Thinking Right

By peter

December 18, 2006 08:11 AM | Link to this

Hey JIM……..well we find out today again with the REPUBLICANS….they are lying to the American Public………you are thinking WRONG as I have suggested in the past.

Tomorrow I hope your column is about Sonny Perdue, and his lying during the election process about siging a bill that gave him a $100,000.00 tax break personally!

As far as the slave thing that is an issue that should be let go of!

By CJ

December 18, 2006 08:44 AM | Link to this

Jim Wooten: “What exactly is the purpose of reparations — or apologies, for that matter, given by people who had no participation in the wrong to people, including recent immigrants, who did not suffer the injustice?”

Justice Posner makes a strong argument with regard to reparations. However, to Jim’s question, those who had no participation in the wrongs of slavery and racism still benefit from slavery, segregation and past discrimination. To this day, a disproportionate number of blacks are poor, and a disproportionate number of blacks are not middle class or wealthy. Unless you believe that African-Americans are inherently inferior (they’re not), disparities in race and class must be attributed, in part, to past discrimination. Even with affirmative action, middle class job seekers, effectively, don’t have to compete with blacks for jobs.

Also, to the extent that public policies discriminate against the poor, blacks are disproportionately discriminated against (ex: landfills and dumps located in poor neighborhoods, school funding based on local property values, redlining, volunteer military whose front-lines consist primarily of people from low-income households).

Forget about not having participated in the wrongs of the 19th and 20th centuries. We still benefit from those wrongs, and to a large extent, we have our own wrongs to consider.

By KP

December 18, 2006 08:52 AM | Link to this

I agree that reparations is a lost cause and should be dropped. I may be a descendant of slaves but my wife is not. She’s Cape Verdean and her ancestors were slaves of the Portuguese…they never made it over here in time for the American slave festivity. The only thing that America can do for American descendants of slavery and the government recognized futher oppression in the form of Jim Crow, is just recognize that it created a lasting mental effect on them. Period. In the community we like to say..”slave mentality”. Also, talk about it, recognize that this great country was built on the free labor of Africans and the great ideals set forth by European slave owners that we call Founders. I don’t want s** from any company, government, or family…just an understanding that some forms of poverty and mediocrity in certain instance are not laziness..not all..just some. Dave Chappelle had a great skit about his idea of life after reparations.

By Typical Filthy Redneck Georgian

December 18, 2006 08:53 AM | Link to this

Besides, slavery was a good thing for them Cynthia McKinney-types (Cynthia McKinney is how we Woo-ten Klanners say the “n” word) - all them coloreds would be back in Africa if’n it tweren’t for slavery.

By jbmlaw

December 18, 2006 09:02 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. Reparations for injuries longer ago than two years are inherently bogus and ought to be dismissed, as the court did.

I disagree with our friend CJ, who argues that because some/many African-Americans are poor, it is therefore evidence that others have profited from long-ago injustices. That is patently silly; were that the case we would have no Tom Sowell or Walter Williams. Sowell has written an excellent analysis of the the cause of modern-day disadvantage in the ghetto, “Black Rednecks.” The cure is not more welfare, but more individual responsibility.

By Brian Curtis

December 18, 2006 09:03 AM | Link to this

What a vital and earth-shattering topic you’ve chosen! Truly this is one of the most compelling and urgent issues facing the nation today.

By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I

December 18, 2006 09:04 AM | Link to this

I’ve always wondered why there haven’t been many more civil lawsuits against the state governments, executives branches and legislators that supported Jim Crow discrimination for 100 years after the Civil War, especially since there are people alive today who very actively participated in this discrimination, and were victims of it as well.

Slavery and Jim Crow were crimes against humanity, criminal conspiracies. The statute of limitations on monumental injustices and monstrous criminality should be long.

Not surprised that Wooten is trying to sweep this filth and garbage back under the rug.

Cut and run from the truth. An old GOP ploy, at least since they became the southron Democrats.

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 09:05 AM | Link to this

Blacks should sue for modern injustices, not ancient ones. There’s plenty around today to satisfy any lawyer. We still disenfranchise americans based on income, race, religion, and how fat their wives are. We handicap ourselves with negative thoughts. Whats to stop us from supressing others with the same baseless reasoning?

We are the shallowest of creatures. Denizens of Ignorance.

Are we winning or losing in Iraq? Holding our own? We cant even enunciate a mission. Yesterday on Meet the Press, a general actually said that we haven’t really tried a military solution yet in Iraq. (something about proper counter-insurgency methods).

Soon it will dawn on Americans what’s happening in Iraq. First the American people will be angry. Very angry.

Then cometh the fear. Then Groweth the Fear.

Fear will grow when Americans realize they are trapped and must face the ordeal-gauntlet that Bush has set up in our way forward. The Agony in the Garden. Like an entire country of Christ-hybrids forced to endure some tectonic Passion simply because der father had willed it so. (

Cooler heads will try to prevail. Our Republican Leadership will appear in prime time to assuage our panic and resentment. We will ask as one voice: Why do we have to suffer this? And because of the fear, respect for out representatives will wither and die.

I’m already seeing consternation and fear on the faces of the TV round tables as they discuss our future in Iraq, folks. Undeniable fear and loathing of what is to come.

Only a miracle can save us. So I’d pray if I were you. You remember how to pray dont you? You just parse your lips together and spin. (just like der father in the white house taught us)

By Mark in Atlanta

December 18, 2006 09:07 AM | Link to this

Alright, so are we to be punished for the trespasses of our forefathers, even though we are trying to get our collective acts together and and put everyone on an even slate? If we are going to do that, can you tell me if perhaps we should go to Egypt and push for the right of the Hebrews to sue their government for enslaving them for several hundred years? Or push the Italian governament for the enslavement and torture of Christians and any other barbarians that struck their fancy?

Reparations should have been made at the time of emancipation by the (former) slave owners. The fact that this is more than 140 years too late makes this whole idea rediculous. If you have civil rights issues, make a case on the issue and take THAT to court. This whole reparations idea is a lazy way to get money from someone who has it to someone who doesn’t want to work for it now.

By Buy Danish

December 18, 2006 09:20 AM | Link to this

Even with affirmative action, middle class job seekers, effectively, don’t have to compete with blacks for jobs.

CJ,

I don’t understand this sentence. Can you explain it?

I’m running out, but I’ll check in later…

By Redneck Convert

December 18, 2006 09:31 AM | Link to this

Well, I see that Those People are still trying to get their hand on my wallet. It’s ridikulus to expect me to pay for something my great-great-great grandpappy did. Anyways, today we have better ways than slavery to keep Those People in their place. Like welfare reform and photo ID and redlining and such.

Course, most of the time us rednecks are all for getting back at people for wrongs done. We like to find the guilty people. That’s why we love to watch the cop shows. Kid hurt? Let’s lock up the parents for not looking out for the kid enough. Tree fall on your house? Let’s sue the neyber for not trimming it enough. Somebody get sick? Let’s find out who caused it and put him in jail or at least empty his bank account. We need to keep building prisons and filling the courts with cases. It’s the redneck and the Christian way.

But don’t go blaming me just because my ancesters may have profited a little on account of slavery. Sure, I come into a little money when my parents croaked, just like my parents come into some dough when their parents croaked. And some time, that money started with slavery. But that was a long time ago, and besides, they are all dead now.

And I’m sick of these libruls ranting about Sonny’s $100,000 tax break. So he was told about the bill and how it would help him. I’m sure he don’t remember it. I’m sure I wouldn’t remember it if somebody told me I was going to save $100,000. Besides, he had more important things to worry about. Like getting deadbeat kids off state health insurance and cutting Medicaid benefits and taking the houses of deadbeats that go into nursing homes.

I feel just full of the Christmas spirit today, so Merry Christmas everybody. I hope all you good conservatives get everything that’s coming to you. And I hope all you libruls find a big bag of horse poo under your tree and go running around looking for the pony.

By time for the truth

December 18, 2006 09:35 AM | Link to this

THIS IS THE ULTIMATE IN GRASPING pointed piggy SNOUTS IN THE RACIAL SPOILS TROUGH!!

Happily these venal black greedy bigots have been sent on their way yet again by a judge who actually applied visionary common sense. NOT A PENNY should ever be paid to these (wouldbe) freeloading scum.

This whole sick and twisted campaign really has bugger all to do with actually getting any kind of extremely delayed racial mafia like extortion and/or payoffs … it is SOLELY about keeping a certain element of blacks focused on hating/blaming whitey and being able to say “I told you so” to those blacks who will never ever let go of the events of @ 140 years ago.

Funny how the EQUAL “guilt” of the arab masterslavers and blacks themselves is largely deliberately forgotten in all this.

Every single race, from virtually every single country has been systematically enslaved in different parts of the world at various times … the sick and twisted thing about this is that - thanks to endemic vile pandering/liberal guilt and never ending black bitterness most folks (in the west) tend to think ONLY blacks were ever systematically enslaved in this world. This is a despicable, pathetically politically correct utterly empty LIE.

White slaves (though different euphemisms are still employed to obfuscate this) in the USA were vastly more prevalent than any lefty Harvard marxist teacher of history will ever publicly acknowledge. This has been kept very quiet in academic circles - thus the paucity of material written on the subject. Do a search on Amazon to find the handful of factual historical works on the subject.

Naturally the suffering of whites doesn’t excuse or negate the suffering of blacks or any other races enslaved in this global, ongoing bestial practice. And the scale of suffering is also largely irrelevant. Other wise the papist church, the Vikings, the Chinese, arab/mohammedans et al should be sued for their huge slave owning past.

Why don’t these American black bigots instead of endlessly trying to settle racial scores from 140 or so years ago channel their energies into STOPPING the sadly growing problem of current black/arab slavery and enforced sexual slavery in AfriKa, asia, parts of Eastern Europe and other third world hellholes that is shamefully still openly going on today.

Mauritania did not actually formally abolish slavery until 1980. And its still goes on there today, as it does in many arab countries. Indentured servants being one of the euphemisms of choice.

Blacks have had countless billions paid to them in the form of decades of endless welfare payments and other state/federal handouts in the USA. Institutionalised racism which demoNcrats glibly and dishonestly call “affirmative action” is also aimed at giving blacks an undeserved illegal racial advantge. Racial quotas are divisive, illegal and extremely corrosive.

Equal treatment is the only way to proceed in this day and age. Funny how many blacks utterly ignore this in black run areas/cities. Like Atlanta, Detroit, DC etc Its perfectly OK for blacks to discriminate in favour of blacks - yet when it happens to them they screech from the hilltops.

Until this kind of black racila spoils snouts in the trough stops and elements of the pandering leftist media STOP pandering to it (reparations) race relations will always have this simmering black resentment fed by a large enough black minority of blacks to keep ALL folks from moving on.

Watch the usual leftist turds on here pick out the odd sentence from this post and try and twist it … rather than actually address the wider, irrefutable points made!!

To all blacks in the USA … yes it happened, no one (normal) defends it or is proud of it or seeks to ever reimpose it, more than enough “reparations” have already been paid out in demoNcrat vote buying schemes and pandering … GET OVER IT!!

By Mark in Atlanta

December 18, 2006 09:36 AM | Link to this

Hey CJ, you say that as a white, middle class amaerican, I don’t have to compete with blacks for my job? If I were a black man, I slap you for that insult. AS it is, I have plenty of competition for my jobs. From the black man, the Indian, the Asian, the native American, the hispanic… hopefully you get the idea. I work in the tech sector with a lot of intelligent, hard working people. The white man doesn’t have a lock on the job here. The Qualified Man does.

