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I think that the most realistic form of reparations would be funding a project to rebuild America's urban infrastructure. Our roads, transit systems, schools and educational systems, housing, and public facilities are showing their age. 100 years ago, these things were state-of-the-art, but now they require investment. Training and developing American labor to remedy those problems will boost our economy, improve efficiency and environmental sustainability, and would specifically benefit urban communities. It would also benefit America as a whole, which would be the major selling point.
The complexities of a race-based reparations plan, I think, would cause more problems than it solves. It would increase racial divisiveness at a time when we can least afford it. I believe that it is our responsibility to heal our community economically and culturally. The government cannot and will not do this effectively, and when it tries, the effects are usually more negative than positive. The 1960s and 70s welfare programs were devastating to Black families and the entrepreneurial spirit we once had.
Monday, July 28th 2008 at 6:20PM
Jon C.
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I think that reparations would be lovely, however we should not depend or expect them without our own pesonal determination. As far as slavery and Jim Crow, we should be able to have some privilege just like whites have social privileges. Although it is up to us to get obtain them. Coming together through education as one black american voice and asking for what we want can only bring positive advancement. I think that the aim should be our youth and boys especially because they are our future. Grants must be obtained to educate young black americans of the truth.
Monday, July 28th 2008 at 7:06PM
Harold Causey
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As a youth leader in a national reparations organization, i understand reparations to be defined as "RESOURCES FOR REPAIR". Conceptualize the damage that has been caused to our community due to the enslavement process (i.e., slave raiding, marching to the coast, being held in slave pens, enduring the "middle passage", living through the seasoning process, and life in enslavement). What do we need to repair these damages. IT IS A MYTH THAT REPARATIONS IS ABOUT MONEY. Reparations is about resources and mainly the push to have African humanity acknowledged. Reparations is also an internationally accepted form of compensation - just ask Jewish Americans and Japanese Americans...they both were given some form of reparations BY AMERICA. You see the problem is this...IN ORDER TO DECIDE WHAT SHOULD BE GIVEN FOR REPARATIONS, WE 1ST HAVE TO ASSESS THE DAMAGES CAUSED BY ENSLAVEMENT...THIS IS WHAT AMERICA IS AFRIAD OF...NO ONE IN AMERICA WANTS THIS TO HAPPEN. All save for a small and growing group of people who support Rep. JOHN CONYER'S H.R. 40 bill to STUDY THE CASE FOR REPARATIONS. Look it up...
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 12:23AM
Menelik Pope
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reparations should not be focused on history but on current discrimination, ranging from disparities in farm subsidies, housing assistance, transportation and health. My theory is that we can quantify the accumulated impact of institutional racism in the difference in net family wealth between African-American and white families, about $80,000 difference. If current programs allegedly targeted to our community were aggregated, the value could be directed to families through credits or bonds.
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 1:26AM
John Templeton
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In reality, the enslaved were way back before we were all born and I believe if anyone could have receive reparations it should be the ones who suffered. Are we suffering? If so why? Because we are busy speaking about something so many years ago thinking that we should be paid for what happened to our ancestors many many many years ago. Someone stated that there should be some kind of programs to help, I apologize for the lapse of memory; the way we can repay for anything, we have to diligently reach out into the community and make things happen, positively.
Tuesday, July 29th 2008 at 4:14AM
Mrs. Barbara Stevens
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I think instead of paying us for reparations, they should pay some Black folks for what welfare and welfare reform did to our families, such as taking the fathers out of the home and putting mom to work and leaving the child to raised themselves, e
Wednesday, July 30th 2008 at 12:59AM
Paula Clay
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We have been ripped off fromthe time are ancestors were shackled to the top and bottoms of the seagoing vessels that brougth us to foreign shores, North, South, East, and West! Reparations have been way-over due! Will we receive them? I think not! However, should they (the powers that be) realize that that they have a bill to pay, whether they want to or not, whether "WE" believe it or not, we will be PAID! Everytime America needs to be saved from one dilemma or another, Black Folk have come to the rescue, i.e., "The Civil War", "The Modern Wars (WW I, WW II, The Spanish War", Korea, Viet Nam, and soon to be "Iraq", battles here and abroad), "American Inventions and Contribution by/of Black Folk", All of the American Political and Union Elections"...America cannot survive without Black Folk! We save the country on a daily basis! I've spoken on Reparations in the past, alluding to no payment of taxes, free education, free funds for business startups, etc. Think about it! Where would America be without Black Folk...the only people on this land - not by choice! Reparations will come...sooner of later!
Greg.
gvb1210me@yahoo.com
http://www.BoulwareEnterprises.com
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Sunday, October 5th 2008 at 11:40PM
Gregory V. Boulware, Esq.
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