By Selwyn Duke
What a nation refuses to discuss can speak volumes about it; such is the case with Japan's failure to teach its schoolchildren about the role Japan played in World War II. What a nation insists on discussing can speak volumes about it also, and such is the case with something that has become a recurring theme in the media during the last year: reparations for slavery. It's an idea that is so preposterous that it should be laughed out of the court of public opinion, but don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. You see, our society has become so relativistic that we can't judge a nutty idea on its merits and dismiss it; instead, the simple fact that someone, somewhere cares about it is enough to earn it its day in court. Of course, the fact that seizing upon such issues helps the media garner ratings, the mediocre get published and racial hustlers like Jesse Jackson gain power doesn't hurt either. Because of this, the cause of reparations has gathered so much steam that lawsuits have been filed against certain corporations - the accusation is that they benefited from slave labor in the 1800's. Additionally, those in the reparations camp want the US government to pony up billions of dollars for black Americans to compensate them for past wrongs. Now, I don't expect anything I say to change the minds of "the initiated." No, there are some black people who have been so propagandized and consequently become so embittered that nothing and nobody is going to change their minds - the white man has oppressed them and that's that. But, as I am wont to say, it's time for a little perspective, so here we go.
We learned eons ago that it's unjust to hold a child accountable for the crimes of his parents. Way back when however, if a child's father committed a crime and went on the lam his son could be arrested in his stead - this is a Neanderthal idea that is inherent in the pro-reparations argument. Except that it's brought to the next level: white people are supposed to be accountable not just for the sins of their parents, but for those of their distant ancestors. This is the first problem with the reparations argument, but it gets even worse. This is because in reality most white people aren't being held responsible for the crimes of their ancestors, but OTHER white folk's ancestors. The fact is that only a few percent of Caucasians in this country are the descendants of slave owners. This is because most whites in the days of American slavery didn't own slaves - only the rich in certain parts of the country did. It's also because most whites in America today are descended from people who arrived on our shores AFTER the abolishment of slavery.
Now, in light of the above, there's something that strikes me about the pro-reparations position: the non-color-blind, prejudicial perspective it reflects. I say this because if you are truly color-blind [I know that's hard to be] you won't put the onus for past sins on a race. You'll simply see people as individuals and this will cause you to analyze man's inhumanity to man in the following manner: you'll observe that certain individuals transgressed against certain other individuals, and that's all - their color won't matter a whit. But what is happening here is very different: the reparations crowd is saying, "White people hurt black people way back when, and you're white so you owe me because I'm black." This is the viewing of matters through the prism of race and it bespeaks of the prejudice that resides in the hearts of the reparations crowd.
It gets worse still though; this is because the government handout wouldn't just be a transfer of wealth from white to black Americans. No, it would be one from ALL non-black Americans to black Americans. The fact is that Hispanic Americans, those of Asian and middle eastern descent and others would have to foot the bill too - how do these people factor into the equation? In the same vein, what about black people who came to America after the end of slavery? Should they receive money also?
The aforementioned is all true and has been stated before, but now I'll say something equally true but usually left unsaid, and it's something that certainly will raise some people's ire. Black people should thank their lucky stars for slavery in America. That's right, black people should be happy that this wicked chapter in American history was written - why? Well, think about it: what do those who harp on slavery always mention when talking about how it has hurt American blacks? They say is has caused them to be economically disadvantaged. But, if it weren't for slavery, where would American blacks be? The answer is in Africa - and what is the economic state of most all of those on that continent? The answer is extremely bad; most black Americans look like Howard Hughes when contrasted with most black Africans. Of course, there's the more basic fact that were it not for slavery most of their parents wouldn't have met, so these black Americans wouldn't even exist. Now, needless to say, the above is not an advocacy of slavery - it's just an advocacy of common-sense. The fact is that regardless of why your ancestors ended up on these shores, you should be happy they did and that the American dream was consequently bequeathed to you. Be happy that you're here and not languishing in a slum in Africa, South America, Asia or Eastern Europe. Count your blessings, not your curses - every cloud has a silver lining.
Of course, despite the irrefutability of the above many will still insist on lamenting over slavery. So, if you are dead-set on ignoring my advice and want to embrace remedies like reparations, I have a suggestion for you: let's go the whole route. Let's enumerate all the wrongs committed by one group against another and tabulate how much is owed by whom and to whom. Maybe we can start here in America, but slavery was once ubiquitous throughout the world so it can't stop here. Let's move on to Italy; after all, the Romans pillaged and conquered and took slaves from all over Europe and elsewhere. The Vikings did a good job pillaging as well, so I guess we'll then have to put Scandinavia in the crosshairs too. Then we have the Japanese who have wronged the Ainus and the Taiwanese who've wronged the Aborigines. Don't forget the African tribes that dominated other tribes, and the neighboring peoples who were oppressed by the Aztecs. Then there are the contemporary wrongs, like the slavery that's occurring in the Sudan right now. And, lest we forget, human sacrifice was once commonplace as well, so maybe the rest of us owe virginal girls reparations. This shouldn't amount to much though, as it's hard to find virginal girls nowadays. And to ensure that no one is left out we must cross every "t" and dot every "i," and to that end maybe we should appoint a United Nations commission to study the matter and leave no stone unturned. Then, after a ten year 50 million dollar study maybe we'll find out that no group has a monopoly on oppressing or being oppressed, and that after crunching all the numbers everything evens out anyway. Oh...and let's remember one more group that should receive reparations: people with common-sense. Maybe those devoid of it should compensate the rest of us for the emotional hardship and social unrest caused by the pushing of idiotic social causes - call it reparations for stupidity. After all, it's not easy trying to suffer fools gladly. I'll let you know where you should send the check.