It’s bigoted, racially ingrained stereotypes like the ones CJ portrays that perpetuates the hype. Get over yourself being black and disenfranchised as a black man. See yourself as a man, and when someone does disrespect you for the color of your skin, then do something about it with THAT person. Don’t try to punish me for something I didn’t do.

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 09:40 AM | Link to this

There was a moment in Titanic where the bad guy tried to bribe a soon-to-be drowning officer with $40K in paper money. That’s a perfect example of how currency gets devalued in a crisis. All kinds of currency: Trust….. Respect….. Positive feeling about the future, (which is so important in holding up our institutions)….. all are being recalibrated in quantum leaps downward as we plod ahead in Iraq.

Impending fate dawns on people.

By time for the truth

December 18, 2006 09:45 AM | Link to this

this should read

Funny how the EQUAL “guilt” of the centuries of arab masterslavers and those blacks gleefully providing slaves IN AFRIKA themselves is largely deliberately forgotten in all this.

By peter

December 18, 2006 09:57 AM | Link to this

HA HA HA….to REDNECK CONVERT……..HA HA HA………gee the next time I am going to be told I can save myself $100,000.00 I will probably “FORGET” also.

HA HA HA……I do like your Christian refrence though…… the President “Prayed” Before invading Iraq, at least to “HIS” God……..the Muslims were not impressed……..

HA HA HA to watching the cop shows and finding “GUILTY PEOPLE”……all you have to do is watch what the politicians are doing!

I also find it hard to believe Sonny didn’t read the memo…….maybe he isn’t as competent as you think, and he didn’t read it…..HA HA HA……..SURE!!!!!

Well it seems that the more important issues are where is the 1 Billion plus Dollars missing from the Iraq war chest, the US accounting office can’t find!

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 09:58 AM | Link to this

America blames the slaves for being black?

American blames the blacks for being slaves?

Americans dont grasp the historical roots of the brutal social mores with which they confront themselves.

While it’s true I dont really want to make any new white friends (I’m 55), I certainly dont want to make any new black friends. (I was raised on American Television and am thus innoculated against accepting blacks as equals, although I’ve never actually met the black person that I’m better than).

Prejudicial assumption is intrinsic to our thought formation simply because the data we collect subconsiously is too slanted by socio-cultural preponderance. (idontknowwhatijustsaid)

By Randall Williams

December 18, 2006 10:02 AM | Link to this

Morning Jim, Today’s topic is a no-brainer, only an infinitely small portion of the radical left would support reparations.

Sorry to disagree with your position on the previous topic but the special-needs scholarship is crap. If services to special-needs students are lacking under our current system, we need to fix the system and not throw it away. True conservatives, like my parents and their parents, fixed things endlessly until they were used slap up and could be fixed no more. Pseudo-conservatives, like the radical religionists, always want to throw the baby out with the bath water if the baby doesn’t act “right”!

But let’s be honest, this call for “special” scholarships is just another transparent effort by religious radicals to shore up their efforts to have taxpayers foot the bill for their choice of parochial education for their children. The idea seems much more palatable after being applied to special-needs students first. Parents should absolutely have the right to choose parochial education for their children if they wish but they should never have the right to require other taxpayers to fund said choice. This would open a Pandora’s Box of calls for “special” treatment.

As a fundamentalist Mormon, I wouldn’t think that I should have to pay taxes that would support a government which criminalizes my religious belief in pleural marriage. As a Christian Scientist, I wouldn’t think that my tax dollars should fund Medicare, Medicaid, medical research or other activity which infringes on my religious belief in healing by faith alone. As a Jehovah’s Witness, I wouldn’t think that any of my tax burden should be used to fund any hospital or medical institution that administers the infusion of any blood or blood products in defiance of my religious belief. The list goes on and on.

Government should continue with the time proven notion given to us by the founding fathers of separation of church and state. Public education should be inclusive of all citizens, regardless of their special needs. It should provide secular education only and leave the parochial education needs of students to churches and parents. This insures that religious beliefs and doctrines that parents wish to force their children to assimilate would not be misinterpreted or mischaracterized by public teachers who may or may not share those beliefs. It, also, insures that children of parents who do not want them subject to religious indoctrination in faiths foreign to their own would not be forced to give lip service to religions that they or their parents might believe to be false.

Today’s religious radicals are more akin to the social welfare junkies of the 60’s than to members of today’s conservative movement! Wake up, Jim; what you’re calling for here is not thinking “right”. This is simply “radical” thinking disguised as “right” thinking. The majority of the American public simply isn’t buying into this sort of tripe any longer!

By Mike

December 18, 2006 10:04 AM | Link to this

Isn’t it nice to always see people like ‘By Typical Filthy Redneck Georgian and Wooten’ always expressing their ideas on how things should be. It would have been nice if their ancestors were subjected to those nice times of slavery and free work. Maybe they would be able to tolerate a difference of opinion now. But lets see, they look like those pilgrims who landed on that ever famous Plymith Rock. You remember, the place where the Indians were already living. You know where it saids in American history the place that was newly discovered but someone else was already living there.

By Morrigan

December 18, 2006 10:06 AM | Link to this

“Reparations” is an idea designed to enrich lawyers and Jesse Jackson types. It will do nothing to right any wrongs. Those who expect handouts and count on browbeating Whitey will just look for another excuse to take money after they’ve thrown away their reparations on lottery tickets, cell phones, and cigarettes.

In a society where people tell Southerners to “get over” the Civil War, how does one justify keeping hatred inflamed with talk of reparations? Or is that race-dependent?

There will never be enough to satisfy some of these greedy, shiftless people.

By zeke

December 18, 2006 10:12 AM | Link to this

Reparations are a typical racist plot to extort money! If they are needed, we need to compensate the descendents of land owners whose property was confiscated during and after the illegal war to save the union! In an agreemant that facilitated the Constitution and the formation of the United States, any state could leave the union at any time ! Lincoln broke that agreement! That war was not about slavery, and, Lincoln freed the Southern slaves only in a failed idea that they would revolt and help the yankees defeat the South! He did not free Northern slaves at that time and according to all sources he wanted to ship all blacks back to Africa! All the lands that were confiscated and distributed to new owners and carpetbaggers should be returned to the descendents of the original owners immediately! Many of these properties were huge and dated to the original settling of the colonies! Enough is enough! Companies, banks or insurance companies that had dealings with slave owners or the slave trade were in a legal business, accepted at the time as legal, and have no reason to apologize or be held liable for those actions!

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 10:14 AM | Link to this

Could some of ya’ll good old white folk school a lil colored gal on something? It’s ok to give reparations to Jewish people, Native Americans, the Japanese right? But not to the very people that ALL of you benefited from? None of you would be in your high and mighty positions if your despicable ancestors had not taken it upon themselves to enslave people. Many of you (look at these posts) still have this “white pride” entitlement. It’s funny though, now your numbers are reducing daily as illegal immigrants TRIPLE the amount of births that you have.

By Diogenes

December 18, 2006 10:15 AM | Link to this

Happy Monday, Jim,

The utterly miraculous happened yesterday at 4:29 pm; not once, but twice. First of all, RW made a coherent position statement:

“People of means have a choice of putting their children in a good school even though they still have to pay for the horrific public school system. Those with lesser means are hopelessly trapped in a failed education system and the only reason you want them trapped there is to indoctrinate them with your leftist agenda.”

That’s clear and coherent. Congratulations, RW, Diogenes firmly believed that we’d see peace in the Middle East before you made a recognizable position statement. The second miracle is that RW agrees with Diogenes: the school systems in Georgia are “horrific” and have been forever. Governor after governor has pledged to improve the school system, yet it hasn’t happened. Forty five years ago, Georgia was next to last in academic achievement; Georgia is still next to last. It is, as RW points out so eloquently, a “failed system,” and it has failed because the voters of Georgia have allowed it to perpetuate itself rather than electing Boards of Education with enough courage to change the system.

We the People refuse to take governors to task for their simplistic fixes; we refuse to hold our Boards of Education accountable. Sonny will achieve no better than any of the others before him because We the People will not demand it. The solution is easy and definitely a leftist agenda, as RW points out: teach the students of Georgia to read and write and do mathematics. With those skills, all things are possible, yet year after year, all students in Georgia are “hopelessly trapped in a failed education system.”

Despite RW’s confidence in the superior schools of the “people of means,“ there are in fact very few, and some public schools will match them. Although affluence is a predictor of academic success, the excellence of the school depends more on the parents and the community than on whether it is public or private. Many of our private schools are worse than our average public schools in teaching students the simple skills: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Like RW, Diogenes just wants the leftist agenda that the students of Georgia be able to read and write on a par with students in Oregon or Massachusetts or Illinois, or one of the states where they care about the education of their children.

Bravo RW! It’s wonderful to see that you’ve decided to make a position statement. It’s just as pleasing to see you come over to a nice comfortable liberal position where education is concerned (indeed, advocating that students be able to read and write in Georgia borders on the radical). You might disagree with Diogenes about the overall curriculum somewhat and you might advocate a little more fragmentation than Diogenes thinks is necessary, but we absolutely agree on producing students who can read, write, and do mathematics on a par with any in the US, and we agree that it’s a leftist agenda.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 10:21 AM | Link to this

Ms. Writer,

It’s fine for the person that committed the offense to pay reparations to the wronged party. Neither of us qualifies as either.

You’re welcome in advance.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 10:22 AM | Link to this

Mark - “Reparations should have been made at the time of emancipation by the (former) slave owners. The fact that this is more than 140 years too late makes this whole idea rediculous. If you have civil rights issues, make a case on the issue and take THAT to court. This whole reparations idea is a lazy way to get money from someone who has it to someone who doesn’t want to work for it now.”

Are you serious? You think that a recently freed slave would sue the very person that separated his family, raped women and treated him like an animal? That would ensure a definite trip to the hanging tree. Blacks lived in fear of whites for SEVERAL years after slavery ended. Either you are an idiot or uneducated to think that uneducated, illiterate slaves were going to fiile suit against their former masters. They couldn’t even vote…Go get a book.

By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I

December 18, 2006 10:30 AM | Link to this

The Pope would like to call attention to a wonderful 1/2 a book all ready cited today by jbm, Black Rednecks, White Liberals, by the intellectual Stepin Fetchit of our time, Thomas Sowell.

Mr. Sowell accurately points out the social problems of American blacks stem not from their African-ness, but from their brutal immersion in southern redneck culture for generations. This makes sense, since the slave rapists/masters’ systematic destruction of the spirit and culture of the slaves they dehumanized to ‘work’ for them. Indeed, most studies of the black family show them to have many of the same issues that the redneck family face - bastardy, alcoholism and drug abuse, poor work ethic, a disdain for edumacation, violence, incest, sexual abuse, etc.

Illustrative of the pervasive takeover of black culture by redneck culture, in his book, Sowell recounts the scene from Alex Hailey’s Roots where the slaves were married by jumping over the broomstick, since this is supposedly an African tradition. However, the tradition actually originated amongst tftt/tommy’s ancestors, the servant and peasant classes of England.

The patriarchal class nature of southron culture brutally and viciously placed the blacks at the bottom of a rigid social structure. All of jbm’s and Wooten’s protestations to the contrary, it has only been the 1960s since American blacks have had even the legal expectation of an equal chance in the marketplace, especially here in Dicksea. I think both of these gentlemen are old enough to remember the arrogant dehumanizing insanity of things like segregated toilets and swimming pools. When I worked at Lockheed in the early 1980s, every bathroom had two doors - when Lockheed won the C-5 contract from LBJ, one of the provisos was an end to segregated facilities in the plant. Lockheed’s solution was to knock out part of the wall between the restrooms, creating one bathroom.

To talk and act like these things like the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow are meaningless shows them to have the moral development of sociopaths.

By sct

December 18, 2006 10:31 AM | Link to this

Sonny’s $100,000.00 tax break wasn’t a lapse in ethics or judgement.

It was REPARATIONS. Think of all the misery poor Georgia rednecks have endured. Why Just last week a gay couple got married in New Jersey. A wino bought wine on a Sunday in New York. There is a movie about gay penguins.

Right here in Georgia, a Democrat voted without a picture ID! A store clerk said “Happy Holidays!” A Gwinnett library has Harry Potter books. The 7 commandments are being removed from courthouses, Atlanta again has a black mayor.

Please, learn the facts. Sonny is owed every last sent as in REPARATIONS. REDNECK REPARATIONS. And, that’s just the down payment.

By Diogenes

December 18, 2006 10:32 AM | Link to this

Jim,

If the courts chose to assert the validity of statutes of limitations, why didn’t you silently acquiesce and go on to something more interesting? Did you so desperately need a strawman for your conservatives to snarl and snap at that you had to select what the courts have killed?

By Southern Democrat

December 18, 2006 10:32 AM | Link to this

The topic today, as suggested by someone else, is one that is difficult to argue about as the issue is only embraced by the far, far left.

One thread of this discussion, however, might be a topic that has always been one of my favorites and that was discussed at length in the New York Times Magazine this Sunday (I am guessing that my friends Jbmlaw and others are not subscribers): how much should we give to charity and to help the destitute.

The article, found at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/magazine/17charity.t.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=magazine does a wonderful job of parsing out how easily we could eliminate fatal poverty. It also highlights the uncomfortable truth that Herbert Simon and Warren Buffett have unabashedly stated: a large amount (estimated at 90%) of our position in life and relative wealth is determined by what culture we’re born into… not by “hard work.” Another point that hit me hard was that 3 out of the top 4 philanthropists in American history were atheists. Another interesting point is how much of our foreign “aid” is closely tied to political purposes (the fault of Democrats and Republicans) and is not given to the most destitute countries.

I’m hoping this topic can be totally non-partisan and we can all discuss just as human beings: what can we do with our voices and our wallets to help solve big problems because clearly we’re not doing enough.

By Aquagirl

December 18, 2006 10:37 AM | Link to this

You can drive over to Metropolitan parkway and see modern-day slaves: 14 year old African-American girls who are owned by African-American pimps. They (and a good many Asian women) are actually sold from one man to another.

Now if the black community was really concerned about the slavery that exists today then I might see this reparations crap as just a silly idea. Instead, it strikes me as more people who just want a ride on the gravy train.

Or maybe the Korean-American association should file suit against the NAACP on behalf of Korean prostitutes who happen to be patronized mostly by African-Americans. I would love to hear Al Sharpton’s thoughts on that.

By Mid-South Philosopher

December 18, 2006 10:37 AM | Link to this

Good morning, Jim, jbmlaw, and others.

Slavery was a bad thing…a bad thing. Because of it, along with Andy Jackson setting the standard for the grotesque treatment of the Original Americans (human life has never been proven to be “native” to the American Continent), and the racial bigotry that was the “bastard child” of slavery, we have seen numerous of our citizens discriminated against, mistreated, maltreated, and murdered. It has all been a bad thing.

At the same time, we have seen progress. We have seen hearts and minds changed in many, many situations. We have seen people, born and bred in the heartland of segregation, overcome prejudice and embrace diversity.

We have seen a change from a time when a black man would have been assaulted for attempting to vote to a time when there is a real possibility that a black man will acquire the nomination of a major political party for the Presidency of the United States

It is not perfect, but it is better…a damn sight better… than when I was a child.

Now as to “reparations.”

How can it be determined who is entitled to the money?

In my ancestry, there may have been a linear relative with African ancestry. Should I be entitled to “reparations”?

Certainly not!

My white ancestors in the more recent times of the first decades of the last century labored for wealthy farm owners as sharecroppers in northern Alabama and middle Tennessee. Should I find the descendants of those wealthy land barons and sue them for my “reparations”?

I think not.

Yet, I agree that “reparations” should be made.

The “reparations” should be that we as a society eradicate what remains of the racial, social, and economic prejudice and bigotry (and there is too, too much of it remaining) in our nation. We should insist that society assure OPPORTUNITY for ALL…NOT guaranteeing SUCCESS for ALL but OPPORTUNITY!

Until we have achieved that, the account is still open for blacks, poor whites, original Americans, and what have you.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 10:37 AM | Link to this

Dio,

The fact that my position on public schools is the first position of mine you’ve ever recognized speaks volumes for avoiding whatever, if any, education you were given.

The fact that even when you do claim to see a position of mine you grossly distort it simply proves how pathetically dishonest you are.

By getalife

December 18, 2006 10:38 AM | Link to this

I guess Jim wants to save that money to give to the Iraqis for reparation after w’s disaster in Iraq.

Way to feed hatred to the nutjob base of wingnuts.

Geez.

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 10:48 AM | Link to this

Somehow, after the civil war, for a short window of time, Blacks got elected to some state’s congresses during reformation. If they tried to take their seat in the congress, however, they were hung. If blacks tried to vote again, they were hung. The white south simply refused to lose. It was Jury nullification, sort to speak. Imagine a lawsuit. Laughable.

By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I

December 18, 2006 10:49 AM | Link to this

Of course, the Pope himself has begged the question - what should we do about the victims of redneck culture? Obviously, there are millions of white southrons (and, given the Great Migration of the 1920s, large areas of the Midwest and West as well), the scions of a debilitated lunatic gutter culture?

Here the Pope agrees with Wooten - orphanages and sterilization are our only hope.

Progressives such as myself have made the mistake of allowing the “anything goes” of redneck culture - rape, incest, divorce, alcoholism, drug abuse, laziness, child abuse and neglect - to the detriment of our nation’s survival. Wooten recently advocated the insanity of having Senor Sergio, a 21-year old drug dealer of Hispanic origin, who had statutorily raped a thirteen-year old girl (who was the daughter of his accomplice in a murder), when the solution that would most benefit the child and society at large would be the castration of the father, Norplant until 25 for the mother, and removal of the child (AND the mother, who is also a minor) from this insane environment.

Even if all we did was warehouse the children of rednecks, they would be far better off than be raised by the animals that bore them.

By JBM is a condescending...

December 18, 2006 10:52 AM | Link to this

Wow, this is a big issue, huh? there really isn’t anything else going on that might actually be interesting and important to talk about, Jim? What a waste. JBM, I’m surprised to hear a lawyer say that claims for injuries over 2 years old are inherently bogus. There are statutes of limitations for different types of claims, and some go for as long as 20 years. While I agree that these reparation claims should have been shut down years ago, and not dredged up any more, I find your broad generalization of all claims older than two years raises questions about your capabilities as a lawyer. CCan you really dismiss all claims over two years old without knowing anything about them? What about fraud, legal malpractice, statutes of repose, etc.? Are they all bogus?

By JK

December 18, 2006 10:57 AM | Link to this

If the good “Christian” people of this country, (slave owners and not-in-my-neighborhood yankees alike) had behaved like Christ instructed over the last 200 years, then the whole concept of reparations for slavery would be moot. But…. you still look down your noses at the less fortunate, and assign blame rather than a helping hand, or a workable plan to better your neighbors’ lives, because you can do the math, can’t you? If they have slightly more, then you might have slightly less. “No you can’t take it! No, you can’t take it! No, you can’t take that away from me!”

Merry Christmas, “Christians.” Now head on over to Norstroms to honor your Lord. Louis Vitton awaits your purchase.

By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I

December 18, 2006 10:59 AM | Link to this

Once again, sterilization of the redneck should be voluntary. A free scratchoff lottery ticket every day for life and a coupon for a 12-pack of Bud or PBRs should be enough of an enticement for your typical Georgia high school graduate to submit to the procedure. We could call it the Georgia Hopes For a Redneck-free Future program.

By Jessie

December 18, 2006 11:04 AM | Link to this

“JBM is condescending…”,

The source of your confusion may be that you believe that jbmlaw is actually a lawyer. He demonstrates regularly that he lacks the fundamentals for his make-believe law practice.

By Mark in Atlanta

December 18, 2006 11:09 AM | Link to this

Ms Writer: So you think that now, 140 years later, I owe you cold hard cash for something that my great-great etc grandfather may or may not have purpetuated back in the day? Tell me, are you going to go back to Africa and get the decendents of the ones who originally sold the slaves to the guys with the boats to get them here, the companies that provided the boats and the companies that mined the ore to make the shackles, too?

Let’s say this actually happens, the case is won and millions, possibly billions of dollars are set up into a bank account for distribution. Now, tell me who is going to distribute this money, who decides what person gets how much?

By the way, if your great grandparents raped and robbed my great grandparents, should I come to you and sue you for the money and the social injustice?

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 11:11 AM | Link to this

If they have slightly more, then you might have slightly less.

JK,

That one sentence encapsulates the lunacy of liberalism as well as anything I’ve read.

It assumes that there is a fixed amount of wealth that is either distributed or hoarded depending on your situation. The fallacy of your position is that our economy is ever growing and every man woman and child in this country has the chance to be wildly successful at no expense to anyone else if you just get them out of the mindset that somebody owes them something.

By getalife

December 18, 2006 11:11 AM | Link to this

Yes, they believe he is a lawyer but you are dealing with wingnuts who believe everything w spews.

Sheep.

Ba.

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 11:18 AM | Link to this

There are alot of black comics in atlanta. They mob open mike nites at the clubs. There’s at least fifty of them, and they all do the same material delivered the same way: their bits are all about when blacks do something, it’s always the “cheap way, or the easy way”. They all get pulled over for driving while black. They all know abu graib prisoners with better credit ratings than they got. They all drive pos’s that stall when you turn the rap radio on. They all gotz some variation of a “big azz woman” vs “a woman with a big azz”.

It’s torture. They all say, “white people do dis, and white people do dat, but black people do it dis way”. They all say, “give it up”, or “Put your hands together”, or “show the love”, or “it’s all good”, or “in the house”, or “posse up” or “all that”.

They all hog the f’n stage and go way past the five minutes each comic is supposed to be alotted. They’re all Eddie Murphies in waiting. And if you yourself are funny, they wont let you on stage, ever, and if you do manage to get onstage, they shine lights in your face after 30 seconds trying to shoo you off, so they can do their same schtick. That’s my experience.

I never met a black comedian who didn’t think he was god’s gift to comedy. Does that make me a racist?

By time for the truth

December 18, 2006 11:19 AM | Link to this

Once again, sterilization of the redneck should be voluntary.

One almost wishes the KKK would rise up just one last time and lynch the hatepig rednekkk NAMBLA … undeniably this would be a justifiable socially responsible cull of a rabid Sus scrofa nutter NO ONE would give a flying toss about … christ even the nazi like ACLU would ignore it and celebrate!!

rape, incest, divorce, alcoholism, drug abuse, laziness, child abuse and neglect

… AT LEAST rednekkk NAMBLA is finally being honest about yankkkees!!

By liberalextremist

December 18, 2006 11:19 AM | Link to this

Out of all of the topics that you could have chosen, you purposefully took the low road to create divisiveness. An attack on Christmas, you sir are at the very foundation of the attack. How about blog that creates a sense of unity, especially this time of the year. WOW talk about a hypocrite.

By Steve in Atlanta

December 18, 2006 11:20 AM | Link to this

Mark in Atlanta “…if your great grandparents raped and robbed my great grandparents, should I come to you and sue you for the money and the social injustice?”

