TheGoodBits Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 LONG but excellent article. Really well written. It explores to depth of the institutionalized racism in America that we are still dealing with today. http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/05/the-case-for-reparations/361631/ Much more at the link Perhaps after a serious discussion and debate—the kind that HR 40 proposes—we may find that the country can never fully repay African Americans. But we stand to discover much about ourselves in such a discussion—and that is perhaps what scares us. The idea of reparations is frightening not simply because we might lack the ability to pay. The idea of reparations threatens something much deeper—America’s heritage, history, and standing in the world. The early American economy was built on slave labor. The Capitol and the White House were built by slaves. President James K. Polk traded slaves from the Oval Office. The laments about “black pathology,” the criticism of black family structures by pundits and intellectuals, ring hollow in a country whose existence was predicated on the torture of black fathers, on the rape of black mothers, on the sale of black children. An honest assessment of America’s relationship to the black family reveals the country to be not its nurturer but its destroyer. And this destruction did not end with slavery. Discriminatory laws joined the equal burden of citizenship to unequal distribution of its bounty. These laws reached their apex in the mid-20th century, when the federal government—through housing policies—engineered the wealth gap, which remains with us to this day. When we think of white supremacy, we picture Colored Only signs, but we should picture pirate flags. On some level, we have always grasped this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I could use the money, but am I gonna have to pay myself? Is there a sliding scale for high yellows ? Does interbreeding now make you liable or does the one drop rule wash away the white sin? If I marry a white woman do I get liability?....or just my children? inquiring minds want to know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 While racism as an institution has been quelled it is still fairly strong behind closed doors and in people's hearts. Perhaps racial bias more so than racism. It's there and I think that there will be very little that we can do to completely stop it. Let's face it. There are white neighborhoods and black neighborhoods, asian neighborhoods and Hispanic neighborhoods. We are segregating ourselves naturally through choice and economic status. Most people live in a world that is similar to their race and wealth status. As far as reparations, nope. I can't get on board. There are way too many other things wrong with the country that need to be addressed first. It's way down the list of things to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 Wow you guys are fast readers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Wow you guys are fast readers. I read it yesterday lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 While racism as an institution has been quelled it is still fairly strong behind closed doors and in people's hearts. Perhaps racial bias more so than racism. It's there and I think that there will be very little that we can do to completely stop it. And yet predatory lending practices specifically targeted blacks as recently as the late 2000s. We have states enacting voting laws specifically to disenfranchise blacks. Quelled? Let's face it. There are white neighborhoods and black neighborhoods, asian neighborhoods and Hispanic neighborhoods. We are segregating ourselves naturally through choice and economic status. Most people live in a world that is similar to their race and wealth status. The article goes into this quite a bit. You'll see that this was not an accident. As far as reparations, nope. I can't get on board. There are way too many other things wrong with the country that need to be addressed first. It's way down the list of things to me. We'll keep kicking the can down the road forever. I've got no illusions that anything of significance will be done. But the debt we owe as a society will not go away eventually. It's earning interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zguy28 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 While racism as an institution has been quelled it is still fairly strong behind closed doors and in people's hearts. Perhaps racial bias more so than racism. It's there and I think that there will be very little that we can do to completely stop it. Let's face it. There are white neighborhoods and black neighborhoods, asian neighborhoods and Hispanic neighborhoods. We are segregating ourselves naturally through choice and economic status. Most people live in a world that is similar to their race and wealth status. As far as reparations, nope. I can't get on board. There are way too many other things wrong with the country that need to be addressed first. It's way down the list of things to me. How do you change a person's heart? By having them pay for something their ancestors did? That's admittedly simplistic, maybe even offensively so, but I'd have to say that wouldn't work. It would only deepen the divide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Watch the bonus features for the Planet of the Apes box set... When filming, the actors were of all races, but once they underwent make up for the three Ape groups, regardless of their real race, the actors ended up dividing themselves into groups based on their make up. Chimps with Chimps, Gorillas with Gorillas etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chew Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Is there a sliding scale for high yellows ? This is big for me too LOL. My wife says I look like Al B. Sure. So, whites today, who are 4-5 generations removed from their slave owning ancestors, have to pay