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

Reaching the American Dream

For John, BLUF:  There is no doubt in my mind that some groups have not achieved the American Dream.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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That was no typo:  The median net worth of black Bostonians really is $8

Yes, this is from three years ago, but it is still pertinent in this time of COVID-19 Pandemic and Protests in the streets.

From The Boston Globe, by Reporter Akilah Johnson, 11 December 2017.

Here are the two key paragraphs:

The cities were selected because their diversity allowed researchers to disaggregate data among subgroups within broader racial categories.  In Boston, the report said researchers focused on “multigenerational African Americans (referred here as US blacks), Caribbean blacks (including Haitians), Cape Verdeans (both black and white), Puerto Ricans, and Dominicans.”  A total of 403 people were surveyed.

The household median net worth was $247,500 for whites; $8 for US blacks (the lowest of all five cities); $12,000 for Caribbean blacks; $3,020 for Puerto Ricans; and $0 for Dominicans (that’s not a typo either.)  The sample size for Cape Verdeans was too small to calculate net worth, the report said.

These numbers suggest strongly that some groups have failed ot achieve the American Dream.  The why needs to be explored, but the existence of "Red Lining" for decades, is surely one of the factors.  Real estate is how many Americans build up their family wealth.  That option was closed to many, including many Blacks.  That needs to be fixed.  Reversed would be a good word.  While the idea of "Reparations" (for Slavery) does nothing for me, the idea of correcting bad economic conditions has an appeal.  We need to be helping individuals who have been trapped in poverty due to past discriminatory practices.  Not to make them rich, but to put them on the launching pad to success.

First we need the statistics, so we understand the dimensions of the problem.  Then we need Federal Assistance to help those who had been squeezed out to get in, a sort of new GI Bill.

Regards  —  Cliff