No. You shouldn’t sue me for the social injustice. You should sue me for the money and property that I “inherited” from my grandparents that they robbed from your grandparents.

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 11:25 AM | Link to this

Has anyone done the math? There are 30K blacks in this country and 90% of them are descendants of Kunta Kintay. If we paid them 1 million dollar each, then it would cost us 30 quintquadrillion dollars.

No way. Let them sue for modern injustices. That’s only fair. We need to destroy any vestige of slavery’s legacy.

By Realist

December 18, 2006 11:25 AM | Link to this

We have our Louis Vitton and Nordstroms and some have their Kool Filter Kings and Churchs Chicken. We each celebrate our earnings in different ways JK. Who is to say which is right or wrong?

As to the man who referenced Chappelles take on reparations, I think he pretty much nailed exactly how it would go. We already witnessed it in real life with the Katrina Visa cards didnt we?

Merry Christmas to all, and to all may you gets yo’s !

By Jay

December 18, 2006 11:28 AM | Link to this

Let’s say blacks are paid reparations… What happens after that? Will blacks concede that the playing field with whites has finally been leveled? Will affirmative action at work and in schools end (for blacks)? The answer to both these questions would have to be “yes.” Otherwise, what’s the purpose of reparations?

By time for the truth

December 18, 2006 11:28 AM | Link to this

Even if all we did was warehouse the children of rednecks, they would be far better off than be raised by the animals that bore them

inbred yankkkee detritus like rednekkk NAMBLA must be tossed into a very deep pit of unslaked lime and forgotten about!!

By Charles

December 18, 2006 11:29 AM | Link to this

Reparations for slavery in America is a notion whose time has come. Granted, no individual is living who owned slaves. No individual is living who was. As we all know, individuals die but groups are eternal. Today, we can easily identify the group who benefited from the horrors of slavery. Likewise, we can determined which group suffered harm. We must repair the affected group.

Turn your radio to WAOK 1380 AM and listen to the meaningless daily chatter. People have been complaining for years on the radio while boasting of nearly a trillion dollars that African Americans receive out of our economy. With that amount of money, some determination, work instead of talk, collectively they could have accomplished almost any problem which slavery produced. Collectively or individually, they have solved none of the obvious problems in the African American community.

It should be crystal clear to Americans that reparations is desperately needed in our country.

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 11:29 AM | Link to this

You know something? Liberalextremist is RIGHT: Wooten IS trying to ruin yuletide. It doesn’t matter whether we’re racists or not, Wooten aint gonna let us spread goodwill toward men. Well, I’m not standing for it. I say Merry Christmas to all. Who’s with me? happy new yearrrrrrrrrrrrr

By One Voice

December 18, 2006 11:30 AM | Link to this

RW,

Spoken like a true Repug, one of the many who worship capitalism along with their false god. The current generation will be the first generation in the history of the nation, all 200-plus years, that does not surpass the previous generation socioeconomically. The wealthy will stay wealthy as their parents coddle them until they can live the upper middle class lifestyle on their own, and then they will feel like they are owed their position because they are just superior people. As for the 99.999%+ other Americans, they will grow up to be no better off than their parents were. It’s a reality this country will have to begin to face.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 11:31 AM | Link to this

How do you give “brown people” in America reparations?

Easily! You give certain generations reparations (those that lived and experience Jim Crow and their children). Jim Crow was between 1877 -1965, then 1 generation after 1965 would be 1975 - so anyone living or that was born between 1877 and 1975. How? They should be exempt from paying taxes.

We should right our wrongs, and slavery in America was a wrong. Of course others had slaves, but Americans went out of their way to dehumanize the brown race just like Hilter went out of his was to do the same to the Jews.

We should attempt to right a wrong. No taxes is the easiest way to right that wrong.

Pleas note: that Jim Crow affected Africans, Mexicans, and Asians.

By Realist

December 18, 2006 11:35 AM | Link to this

btw, I recently went with my church to several atlanta area homeless shelters to help distribute toys and jackets and blankets we had been collecting for some time.

One need only take a quick glimpse around these shelters to see that it is full of ALL races and ages. There were so many children that it brought me to tears. I had no idea there were so many families in these shelters.

I have plenty to say when it comes to race “relations” and fairness in todays society, but if you want to talk about the spirit of the season and giving, race should play no part in it whatsoever. The need is far and wide across all races.

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 11:35 AM | Link to this

Steve in Atlanta: isn’t that how Hatfield and McCoy got started?

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 11:38 AM | Link to this

Mark: Actually Mark, no I don’t think that checks should be handed out, but why didn’t you guys protest and betch when money was given to Native Americans (who your ancestors screwed over before slavery) and the Japanese and the Jews? Why are you against this?

By KP

December 18, 2006 11:39 AM | Link to this

StillbornDittos

You are not racists..just stating your opinions and hurt feelings. It must feel real bad to be a comic in a country where the top three rated comics of all time are Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy. You are stuck with Dick Van D** and Dane Cook for material theft. Maybe you should be the Eminem of comedy..or stay in your lane and STFU. Do your bit..and if you can make longer than 30 secs (on stage) maybe you wouldn’t be bitter at the “big azz women” jokes.

By Realist

December 18, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this

KP has a point there stillborn. You know those people does make us laugh!! Always have…..

By LivingRight

December 18, 2006 11:44 AM | Link to this

In the spirit of Ahamdinejad, let’s just deny all of this slavery business really happened in the first place.

I am sure RW would agree with this

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 11:44 AM | Link to this

One Voice: which generation wont surpass their parents? X-gen? Y-gen? Me gen? baby boomers? Missing X chromosone Y bother gen?

Which dang generation? I’m so confused!

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 11:45 AM | Link to this

OotMV,

Aren’t you supposed to be spewing over at lucko’s place? How will that blog survive without you leading the parrots in a rousing chorus of “Bush Sucks?”

By One Voice

December 18, 2006 11:46 AM | Link to this

Ms. Writer,

You’ll have to explain something to me. I’m a “white-looking” liberal. My mission in life is to help young adults improve their literacy. Most of the people I help in that regard tend to be African-American because I‘d rather help impoverished individuals in the community improve their lot, rather than help wealthy, white individuals maintain their status. Until sixty years ago, all of my relatives were either in Puerto Rico or Europe. So please explain to me who I should pay reparations to simply because I look white and why I should pay that money. If you are as well read as you attempt to portray, you will know that most Africans were originally enslaved by other Africans before being sold to Europeans. If you are searching for reparations, I suggest you begin with the African descendants of the original captors, in other words, Blacks in Africa.

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 11:48 AM | Link to this

Well I never…..!

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 11:50 AM | Link to this

I hope that StillbornDILDO is still laughing when we elect the first Mexican president…hahaha

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 11:51 AM | Link to this

LivingRight 11:44,

Do you have anything whatsoever to base that absurd claim on?

By One Voice

December 18, 2006 11:52 AM | Link to this

RW

Bush Sucks. Does that make you feel better?

By FedUp

December 18, 2006 11:53 AM | Link to this

I have always said that I’ll be glad to pay for every slave I ever owned, and every active slave alive today.

To make people (because they happen to be descendants of slave owners) pay descendants of slaves for something that happened before they were even a glimmer in their father’s eye is RIDICULOUS. It’s just another way to get something for nothing. Another handout. What’s wrong…isn’t welfare/Section 8/food stamps enough for you?

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 11:55 AM | Link to this

One Voice: i dont think that Uncle Sam should hand out checks on the corner. If you pay attention closely like your mother taught you then you would understand that my argument is that whites did not get upset when large sums of money were given to Jews, Japanese and Native Americans, which none of you have attempted to answer.

By Over It

December 18, 2006 11:56 AM | Link to this

To justify my paying anyone reparation, you will have to go back in genealogy and prove that my family owned slaves to begin with…and do that with everyone else you choose to pay that reparation. That will take time and money. (But you better be able to prove I was from a slave-owning family if you expect me to be a part of this farce.)

By JK

December 18, 2006 11:59 AM | Link to this

Mr. Realist,

Please fill in the missing vowels to solve this so-easy-even-a-Bama-grad-can-do-it puzzle: FIVE -N A R-W! WRRRRRR E_GLE! HEY!

By Dusty

December 18, 2006 11:59 AM | Link to this

LivingRight,

You sound just like getalife for some reason. You certainly don’t sound like RW. RW tells the truth. You don’t.

By KP

December 18, 2006 12:00 PM | Link to this

Well this topic has run its course…

Hey Realist…what’s U of Alabama’s next step. U of Arkansas is dealing with some spoiled athletes and parents. Take Houston Nutt..please.

By FeduwithpunkslikeFedUP

December 18, 2006 12:00 PM | Link to this

TO ALL OF THE WHITE RACISTS ON HERE MAKING TONGUE IN CHEEK COMMENTS, I HOPE THAT YOU ARE STILL LAUGHING WHEN YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED BY MEXICANS..IT’S HAPPENING……..LOL….

Fedup you are ignorant so let me break it down in your language:

Al black pepul dont git fud stamps and sexshun ate and yur cuzins git it to!

By Drew

December 18, 2006 12:00 PM | Link to this

I agree with reparations. You show me a slave, and I’ll pay them for their troubles. :-)

By JK

December 18, 2006 12:00 PM | Link to this

In honor of Mr. Realist’s return, I feel a song coming on:

On the rolling plains of Dixie, ‘neath the sunkiss’d skyyyyyyyyy… Proudly hails my ALMA MATER! Banners hiiiiiggggggghhhhhhhh….

In Toomer’s Corner streaming paper hangs from every treeeeeeeee… ‘Cause TIGERS RULE IN TUS-CA-LOOOO0000-SA! Sweet victoryyyyyyyyyyy!

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

Oh yeah, smart guy? Ms Writer is the type of person who would become a surrender monkey just for the monkey sex.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

So you are OotMV, why the new name? One of your “students” tracking you down or did you miss a payment in the locker room? Obsessing over someone on a blog is a sign of severe mental problems. Please seek help.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

@FED UP Whites are not that far behind blacks when it comes to welfare/section 8/food stamps. If you consider the advantages whites have had over blacks for years, you have to wonder why so many whites are on welfare/section 8/food stamps. Let’s not forget that more would be on it, had it not been for bankruptcy. Now that they have changed the laws, lets see if the numbers do not increase.

As for you paying, please read my 11:31 post - you pay nothing, I think brown people should not have to pay any taxes that were living or born between 1877 - 1975.

By Kelly

December 18, 2006 12:06 PM | Link to this

Most white Americans benefit today from the institution of slavery that ended with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. By the same token, most black Americans today are still affected negatively, financially or otherwise, by that institution.

This statement isn’t an argument for or against reparations. It’s a fact. Anybody who disputes this fact is in denial.

