Reparations

For John, BLUF:  The idea of reparations has been around since at least the American Civil War, starting with 40 Acres and a Mule, an idea put forward by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why I support reparations — and all conservatives should

From The Washington Post, by Contributing Columnist Gary Abernathy, 22 April 2021, 3:00 p.m. EDT.

Here is the lede plus two:

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) is among the progressive lawmakers whose blunt, liberal outspokenness regularly annoys me.  Recently, she particularly upset me while discussing the latest congressional study of reparations for descendants of enslaved people, when she said, “If you through your history benefited from that wrong that was done, then you must be willing to commit yourself to righting that wrong.”

Only this time I was bothered because her comments hit home.

Like most conservatives, I’ve scoffed at the idea of reparations or a formal apology for slavery.  I did not own slaves, so why would I support my government using my tax dollars for reparations or issuing an apology?  Further, no one in the United States has been legally enslaved since 1865, so why are Black people today owed anything more than the same freedoms and opportunities that I enjoy?

Further on, the Collumnist writes:

The cost can be debated, along with the mechanics of a compensation package.  But in the current drunken haze of government spending, appropriating trillions for the noble purpose of bringing Black Americans who remain economically penalized by the enslavement of their ancestors closer to the fiscal universe of White citizens surely seems less objectionable than some recent spending proposals.

It is a tenet of conservatism that a level playing field is all we should guarantee.  But that’s meaningless if one team starts with an unsurmountable lead before play even begins.

It’s not necessary to experience “White guilt” or buy into the notion of “White privilege,” a pejorative that to me suggests Whites possess something they should lose, when in fact such benefits should extend to all.  Supporting reparations simply requires a universal agreement to work toward, as Jayapal said, “righting that wrong.”

My thoughts:

• Once we accept "Inherited Guilt", what are the future limits of this concept?
• How do we ensure fairness, for example, are Blacks who came to this Nation after 1865, who suffer the indirect consequences of slavery, entitled to compensation?
• Who can we find who has the (cultural) authority to sign off on the Reparations plan, so it is final and does not come up again?

For me, that last point is the most important.  When is this finished?  When can we turn to our fellow Citizens and say it is done?  Will it ever be done?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff