From: Olga Bourlin (fauxever@sprynet.com)
Date: Fri Sep 06 2002 - 04:03:16 MDT
From: spike66
I have, in fact, a government document that claims my great^3
grandmother was black, the 1870 census. Blonde hair and
hazel eyes notwithstanding, this document could become very
handy should our nation ever decided to offer reparations
to individual descendants of slaves.
Funeeee. I don't want to start another discussion about reparations. Yet it frustrates me that most people don't understand what the current reparations programs are about (certainly NOT compensation for ALL individual descendants of slaves).
Rather, reparations programs are seeking to obtain money from some of the many corporations that profited from slave labor and flip that money into education and economic development for the poorest black communities - mainly to help kids (as early as possible) get a good start in education. Right now the poorest kids in the most deprived communities go to the worst schools - a vicious cycle. Successful corporations (those with roots in pre-Civil War USA) shall now have the opportunity to "return" some of the money they made on the backs of free slave labor - to help out the kids of some of the descendants still suffering from the effects of the oppression which has been their lot for generations. It seems only fair to me.
So, I don't understand why some people (not necessarily directed at you, Spike) get livid over the subject of reparations. Today reparations is about helping kids out of poverty (and helping develop some of the communities where desperation still reigns). Speaking of helping kids, I like Head Start (giving kids a break early in their life) but am strictly opposed to Head Out (helping old fogies fill their golden parachutes with your money). IMHO we need more outrage over the likes of Ken Lay, Jeffrey Skilling, Gary Winnick, the Rigas family, Sam Waksal, David Komansky, Bernie Ebbers, Dennis Koslowski (and - probably - a cast of thousands like them).
Olga
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