By Kevin from Hogansville

December 18, 2006 12:07 PM | Link to this

Reparations is not a bad idea, black are not looking for handouts, blacks are looking for equality. These companies are have profited for it, they don’t have give every black person a check, but a community fund, to fund education and and neighborhood and housing repairs. It’s not surprsing that these white judges, threw out the case. The real word should be restitution, for all those years of stolen labor and identity. It’s true that has been slavery throughout history, but nothing on the scale of what African-Americans have went through. I due that Black Americans have the part in the state of black of america. The reason why white people do make these “good” decisions because they have been allowed to define themselves. They have’nt have add identity slapped upon them through slavery and other forms of discrimination. I now live in Boston and Irish immigrants went through the same thing, they had a high number of suicides deaths too! White people will never get it, because they don’t share in the pain, just like a abusive husband, will never get it until someone wacks him across the head. I read one post about us going back to Africa, I like a America, but I could only dream of what Black Africans countries would be with out the hand of the white man! It seems like everything they touch, that’s not white or of western philosphical thought turns bad. Those comments can be inflammatory, it’s directed to all white americans, some are genuine loving people, I have some in my family. But a majority ain’t right. Blacks have to realize you will never get fully accepted here, it will never happen, this not heaven, it’s earth and there will always be a conflict between good and evil. The Jews had the same problem we were having until they moved to Isreal and built up there own property. If Black African Countries began to stabilize and prosper, you might see a mass exodous of African American Blacks off this sucker, you can have it. Handouts” what Handouts? Everytime a policy is instituted to help us get on a even keel, there is some rich white dude to knock it down. The policy never stays in long enough to for many of us to benefit from it anyway. 300 years of slavery and discrimanation versus 40 years of legislated equal protection. It’s not even close. If America could Blacks one thing, the only I would be want would be a great and free education. That’s the key. That’s what blacks should have asked for, bump the 40 acres and a mule, free education for every black child to any school that they can qualify for and keep a B-Minus average. I’m talkig art, trade and a regular college education. The G.I Bill help create the white middle class, black soldiers were not eligible for those benefits. I’m not a whiner, I’ve gone to school and done for myself, but it’s sucks if you have anyone to share it with. For my blacks, get with Jesus, get you education, you wife or/and husband, chase after him, build wealth, not rims and cars, leave your kids an inhertiance, you will see God prosper us. You never know, he may even let a Godly minority(us) rule over a ungodly majority(them). It’s time for us to walk on water. Get out of the boat!

By Mi Mi

December 18, 2006 12:15 PM | Link to this

I just could not bear to read through all of this ignorance. I am black with white people in my family. I believe there should be reparations but not to a single person. I cannot believe that we should “get over it” especially when we have to face it daily.
I hate that even now I will not get service because of my black skin.
I hate that crimes are solved faster for whites than blacks.
I hate that nasty look you get from people becasue of the color of my skin.
I hate that you think that us getting over it will change everything. It won’t.
Racism will never end. I think big business should pay something that will benefit the black community only. Scholarships, community centers, something. Of course you will have something negative to say about my comments but you fail to look at the truth. Also, not one of us asked to be stolen from our homeland to work for nothing. To be treated less than nothing.
Land of the free, Liberty and justice for all…Not for us.

By Jay

December 18, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this

Somebody tell me what happens after we pay reparations. Clean slate? Anyone?

By KP

December 18, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this

Kevin form Hogansville..

Damn that bro…If we aren’t fighting racism here then we would just be dealing with the “crab mentaility” elsewhere. Stop thinking the grass is greener on the African side.

By Diogenes

December 18, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this

RW,

Your comment, “The fact that even when you do claim to see a position of mine you grossly distort it simply proves how pathetically dishonest you are”

Am to understand then that you don’t approve of reading, writing, and arithmetic for Georgia students? What would you propose in their place?

By StillbornDittos

December 18, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this

Anyone else sick of blogging about reparations? The answer is no.

Lets move on to suing people involved with the production of Rocky 6. Now that something we all still suffer the consequences of.

I’d rather stick steel wool up my twinkie with a fork and twist it round and round no matter how much it hurt than go see Rocky 6. I’d rather stick a cherry bomb up my own wazoo than go see Rocky 6.

I’d rather pay reparations to descendants of slaves than go see Rocky 6……D’OH!

By regulator

December 18, 2006 12:22 PM | Link to this

You people are so sickening, I’m going to Taco Bell.

By FeduwithpunkslikeDitto

December 18, 2006 12:23 PM | Link to this

StillbornDILDO -

If I wasn’t everything I am, that would offend me…nice try, comedy is not your thing.

By Aquagirl

December 18, 2006 12:23 PM | Link to this

I’m not a whiner, I’ve gone to school and done for myself, but it’s sucks if you have anyone to share it with.

Kevin from Hogansville, do you want to give us a warning and tell us what school you claim as your Alma Mater?

By Caroline

December 18, 2006 12:25 PM | Link to this

What Would Jesus Do about reparations?

Love thy neighbor as thyself? Love ye one another? Come on, Wooten, where’s YOUR Christian love for African-Americans?

By Diogenes

December 18, 2006 12:26 PM | Link to this

RW

Your comment, “The fact that my position on public schools is the first position of mine you’ve ever recognized speaks volumes for avoiding whatever, if any, education you were given.”

You get yourself so tangled up in your rants that it’s as funny as the stuff clown danish spews out. There’s only one word for this mishmash: incomprehensible! The word idiotic might run a close second. Do you really have a position concerning education? I was merely humoring you as if you had a brain in your head. Sorry that I made a false assumption.

But then you’d not be nearly as much fun if you weren’t such a rabid demagogue. Thanks for the laughs.

By One Voice

December 18, 2006 12:27 PM | Link to this

The words typed under the name of RW-(the original) are a sign of severe mental problems. He should seek professional help, but will not do so since he is in constant denial and spends 95% of his waking hours on a blog rationalizing others’ mistakes. Bush sucks.

Merry Christmas.

By ICEMAN

December 18, 2006 12:27 PM | Link to this

Mi Mi,

Where do you live? I get exception service from various places from various races of people. I get nasty looks from more black people than I do white(so do you, you just don’t count them). If you would stop basing your entire life experience on what color you are and every body else is, you would be a much much happyer person. Trust me, I know.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 12:28 PM | Link to this

@Jay Clean slate? Let me see? Probably not, because once you have certain people not paying taxes (my suggestion for reparation - brown people who lived between 1877- 1975 should not have to pay taxes) then whites are going to be upset and their covert racism will become overt (of course some people are overt right now). Then you are going to have new cases of discrimination popping up all over the place. You know white people hate to see brown people get anything.

By From A Black Man

December 18, 2006 12:28 PM | Link to this

This country can take its “reparations” and shove it up its @SS!

Don’t need it or WANT it. It’s bad enough having some white folks think that your success has been given to you by them as it is.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 12:29 PM | Link to this

MiMi - Many Whites treat each other like crap so I don’t think that we should expect anything more or less from them. We just have to continue to work towards something while they tan to get darker, get glute implants to have a bigger behind like us, plump their lips with poision to have bigger lips like up..et cetera…Black is Beautiful…

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 12:29 PM | Link to this

Dio,

I’m not for the government teaching anything, they’re really bad at it and what they do teach is eaten up with your liberal garbage. Look at the complete morons that blog here and claim to be government school teachers.

Now quit acting like a six year old playing a game you learned from Pee Wee Herman.

By ICEMAN

December 18, 2006 12:31 PM | Link to this

Kevin from Hogansville,

As I was reading your mindless rant, I was eagerly anticipating what you really wanted. Finally, toward the end of your verbal self torture, you finally revealed what all you whiners(yes you are a whiner)want: Something Free!!!

By ICEMAN

December 18, 2006 12:36 PM | Link to this

From a black man,

Its our fault for the observation you just gave. Please make up your mind.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 12:36 PM | Link to this

@Ms. Writer

Africans say - BEAUTY IS BLACK.

By Simple Sally

December 18, 2006 12:39 PM | Link to this

I grew up in the North. Most of my ancestors came to this country after the civil war. One branch that was here since the 1700’s were northerners who never owned slaves. All of this is validated with documentation. Am I responsible for paying reparation?

By SharonH

December 18, 2006 12:43 PM | Link to this

Jim, Jim, Jim. When it comes to race-baiting, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have nothing on you. NOTHING. They wish they could stir up the masses with insignificant nonissues the way you can. You are the all-time champ, sir. Take a bow.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 12:46 PM | Link to this

It’s funny..while we go back and forth…Mexicans are increasing in numbers, opening businesses, entering our schools….we are ALL paying taxes while this happens, we are ALL supporting them through programs like Medicaid…screw reparations, it would just be PERFECT REVENGE for this country to be under Mexican leadership…that is the perfect reparation..your lily white ancestors will be rolling in their graves…and black people will be on the Mexicans side…lol

By ICEMAN

December 18, 2006 12:47 PM | Link to this

Simple Sally,

NO! You are not responsible for grown adults being accountable and being mature enough to overcome adversity and learning to provide for their own families.

By Kevin from Hogansville

December 18, 2006 12:49 PM | Link to this

To AquaGirl,

Typical white american response to when a black person makes a simple mistake or you could just be self-righteous. I would tell you where I went, but the high school education systems is so bad in Ga., that my school really doesn’t recruit the south. I’m from Hogansville but I don’t live there.

Two points. If the liberals are messing up education, why does it seem that most of bad state educational systems are in the south, run by republicans?

I was reading a editorial this morning, when a Asian American, said he was feeling discriminated against. Why? Because a lot of elite American Universities don’t just go by grades and recommendations, they go by how much money your parents can donate. He said, if it was merit alone, Harvard would be 50% Asian American. You could imagine that? 6% of the country’s population , totaling 50% of the country’s best school,maybe the world best schoool. I don’t care what you republicans say, there is no better collection of intellectual ability then at Harvard. But then we really can’t say that, because rich white people are buying slots. Must be all those governments handouts they recieved, can’t keep compete with Asian Americans on equal footing. That’s what Black america would be without white america involvement, that’s what a people can become when they chose their own destiny. Japan is a island nation, it’s the world second largest economy, imagine if they had the land mass the size of say, Australia, it wouldn’t even be close. Black peoople there are other of examples of peoples to look at besides, the white ” I sell my soul to the devil, infact I have for money” american. But you guys are not devils, you’re not that powerful. Even Rome fell.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 12:50 PM | Link to this

@Simple Sally

No one is asking you to pay reparations - not me anyway. My idea is that brown people who were living or born between 1877 and 1975 should not have to pay any taxes. Easiest way to repair the damage of slavery and Jim Crow. Jim Crow ended in 1965 therefore you want to go one generations after that to repair the damage so that would take you to 1975.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 12:50 PM | Link to this

Here’s an interesting take on the subject:

On second thought, my ancient ancestors, the Hebrews, were in fact held as slaves of the Egyptions; a group of people often said by blacks to have been black Africans. Hmm…I guess in that case, all Jews should also be entitled to reparations from blacks. And since this event happened some three thousand years ago, well the interest on the money owed is going to be murder.

By JK

December 18, 2006 12:51 PM | Link to this

Yo, Bama Boy: Five in row! Five in a row! One two three for five in a row! Woooo-HOOOOOOO!

(It’s a month late, since Bama Boy was hiding, but worth repeating nonetheless.) WARRRRR EAGLE! Five in a row! Five in a row!

Arms in the air! Five in a row! Up on the desk top! Five in a row! Three way booty bump! Five in a row!

By Anthony

December 18, 2006 12:53 PM | Link to this

I am willing to bet that most of the black folks commenting here are not Africans - at least no more than I am Western European. If you are truly African, you have come here recently and have no business in this discussion as you or your relatives were most likely not impacted in any way by the slave trade. For the rest of you/us, we are Americans. For those that think you are “African,” I would like to pleasantly disagree. If you’re born here, you’re American. Your parents were born here and your grandparents were born here. You come from African descendants, yes, but just like I don’t consider myself a “European American,” I don’t think it’s correct to call yourself “African.” This is not a racist statement and I hope it doesn’t come across that way.

By Diogenes

December 18, 2006 12:54 PM | Link to this

RW

Your comment, I’m not for the government teaching anything, they’re really bad at it and what they do teach is eaten up with your liberal garbage. Look at the complete morons that blog here and claim to be government school teachers.”

