Slave Reparations
"Forty acres and a mule" was what the U.S. government promised former black slaves during the Reconstruction Period, following the Civil War. That promise never came true and now, over a century later, the topic of reparations is still being heavily debated. Both sides of this story have such a great number of relevant and significant arguments that the issue of slave reparations could run in circles for years on end. Slavery was, and continues to be in some countries, a travesty of one man displaying power over another. The torment and injuries endured by a single "inferior" race at the hands of a more dominant one are frightening. But should a completely new generation, one that had nothing to do with slavery, be held accountable for the actions of a generation over a hundred years ago? What good would an "I'm sorry" and some money do in bringing an end to the tidal wave of racism that has washed across the Unites States since the country's inception. Any talk of slave reparations should be dropped immediately because the process of trying to find out who will be paid and who will be the ones paying has too many questions and not enough concrete answers, payment of reparations will only open more wound
For today's blacks to demand reparations for events that occurred so long ago and not to themselves directly is a mammoth absurdity. These blacks were never the "victims"; the true "victims" were the ones who witnessed the horror of slavery firsthand. The effects of slavery can still be seen today. Wounds inflicted during those times still haven't healed. If reparations were to be paid, those wounds rooted in slavery would be ripped open even more. The line separating the whites and blacks would be greatly lengthened. What good would money do anyway? Money can't buy blacks respect from whites. The only thing that money from reparations will buy is another reason for whites to despise blacks. Haven't the people of the United States contributed enough in the form of welfare benefits and racial preferences (i.e. Affirmative Action)? And what would blacks do with money received from reparations? How many would actually invest the money into a school, church, or community program, which would help better the lives of a large group of people? Not many. This generalization isn't just directed towards blacks, but to everyone in the nation. The point is that most people would just blow the money on a new Lexus without worrying how next month's bills are going to be paid. s between blacks and whites instead of healing the ones that are already present, and reparations would further solidify the perception o
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Approximate Word count = 961
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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