blacks and Whites on the conditions some live under.
It would still take a great deal of effort to improve America and the race issues that are inherent in daily life. But it’s a means by which steps forward can be taken.
Remember, an apology must come with the reparations. One must recognize what is wrong to apologize for it. The reparations are just a means to make the apology sink in and not be hollow. Kind of like scolding a child and then giving them a slap on the ass. It makes the point hit home.
As for the money itself, there is nothing stopping anyone from pooling funds to improve neighborhoods or provide college funds. Local communities could easily use the funds for whatever is the best choice and greatest need.
But I feel this has to be an individual effort. Reliance on the Government to institute and maintain these changes is both infeasible and counter-productive. To date efforts by the Government have not gone to improve our local communities but to maintain them at the current standards. And like water sitting still that causes stagnation.
Plus personal interaction with personal funds has always seemed to have the most positive effect in my experience. When it’s your money going to improve the neighborhood, you feel pride and connection to that area. When it’s your local community providing your college tuition you have another impetus to do better and finish with a degree. When it’s your parents’ money painting the schools and buying new books, you will want to take care of their condition more.
That is not to say these things don’t happen now, just that with added attention and direct connection the intensity increases exponentially. At least that is my experience.
If reparations, and an apology, are viewed from that stance I feel their can be no argument against them. I feel deeply there is no historical or practical reason to prevent it. And the positive effects, if done in a manner similar to what I have mentioned, are as powerful as they are beneficial. Not only to African Americans, but all of America.
Even so, I do not claim my vision is perfect. But if discussion of this leads to an even better plan and outcome, I’m happy.
I hope this addresses your concerns and thoughts about my views on reparations. What are yours? How would you resolve it? What do you think should be done?
October 10th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
You know Michael I think perhaps my background would help answer this question. My family is not from the States so I think that may help kind of explain my standpoint.
I don’t want to sound defeatist because I don’t think it’s a defeatist point. I think for me it’s this. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
I say this from my own personal experience just having to explain the simplest and most basic aspects of racism, Jim Crow, et al to members of the majority. A vast amount of that population don’t get it. Thanks to the white liberal paternalism of the post-civil rights movement, it went from “we do owe you at least this much even though we know we owe you more but take this for now” to “well we LET you drink from the fountains, you can sit anywhere on the bus, and you have that damned affirmative action and welfare. What more do you want? When will you do for self?”
And I think that while that is wrong, I must ask, when will we do for self? I think that reparations will worsen race relations in the sense that now the majority is going to feel like we aren’t carrying our weight. When most of us are. But that’s not broadcast on the media. But I digress…..
I think, just as a sister from another branch of the diaspora looking in, that you need to get your house in order (and I believe so for Haiti as well) before going to the table and demanding anymore.
October 16th, 2007 at 9:07 am
Mike:
I love the dicussion that we have on this blog because it’s so respectful. If only all race relations were so respectful.
With that, I have a question. You’ve said in other posts that blacks have helped build America which I agree. At the same time, you would argue that you should be part of America which I agree. Right. Hopefully, you’ll say yes before you answer the question.
Now, if black families want reparations from America, then would black families also be willing to pay for the reparations to American Indians and other groups. You say they’ve been helped in some of your other posts. If that’s the case, then I suggest that you contact some American Indian families and ask them the following questions.
1. Did you receive a check from the United States Government that said reparations?
2. If not, then would you “Mike” suggest creating a fund.
3. And if you would suggest creating a fund, then how much would each black family give to that fund.
4.How much would each person of American Indian descent receive?
4. Should African American’s receive the same as American Indians?
October 16th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Written by Mike,
I will start in that yes I do agree and submit that many African Americans (who have ancestors that reach back to slavery) helped to build the America that exists today, and that all African Americans are an integral part of what America is today and into the future. I cannot see anyone disputing those facts.
But as to the question of Native American Indian reparations, the answer is that African Americans, along with all Americans, have already paid for or have been involved with the reparations already made. It is similar to the fact that all Americans were part of the reparations made to Japanese Americans for the internment and loss of property businesses and so forth.
To answer question 1 - Did you receive a check from the United States Government that said reparations?
That is not to say this has been the most effective reparation, or that it has been done over the years in a way that has been of great help. The recent increase in casinos and discounts on items like cigarettes has been the only real long-term improvement for most Native American Indians. Yet it has been done.
To answer questions 2 and 3, I will just note that All Americans have been involved in the reparations that have been made. As citizens of the nation all Americans have had their taxes and political elected representatives act in the benefit (limited or not) of Native American Indians over years if not decades.
To answer 4 - How much would each person of American Indian descent receive? – I would have to say it was not enough
But as to the actual dispersal I cannot say how much was received by whom.
And as for your last question - Should African American’s receive the same as American Indians? – Yes and no. I believe the recognition, in the form of an apology, should be done, similar as has been done for Native American Indians.
As for the reparations, I feel I have outlined an effective plan to provide monetary reparations for African Americans above. In my plan there is a benefit for all Americans, while providing a direct benefit to Black Americans.
Does this change your thoughts on my call for reparations? Are there other questions? The more this is discussed the closer we all come to a conclusion on it I feel. And that conclusion I feel leads to a healing and improvement of race relations in America.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
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