Since you don’t approve of teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic in the schools, what do you propose? May we have a clear, coherent position statement, please, not just another demagogic rant. Tell us how you propose to educate the students of Georgia. I think education is, by definition, a liberal concept, how do you avoid liberality?

By harold

December 18, 2006 12:56 PM | Link to this

Harold might be more inclined to take the whole reparations thing more seriously if the plaintiffs knew enough about their genealogy to identify so much as their daddy.

Now, the real reparations come with Sonny pays back the $100,000 tax cut he granted himself.

Harold supposes Sonny doesn’t recall reading that memo because Sonny says he was drunk at the time he received it.

Sonny will be checking into rehab shortly.

By ICEMAN

December 18, 2006 12:59 PM | Link to this

Kevin from Hogansville,

Spare us your having nothing to do with anything stats, and just admit that you are envious of White people.

By harold

December 18, 2006 01:08 PM | Link to this

the jews, japanese and native americans were slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands into the millions.

as slaves, black folk just had to WORK

that is why they aint no slave reparations

now if you want to talk about lynching reparations, that might be another story

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 01:11 PM | Link to this

Anthony: Imagine being taught nothing about yourself. Imagine being only taught about George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. African-Americans have absolutely noone to identify with. We are not truly African, this is true, we are also not wholly American and we are treated as such. The moniker African-American is an attempt to gain some type of unification amongst ourselves.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 01:11 PM | Link to this

Dio,

How is education a liberal concept? You get loopier by the day.

Your word twisting is also getting tiresome. I’m not for teaching fisting in school or telling our kids fairy tales about evolution and labeling it fact. Reading, writing, and math skills should certainly be taught. Civics and history should also be taught as well as basic economics. None of these things should be taught by the government.

By From A Black Man

December 18, 2006 01:14 PM | Link to this

ICEMAN. What in the hell do you mean by that? Bottom line..Don’t need it don’t WANT it. And yes there are some white folks who no matter what, will keep themselves in denial about your success, even though you worked your @SS off for it.

Why? Because it serves to feed their ignorant racism and helps to maintain their closed minded condition and its sick idea of “superiority”.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 01:15 PM | Link to this

Harold, you are evidently an idiot, so lets take this slowly…

For you to even compare slavery to “work” the taste should be slapped out of your mouth.

there were 18.5 million slaves at the most profitable point in slavery…numbers decreased significantly due to murders…you think slavery was just “work”..you get paid for work you souless punk..you get a break when you work, you get time off when you work, you are a piece of work.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 01:17 PM | Link to this

RW - Come on now, Jewish people are doing pretty well over here..be serious..

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 01:17 PM | Link to this

@Anthony,

I agree and most brown skinned people would agree with you as well, they do not consider themselves African American - it applies dual citizenship (in both Africa and in America) which the majority do not have. But why even say you are an American when the majority do not treat you like an American. Who are you then? When you think of an American what picture comes to you mind? How should those who have been marginalized (that are still marginalized) think of themselves?

By getoveryourself

December 18, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this

as slaves, black folk just had to WORK

…and have their identity stolen from them, and have to watch their wives sexually mistreated by slave masters and overseers, and live with the fear of their own family members being sold away, and have to deal with over 100 years of no guaranteed voting rights AFTER slavery, and have no choice in where to live (which is still going on), and have no access to equal education, and have no security against lynch mobs and racist terrorist groups, and above all have to endure complete emasculation.

You’re right, the horrific experiences of black Americans over the past 400 years is but a minor footnote.

By ICEMAN

December 18, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this

Anthony,

You are a Giant among men.

By TW

December 18, 2006 01:24 PM | Link to this

Jim - so the ‘war on Christmas’ loses traction and you dig this out of the bucket?

Dio - your suggestions for public schools?

By getoveryourself

December 18, 2006 01:27 PM | Link to this

Anthony,

“African-Americans” are Americans descended from Africans. You can’t be African-American without being American. African-American culture has been around for 400 years after centuries of shared experiences, both bad and good, as well as being forced to live apart from whites. If blacks had been treated as equals and integrated with whites from the founding or our country, then there wouldn’t have been a distinct African-American culture.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 01:27 PM | Link to this

Please ICEMAN..I bet you are some little punk whose girlfriend got taken away from a black man, which emasculated you even more than the size of your peter…The reason that many of you are so hateful is because whites fear black people and that is the bottom line…so sad, but so true.

By ICEMAN

December 18, 2006 01:29 PM | Link to this

getoveryourself,

and being sold into slavery by their own tribe leaders and “kings”, and rape their own women, and call each other white when they speak correct english, and kill each other in drive by shootings, and sell drugs to each other, and leave children fatherless, and inroduce the most perverted form of music in the history of the world.

Your right, its all white people’s fault.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 01:36 PM | Link to this

@harold

It is a shame that you do not think brown folks were not slaughtered - lets not forget the ones that were beaten to death, starved to death, and push overboard the slave ships. Lets not forget the many baby who were crushed to death under the boot of some white man. So yes, if slaves were treated like livestock/cattle, you can bet your last dollar they were slaughtered.

By getoveryourself

December 18, 2006 01:37 PM | Link to this

ICEMAN,

African kings and leaders did sell slaves to whites. And it was whites who chained blacks together in the bowels of the ships while they had to sleep day and night in their own excrement and many of them died of disease. It was whites who instituted slavery in America which destroyed families. It was whites who passed Jim Crow laws and ensured the blacks “stayed in their place”—no equal education, no freedom in regards to where they lived, no guaranteed right to vote.

You belong in the same category as Ahmadinejehad and his Holocaust denying friends if you deny that any of these things had an impact on the African-American community.

By Middle America

December 18, 2006 01:38 PM | Link to this

At last, a Wooten column that is correct.

By Mr Righter

December 18, 2006 01:40 PM | Link to this

Ms Writer: Give the Jews their reparations. Its not about whether they’re “doin aw-rite heah”, its about REPARATIONS! Which, by definition, is “the making of amends for wrong or injury done”. The Egyptians did harm to the Jews.. You can’t deny that! Hell, as long as we’re talking reparations, my ancentry is from Gaul - I DEMAND REPARATIONS FROM ITALY! Damned Romans enslaved my ancestors!

getoveryourself: Identity stolen? Thats current, I think there are lots of people getting their identity stolen. Wives sexually mistreated? Hmm.. Rapists and murderes.. seems like they are still around.. Own family being sold away? Sounds like what happens in a divorce.. Damn my ex-wife..

These sound like a description of almost any society. There are bad PEOPLE and good PEOPLE - just depends on where you live, eh? Who accounts for most of the crime in your neighborhood? I can bet its not Whitey.

No choice where to live? I call BS on that one. Just because you can’t afford it, doesn’t mean you cant choose to live there. Why are you still in South Atlanta anyway? Cant get a job, because you live too far away, but cant live closer because you can’t get a job… its called Marta! I suppose, however, that reparations would allow you to live in that mansion with your white b*** that you dream about.. Too bad I won’t be able to visit, as i stil live in a $500 a month apartment in a run down neighborhood and ride my BICYCLE to work.. while working two minimum wage jobs that barely allow me the ability to eat.. but at least im not on food stamps.

No security against Lynch Mobs? When was the last time there was a Lynch mob (and not just two a***** killing someone for their color)? I mean a TRUE MOB! Horses, torches, white outfits with pointed hats, etc. Gotta be goin on at least 35 years.. And then again, when was the last time there was a black riot (which was perpetrated by a mob) where an innocent whitey had his face smashed in with a brick after being pulled out of his 18-wheeler, then had his head stomped repeatedly and left for dead? Which is more recent?

Emasculation?

EMASCULATION?

Perhaps the most MASCULINE of men are the Thugs and Pimps that beat their b*** and ho’s, sling rock for cash to pay for their Yack n Coke, and sing violent and cuss-word laden songs as a lighthouse of morality for the youth of their culture.. (Never heard Elvis say a damned bad thing at all, never ever..)

Ya’ll are rediculous.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 01:40 PM | Link to this

ICEMAN:

so all white people speak correct English, don’t commit murders, don’t leave their wives?

White men are 95% of the serial killers..white men control the airspace that allows cocaine and other drugs to get in the USA..last time I checked there were no cocoa plants in the hood…white men leave their aging wives for new 20 year olds..and YOUR white kids listen to the most perverted form if music (i am assuming you are speaking of hip hop)..you are funny though..your daughter must be screwing a black man…lol…

By Jay

December 18, 2006 01:40 PM | Link to this

“Clean slate? Let me see? Probably not, because once you have certain people not paying taxes (my suggestion for reparation - brown people who lived between 1877- 1975 should not have to pay taxes) then whites are going to be upset and their covert racism will become overt (of course some people are overt right now).”

I mean in terms of affirmative action. What basis would there be for preferential treatment if blacks received a largesse whose purpose was to “repair” conditions caused by slavery? It seems like affirmative action is, itself, a form of reparation. Is it not?

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

Ms. Writer,

Those weren’t my words, click on the magic blue text and a whole new world will appear. I’m not for reparations for or by anyone that wasn’t directly involved, neither is the writer of what I linked as far as I could tell.

I found that when I was trying to figure out what you meant about reparations having been paid to Jews and Native Americans. It appears that they haven’t been so it’s just a straw man you’ve concocted for us.

The Japanese that received reparations for being interred by Democrat icon Franklin Roosevelt were paid to and by the involved parties, so that’s just a little more misdirection in your argument.

By Cane

December 18, 2006 01:46 PM | Link to this

Reparations won’t happen. For those who bring it up move on! but if you must make an argument, don’t start with slavery. Why don’t you start with the infamous president who free’d the slaves Lincoln, when he lied and said that every black person will get 40 acres and a mule. A sh*d!

By Aquagirl

December 18, 2006 01:48 PM | Link to this

Well, Ms. Writer, you may be a nut, but unlike Kevin from Hogansville, you can express a recognizable thought.

Why don’t we all just agree now that everything wrong with African-Americans is due to white people? That’s your world view anyhow. Somehow, being of African descent makes you incapable of controlling any part of your own destiny, kind of like how a pet doesn’t get to decide what’s for dinner or where it lives.

Enjoy your victimhood while young black men shoot other young black men by the score. African Americans have been surpassed by numerous other ethnic groups, and will continue to sit at the back of the bus as long as they choose to do so.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 01:53 PM | Link to this

No cocoa plants in the hood? Where is all that chocolate for Ray Nagin’s sweet drink gonna come from?

There probably aren’t too many coca plants either though.

By getoveryourself

December 18, 2006 01:53 PM | Link to this

Mr Righter,

Poor assumption you jackass. I’m not black.

And yes, blacks did have their identity stolen from them. They can’t trace their ancestory. They lost their surnames, religion, and culture. And yes, seeing your women abused and not being to do anything about it is an emasculating experience, as well as not being able to have a fair chance at getting a job or education.

And yes, there is a long history of housing discrimination in the US. Ever heard of restrictive covenants? Do you understand the history behind the current law that doesn’t allow realtors to disclose the racial makeup of a neighborhood where they are selling a home?

No of course not, because everything is alright in your world and there is no history of oppression against blacks.

Are their problems plaguing the inner city? You bet. Should people be accountable for their actions? Of course. But don’t for a minute deny the bloody history of the treatment of African-Americans in this country.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 01:57 PM | Link to this

I am respectfully bowing out of this conversation…thank you all for showing me your white hate..they say DNA has a memory and I can smell the stench of your rotting ancestors coming out of your pores…When Mexicans take over I know which side to stick to.

By getoveryourself

December 18, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this

Somehow, being of African descent makes you incapable of controlling any part of your own destiny, kind of like how a pet doesn’t get to decide what’s for dinner or where it lives.