us blacks for crimes committed over 150 years ago? Yes please! LOL. get the **** outta here, man! Not to come across as a total douche, and slavery definitely sucked, but there's no need to try and fix a nearly 150 year old problem. You're asking for trouble. You guys saw that episode of Chapelle Show when he did the "reparations" skit. Black people will flood the streets with golden dice, 24 inch rims on 1997 Ford Contours, and enough Colt 45 to extinguish the San Diego wildfires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilMonkeyBoy Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 You guys saw that episode of Chapelle Show when he did the "reparations" skit. Black people will flood the streets with golden dice, 24 inch rims on 1997 Ford Contours, and enough Colt 45 to extinguish the San Diego wildfires. Glad to know people who don't read articles & racism are both alive and thriving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 We have states enacting voting laws specifically to disenfranchise....[/background][/size] which states? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chew Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Glad to know people who don't read articles & racism are both alive and thriving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Nice article in the abstract, but reparations are never, ever, ever, ever, ever going to happen. Look at the resistance against any form of affirmative action, much less quotas. There are no living slaveholders, and as a society we do not believe in collective guilt. The only thing this article is going to do is revive (for the 300th time this year) a wave of conservative white resentment and backlash. *golfclap for the Atlantic* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zguy28 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Well, I guess ya'll "black folk" can't get away with racism after all... lol Where's Chipwich? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilMonkeyBoy Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Got anything to contribute that isn't a lazy pop culture reference? This article talks about problems that are a hell of a lot more recent than 150 years ago, buddy. That you boiled it all down to slavery/mailing out checks to people that will spend them on stereotypical things is a good sign you didn't actually read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Got anything to contribute that isn't a lazy pop culture reference? This article talks about problems that are a hell of a lot more recent than 150 years ago, buddy. That you boiled it all down to slavery/mailing out checks to people that will spend them on stereotypical things is a good sign you didn't actually read it. 1) I think youngchew is black 2) I think youngchew was joking 3) I'm only 75% sure on #2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 1) I think youngchew is black 2) I think youngchew was joking What????? I thought this was him http://www.pof.com/viewprofile.aspx?profile_id=56054441 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 which states? https://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/voter-id Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 https://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/voter-id Ah, I was unaware that only non black people had ID's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zguy28 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 https://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/voter-id Not to sidetrack, but is voting really a fundamental right in a universal sense? Or is it American? If it applies to American citizens, how does somebody know you are a citizen without ID? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 A. Reparations are a political impossibility. B. All talk of reparations are driven by the political right because they want to scare the **** out of older white voters. C. If in never-never world, there were reparations, it should be in the form of free education at state schools and things of that nature. The long-term impact of slavery can't really be wiped out with just money. Ah, I was unaware that only non black people had ID's. Well, you should be aware of that. . According to the respected Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, 7% of the general voting public doesn't have an adequate photo ID, but those figures rise precipitously when you hit certain groups: 15% of voting age citizens making less than $35,000 a year, 18% of Americans over 65, and a full quarter of African Americans. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/voter-id-laws-racism The only objective for voter ID law is to suppress black turnout. This is inarguable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 Ah, I was unaware that only non black people had ID's. Black people disproportionately do not have access to the documentation required to get an ID to vote. The laws targeted them, intentionally. To pretend otherwise is willful ignorance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I'm confused. 7% of the voting public do not have id's. I get that part. Are they then saying that: 25% of African Americans do not have ID's OR 25% of the 7% is African Americans without ID's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I'm confused. 7% of the voting public do not have id's. I get that part. Are they then saying that: 25% of African Americans do not have ID's OR 25% of the 7% is African Americans without ID's. 25 percent of blacks do not have photo IDs. So...who does a photo ID law target? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 So how do people vote without some sort of ID? I mean, I have a voters registration card that I have used since I registered in Raleigh. Can you really just vote without any ID and say you are XYZ and you are here to vote? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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