UN Report: US Owes Black People Reparations for a History of "Racial Terrorism"

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

The best thing we could do is pass and implement Universal Single Payer Healthcare, and tuition free college. That would benefit the poor more than anyone and since minorities are disproportionately poorer it would help even things up.

Yeah and the best part is that we wouldn't have to take responsibility for the centuries of injustice, which continue to this very day, that we've heaped upon black Americans. Cool!

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by JCricket

I am a declared s******st. You show me the program that educates, provides for, and improves any person in need and I am on board, fully and completely. A simple handout does not do it. It may be needed as part of the process, but in itself it does not SOLVE the problem.

A simple handout would not be an effective program to materially better anyone. It would be an tangible symbol of acceptance that harm has been done, but it would likely do more harm, overall, than good. It's nowhere near my idea of 'reparations,' which boils down to 'what it takes to heal us.'

'Us.' Not 'them.'

[Oerets]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

The best thing we could do is pass and implement Universal Single Payer Healthcare, and tuition free college for all those who qualify academically . That would benefit the poor more than anyone and since minorities are disproportionately poorer it would help even things up.

YEP! We agree but with a small addendum of mine added.


Barney

[JCricket]

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

The best thing we could do is pass and implement Universal Single Payer Healthcare, and tuition free college. That would benefit the poor more than anyone and since minorities are disproportionately poorer it would help even things up.

As to a free education, I would go one step further. If a person is getting welfare, one requisite could be that they are in fact educating themselves, even if it is part of what we have to pay to them to do so. You want welfare, you must also get an education. Note just a token class, but a real education.

I would even go as far as making it part of families who need welfare. Mother need to be sent to school. Put their kids in daycare while mom is in class. Put her kids in school too, make sure they get what they need to be educated. I am nuts overboard on this. Set up dorms and communities for this if needed. Support these folks to get what they need to break out of the poverty trap.

[donquixote99]

You need to read up on TANF. Welfare as you know it ended, back in the Bill Clinton administration.

[Tom Joad]

Wait!

Didn't we already give them 40 acres and a Mule?

That should have covered it.

[merrylander]

We probably should start at the bottom, free college is not much use if K-12 is done in poor schools. And to benefit from better schoos we should stop using children like coal mine canaries to detect the presence of lead in their environment. Dear God there are so many things needing change where do we start? I suppose the place to start can be found in our mirrors.

[donquixote99]

+1 to that, merrylander.

[Grumpy]

Are the tribes in Africa going to pay as well. They sold many of these slaves to the traders. Easy for the UN to say what "we" should do, specially if they are not the ones paying.

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Nope, we don't owe reparations. We financed and fought a war over the issue of slavery at great expense in terms of lives and treasure. If there were a way to seek reparations from plantation/slave owners who directly profited from slavery, maybe. But I think that shipped sailed about a century ago. However, if you wish to start a charity and collect money from people who sympathize with your view enough to give money to the cause, have at it. Just don't call me.

love this perspective

thanks for the post