Aquagirl,

Now you’re understanding the oppression that blacks endured for centuries. Blacks shooting blacks is not the white man’s fault, but such acts of desparation and other misfortunes were in effect set in motion from years of being confined to crowded and poorly served ghettoes and slums. And blacks will have to step up and assume responsibility to end this. But at the same time, given the poor treatment of blacks throughout history, America can do its part and ensure that black youth have the OPPORTUNITY and the means to climb out of poverty and degredation.

By getoveryourself

December 18, 2006 02:05 PM | Link to this

It seems like affirmative action is, itself, a form of reparation. Is it not?

Well said, Jay. That is exactly what reparations is in regards to the black community. Repairing the damage done by years of slavery and discrimination by ensuring opportunity. I don’t know why that is something that so many refuse to understand.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 02:05 PM | Link to this

@Jay

Okay, let me clear up some misconceptions you have - Affirmative Action intended beneficiaries are ethnic minorities, women, people with disabilities and veterans. Affrmative Action has been implemented in many countries to ensure equal rights not to address any wrong done in the past.

As for slavery, it is hard to provide reparations for slavery but it is easy to provide reparations for Jim Crow. Why? 1. It lasted from 1877 - 1965. People are still alive as well as their children.

That is why I suggested that those who lived during this time and 1 generation of their offsprings should not have to pay taxes and this would be a form of reparation for the ill treatment allowed at the time.

By Mr. Righter

December 18, 2006 02:10 PM | Link to this

getoveryourself: I never assumed that you were African-American. I asked why YOU were living in South Atlanta - does this mean that you assume all people living in South Atlanta are African Americans? Are you, perhaps, just a little prejudiced?

And if you’re really going to refer to ya’ll…. it was in reference to the pro-reparationists among this blog.. not African Americans.. :)

Restrictive Covenants? Hmm.. If it deals with race, it is illegal per Federal Regulation. That is the prime reason that realtors cannot disclose a racial makeup of a neighborhood. If a black has been discriminated against, they should bring it up with the authorities.. I wouldn’t mind being the only white person in the neighborhood, as long as the grass was cut, the cars ran, and the houses were maintained with no drug baggies littering the streets, and of course no broken streetlights…

Everythign allright in my world? How would you know? Do you live with me? If you’re not black, then everything must also be allright in YOUR world. As a matter of fact, I LOVE living in a crack-infested appartment complex, riding my bike to my job waiting tables, then taking my bike inside as to protect it fro being stolen.. Living next door to a brothel, hoping that someone doesn’t get drunk and smash through my door at night and ransack my place to pay for a piece of rock or a$$.. Hmm.. I see you are assuming.. Pot calling the kettle black, as they say…

My world is definately not allright. I am a member of the Refugee list.. I got nothing better nor worse than my compatriots from the Big Easy… and yet, I don’t ask for FEMA assistance 18 months later.. but yet I still ive in a pretty horrible area of town.. (and trust me, there are Yat’s who are still on FEMA, including my shiftless brother-in-law who isn’t worth the water that makes up 98% of his body)

And for the final comment, “But don’t for a minute deny the bloody history of the treatment of African-Americans in this country..” Pleas be so kind as to poitn out WHERE I denied that it happened?

I merely commented that it is still happening today.. and it is happening to everyone, regardless of race.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 02:14 PM | Link to this

@Aquagirl,

No one is blaming whites for everything. No one is saying that brown people should not take responsibility for their own lives. That is why I said reparation should be giving to those who lived and were born between 1877 - 1975. Of course, I am not asking anyone to pay anyone anything. I suggest that those people (between 1877 and 1975) should not have to pay taxes (reparation enough, I think!)

By Mr. Righter

December 18, 2006 02:15 PM | Link to this

Ms. Writer - Bowing out? can’t take the heat? Get out of the kitchen! Your comments are blatantly inflamatory, one would wonder if you’re no more than a mere troll?

getoveryourself - Opportunity? That is provided. Everone, EVEN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, have the FEDARALLY PROTECTED RIGHT to an education. Go to school, make good grades, and you too can get in to college. Study some more, read your books, pass your tests, and lo and behold you have a DEGREE, with which you can get a real job. One that allows you to live just about wherever you want.

Drop out, smoke dope, and collect women into enslavement to “git yers” - this will undoubtedly make it quite difficult for a young black person to go far in this world - how many corporations want to hire a pimp?

guffaw

By LivingRight

December 18, 2006 02:16 PM | Link to this

Hey RW,

Please quit describing yourself as a Republican. People like yourself give our party a bad name.

By Lily Toad

December 18, 2006 02:19 PM | Link to this

By the way, Just Plain Tired, a generation is 20 years, not 10, so your proposal would include persons born through 1985.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 02:26 PM | Link to this

Actually Mr. Righter…I have a life and I can’t sit on here all day..lol..and a troll? You are calling names, how mature…. probably like really old and you probably will die from Alzheimer’s or something like your Dad…lol ….as for me 25, educated, homeowner/business owner…I am gone…

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 02:27 PM | Link to this

@Lily Toad,

Well, thank you for the correction. Reparation through 1985 is okay with me. But even if they could not justfiy the generation atleast those who lived or were born during Jim Crow should not have to pay taxes(1887-1965). However, you know that whites did not just accept the end of Jim Crow graciously so that is why I suggested additional years.

By Realist

December 18, 2006 02:32 PM | Link to this

JK, If nothing else, my Christmas has been made brighter by knowing that you waited anxiously for more than a month for my fleeting return, so that you could taunt me with Aubarns victory.

Yes, it was five in a row. Evidence of two schools going in different directions Im sad to say. One, steady and stable, year after year. And mine anything but.

But alas, come next fall, I will find my parking space still there under the giant elm, and my luxury box still full of warm friends and warmer spirits. And we will still put 11 boys on the field who want to whoop the 11 on the other side, and win or lose, it will be a fun time and a memory that will last us all a life time. And in the end, that is what college football is, memories.

Know this today, like the fine south has done, the Tide will rise again. You can bet she will.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 02:34 PM | Link to this

LivingRight,

The word “republican” or a variation of it appears on today’s blog 5 times before you used it. How many of those times were by me?

By Aquagirl

December 18, 2006 02:34 PM | Link to this

An African-American man could vote or own property in this country long before I could. Should I demand reparations from men, who by the way, make more money than women, kill and beat their female wives/spouses, and…well, you get the idea.

Unlike man-hating feminists who also embrace the victim mentality, I think women should get the &^%* out of bad relationships, work hard if they want to get ahead, and not blame men for everything wrong in their lives. Who cares if Millard G. Fillmore denied someone like me the right to vote? What does that have to do with the 36 year old guy who works at the post office?

And I’m still waiting to hear the outrage on modern-day-happening-right-now slavery. Nothing about slavery stopped when Lincoln freed the Africans and their descendants. African-Americans who are so offended that they want cash are surprisingly unoffended at the current trade in humans, even in their own freaking neighborhoods.

By Mr. Righter

December 18, 2006 02:37 PM | Link to this

Hmm.

Ms Writer - troll - look it up, its an Internet word - means someone who stirs $h!t in a blog, website, forum, etc, for the purposes of riling up the actual users attempting to have a real, rational conversation.

And what’s a 25 y/o educated homowner/business owner doing looking for reparations anyway?!?!? I think you need to take your discussion to “Does racism still exist, and how can we get rid of Whitey” blog on some NAACP website.. This was whether or not reparations should be given for slavery.

As for the no taxes idea, even for those born up until 1985, that’s not a bad Idea at all.. but then again, thats reparations for Jim Crowe, not slavery..

My my how we get off topic…

By Jay

December 18, 2006 02:44 PM | Link to this

“Okay, let me clear up some misconceptions you have - Affirmative Action intended beneficiaries are ethnic minorities, women, people with disabilities and veterans. Affrmative Action has been implemented in many countries to ensure equal rights not to address any wrong done in the past.”

Actually, affirmative action is “a policy or a program whose stated goal is to redress PAST or present discrimination…” And why are blacks included among those whose benefit from affirmative action, if not because of slavery and Jim Crow? So really, affirmative action is an indirect form of reparation.

By freedomadmin

December 18, 2006 02:49 PM | Link to this

For in-depth discussion of civil rights issues and Republicans ignoring decades of injustice join me at the Freedom Forum:

http://www.forumcityusa.com//index.php?mforum=freedom

By Joe Blow

December 18, 2006 02:50 PM | Link to this

All right folks since we can’t agree on reparations, why don’t all african- americans enslave white people in 2007. See how fast african americans recieve reparations then.

By Mr. Righter

December 18, 2006 02:55 PM | Link to this

Joe- HAHAHA

You do realize, that when and if white people escape the enslavement of black people, that there will be no reparations? That will bee a moot point - eye for an eye cancels all claims for reparations.

Not the best way to get reparations.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 03:05 PM | Link to this

@Jay,

Please look at the Jim Crow laws and the system. Affirmative Action my readdress some of those aspects but it does not address the dehumanization, the killings, the rapes, the beating, and so on.

How does affrimative action readdress those issues? In a situation like this, the only way to readdress those issues is monetarily. Since we do not know who to make pay or who to hold accountable, the only way is for those people not to pay taxes. That way no one is paying anyone and yet those people stll giving a “monetary break.”

By Watta Load

December 18, 2006 03:19 PM | Link to this

It ain’t ever gonna happen…but if it did, would it be that bad?

What would most people do with their reparations money? Invest? save?…NO!, most of them would spend it…on cars, clothes, jewelry, overpriced food, overpriced booze and all the other ways to throw your money away.

And the majority of the producers of these goods and services are going to be good, old-fashioned white owned businesses…so you see the money would just go from all of us through our taxes and be redistributed to make more white folks rich.

By Just plain tired

December 18, 2006 03:20 PM | Link to this

@Jay

Also, Affrimative Action did not come into focus until 1970s - there were other orders in effect but obviously they were not taking seriously. So from 1965 (jim crow abolished) to 1970s (fully implementing the Executive Order), what was going on? So Affrimative Action as I stated before was not to readdress past discrimination but to ENSURE equality and that the Civil Rights Act of 1965 adn that the President’s Executive order in 1965 were upheld.

By ICEMAN

December 18, 2006 03:30 PM | Link to this

Ms.Whiner,

First of all I’m Black, but that’s just the 1st of many incorrect observations you’ve made today. Serial killers are not responsible for high murder rates in major cities. Tell the truth, when was the last time you walked down the street and was afraid a Serial killer was going to get you. Do you lock your house up at night because you think Ted Bundy is coming? No. These types of people just get more media attention. Demons like you love to focus in on them so you can divert attention from your inability to raise your own child properly and teach them the value of life. We will continue to have our problems until we learn to stop blaming others.

By JK

December 18, 2006 03:35 PM | Link to this

Back to the really important stuff: Mr. Realist, what’s the skinny on Shula’s replacement? And yes, it is all about fun with your peeps on Saturdays. Amen. Much better when it’s competitive, though. I’m surprised y’all let the pretty boy coach this long! Certainly not like the old days.

By getoveryourself

December 18, 2006 03:36 PM | Link to this

To everyone I’ve offended on thi blog:

I know I’ve been an idiot here. There’s absolutely no sane reason why we(blacks) should get any reparations. I just thought that maybe I could make a difference by discussing it at least. I appreciate all of your input and I hope you accept my most humble apologies.

By getoveryourself

December 18, 2006 03:45 PM | Link to this

Some pathetic troll has stolen my ID at 3:36. And to top it off, the childish imp erroneously claims that I’m black. Absolutely pathetic.

By Jay

December 18, 2006 03:47 PM | Link to this

“Please look at the Jim Crow laws and the system. Affirmative Action my readdress some of those aspects but it does not address the dehumanization, the killings, the rapes, the beating, and so on.

How does affrimative action readdress those issues? In a situation like this, the only way to readdress those issues is monetarily.”

How can you say which injustices are addressed by affirmative action and which aren’t? Moreover, how does money “readdress those issues”? Even if dehumanization were quantifiable, not all blacks were treated equally poorly under Jim Crow. Should some people/descendents get more money than others? I’m guessing blacks in the North were treated better, on average, than blacks in the South. What about those who migrated from one region to the other?

By Realist

December 18, 2006 03:47 PM | Link to this

Wish I could tell you JK. Unfortunately, my donations to the school arent hefty enough to make me privy to such things. I would need to add another zero or two to the check :)

Everyone swears despite his repeated refusal that Saban may be interested after his NFL season is over. Im inclined to think that is hogwash myself. I suppose Houston Nutt is now being talked about, as well as is Jimbo Fisher from LSU. Whoever it is, I hope he is tough, and a good man, and stays a very long time. Thats really all we need. Hell, if Aubarn can win with Tubberville anyone can do it.

I wish you and your kids the best most wonderful Christmas ever JK. They got a real good mamma, I know that much.

By Dusty

December 18, 2006 03:55 PM | Link to this

Aww come one, for Pete’s sake.

Don’t we all know that no race is perfect and every race has it’s misfits, criminals, sociopaths, etc. etc..

We also know that every race has it’s intellectuals, geniuses and many successful people along with the majority of good average citizens.

It is Christmas, folks, and you live in America. Can’t you even be a little thankful? Millions of people around this world would love to have what you have. They would swap places with you at any time.

Cut out the carping and enjoy yourself and your neighbor for a little bit.

By Ms. Writer

December 18, 2006 03:56 PM | Link to this

First of all ASSMAN…I don’t have kids..second of all I have never said that I think that the government should hand out checks and I think it is crazy to not pay taxes because of slavery, I also believe that welfare should be significantly cut espeicially for young girls of whatever race who keep pushing out babies…if you paid attention supposed black man, you would have known that. I think that everyone should take responsbility for themselves..which I have consistantly my entire life. You just keep right on prepping your lip gloss to keep kissing racist’s behinds…

By Political Foreskin

December 18, 2006 04:06 PM | Link to this

Look, about this whole reparations thing, we wouldn’t need to pay nuthin’ if even one man back in 1860 had stood up and said “this nation cannot exist half slave and half free. It will either be all slave or all free, because a house divided against itself cannot stand”.

What we needed back then was a New Ginrich. Someone who knew how to phrase things like that weasel would. How else can we appeal to the road kill who blog so much on this board? Then we wouldn’t even be talkin’ ‘bout no reparations no how.

Ceptin’ maybe reparations for Falcon fans for Mora being such a mediocre conniption.

Posse up.

By Buy Danish

December 18, 2006 04:08 PM | Link to this

Dio,

Are you going to start debating the issues and respond directly to my posts, or are you going to keep on playing Third Person Diogenes, call me names, and never answer a freaking question (in between addressing post after post to Jim as you play Dio the Wannabe Editor)?

By Political Foreskin

December 18, 2006 04:25 PM | Link to this

Buy Danish, you dont have to swing at everything. Let it go. You’ll feel better. A good man’s got to know his own limitations.

I know you’re bitter because dio continually out debates you, but so what? There’s always a better debater than you somewhere. We all have to face it. You’ve got your dio. I’ve got George Wills. Everybody’s in the same boat, man.

Be cool.

By Lily Toad

December 18, 2006 04:38 PM | Link to this

Legislators should spend their time productively, not on symbolic gestures like re-naming a street not in their district.

By Political Foreskin

December 18, 2006 04:41 PM | Link to this

Have you seen the female host on English Language Al Jazeera? What a babe! I’d become a surrender monkey just for the monkey sex, man.

By Political Foreskin

December 18, 2006 04:45 PM | Link to this

Now hold on there Lilly Toes, what if the street’s name was “I love terrorists”? Dont you think they should rename that street, sir?

Be fair.

By Lily Toad

December 18, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this

Sorry, my last remark was s’posed to be on the re-name Cynthia McKinney Drive blog.

By Republicans Wanna Make Our Kids Glow in the Dark

December 18, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this

The Nation — In March 2005, a nuclear warhead almost exploded in Texas. The near miss accident occurred in Amarillo, when workers at the Pantex nuclear weapons plant bungled the dismantling of a W-56 warhead, a weapon 100 times stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.

Details of the averted catastrophe have been kept under wraps until last month, when the Department of Energy (DOE) fined the company that operates the plant, BWX Technologies, $110,000 for safety violations. (couldn’t let the voters know the truth before midterms could they?)

In a letter obtained by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), technicians at the plant blamed the accident on severe working conditions, including mandatory 72 to 84 hour work weeks. One nuclear scientist told POGO that he “would not work on his car engine if he were fatigued from a 72-hour work week, and sure as hell would not work on a nuclear weapon.”

In 2007, production goals at the plant will increase by 50 percent, which POGO calls a “recipe for disaster.” Clearly it’s time for the DOE to step in and show that the government is serious about nuclear security, both abroad and at home.

Don’t you feel ever so much safer knowing that the inept Republicans have THIS sort of oversight and control over our nuclear weapons arsenal?

By The Tool

December 18, 2006 04:50 PM | Link to this

Hey Foreskin, what’s that joke about surrender monkeys again?

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 04:53 PM | Link to this

I know you’re bitter because dio continually out debates you [Buy Danish]

Perhaps the first truly funny thing Polly Prepuce has ever posted here.

By Republicans Wanna Make Our Kids Glow in the Dark

December 18, 2006 04:58 PM | Link to this

WASHINGTON - President Bush signed legislation on Monday to let America share its nuclear know-how and fuel with India even though New Delhi refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.

Another great ‘monkey-shine’ from the Chimperor himself! Give your family extra hugges and kisses tonight and every night for the next couple of years, you never know when the Republicans are gonna get your children barbequed in a mushroom cloud!

By Lily Toad

December 18, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this

How dare you assume I’m a sir! Call me Madam Lily Toes!

By 911

December 18, 2006 05:00 PM | Link to this

your ansestors brought us here enslaved us for hundreds of years,now yall are stuck with us! Now your blonde hair daughters are having sex with high priced athletes,your sons are buying rap music and idolizing “thug athletes”.And to make matters worse the mexicans are taking over your land and language!

By Buy Danish

December 18, 2006 05:00 PM | Link to this

PoFo,

All you have is a worn out shtick.

As for Dio, she doesn’t debate. She talks to herself using Jim as her conduit. I’m guessing that John “the Baby Channel-er” Edwards is her ideal candidate.

By getalife

December 18, 2006 05:00 PM | Link to this

Like our government will hand out money to anyone but the rich. Get real.

Lets see what is going on with Iraq. They are still getting blown up while the decider decided to put off his decision until next year.

“Freelance diplomacy” is ignoring the decider but there is one guy that is not ignoring him. Senator Reid supports the “surge”. WTF is wrong with that idiot? The Generals do not want more troops.

See, I bash Dems too. He deserves it.

By Bush Sucks....NOT!

December 18, 2006 05:03 PM | Link to this

Hey RW,

Nobody can say “Bush Sucks” anymore. Hell, my money is betting that the imbecile couldn’t even do that right.

By Political Foreskin

December 18, 2006 05:11 PM | Link to this

What did I just say about swinging at everything, Shoplift Canolis? (There is definitely something wrong with that girl).

Lilly, very funny. Uh, lets see, uh the joke was, “If a monkey looked at the Time magazine mirror cover, would he think he was George Bush?”

Surrender monkey of the year….George Baker?.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 05:15 PM | Link to this

BS…N!,

Thanks for that scintillating bit of commentary, usually one must go to the slow room in a Kindergarten class to get gems like that.

By Buy Danish

December 18, 2006 05:19 PM | Link to this

RW,

It looks like PoFo has some competition in the World’s Worst Comedian category with “Bush Sucks…NOT!.

Hopefully BS..N!! is a drive-by comic.

By JK

December 18, 2006 05:21 PM | Link to this

Aw shucks, Mr. Realist, you’re too kind! Merry Christmas to you and yours too! Here’s a cookie for your bama stocking, a little AU coach trivia: Dye totally got a stiffie when your boys rode down the street in their Reb uniforms. TO-tally. The winning was appreciated by all, but he was not a nice man, especially to the darker-skinned players (or participants in other sports he deemed unimportant.) Bo was too classy to comment, of course, but there are plenty who will attest. His response to the parade protests left some huge rifts in the team and program. A sad time on the Plains that will hopefully remain in the past. Even BETTER: His successor’s departure was, are you ready? A scandal of a fornicatory nature. Yup. Never underestimate a cute lil’ teddy bear with a way with women. Family man, lots o’ kids… I know more, but that’s all I’m sayin’. Hey, I hope y’all get Saban! He’s way hotter than pretty-boy Shula! Why do straight men like football again? {;->

By Buy Danish

December 18, 2006 05:23 PM | Link to this

RW,

You won the typing contest this time!

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 05:27 PM | Link to this

Buy Danish,

The Wooten blog is crawling with trolls today.

By Political Foreskin

December 18, 2006 05:32 PM | Link to this

Buy Danish Interrupted, much?

If RW looked in the Time Magazine Mirror cover would the person of the year be a monkeyboy?

By Markus

December 18, 2006 05:35 PM | Link to this

Uh-oh. NOW Jim has done it. He’s brought up an issue that if anyone is against, especially if white, said person is a racist. Let’s set aside the fact that a coalition of African-Americans is speaking of a $4+ trillion (yeah, that’s with a T) debt owed by (white) Americans. Let’s set aside the fact that a coalition of African nations is speaking of a debt of nearly $800 trillion (yeah, eight hundred trillion dollars) on many different nations on top of the US.

This whole guilt trip reparations nonsense started in the 1960s, which was that great wonderful era of liberalism, enlightenment, and self-conscious apologist bedwetting for everything that happened on the entire planet since cave man woman-beating. But one must get beyond the immediate emotionalism of liberalism in righting everything that is/was wrong immediately with a stroke of a pen. The real world doesn’t react nor work in the way liberalism wishes. One of the many disasters of liberalism is that it attempts to fix something immediately without dealing with the bigger picture and consequences accordingly. Pull out of Iraq now! Flush more money down the toilet of public education now! Pay Katrina evacs $2,000 each with a debit card now! Do it now, and worry about the real fix down the road to Neverland.

So let’s take a look beyond the jackass blinders of feel good liberalism and get down and dirty on the matter. Since nobody can even come up with a consensus on an exact dollar amount to each black person (another indicator of feel-good liberalism: not pinpointing a number), let’s just look at the logistics of the matter, excluding how the government will pay for this.

· How many of these pontificating Jesse Jacksun wannabes have addressed how the descendants of the 3,000 black slave owners in pre-Civil War America will be paid reparations? Will they be excluded because they were slave holders or included because they are black? What if many of them are now wealthy businesspeople? Will they be excluded because they are rich or included because they are black?

· What about the descendants of those black Africans and Arabs who sold the slaves and made the slave trade routes? Are not they liable in some form or fashion, or will their black descendants be paid because they are black?

· Will the fact that the per capita American black person enjoys personal income and wealth 10-50 times (or more) greater than those blacks in African nations be brought up in coming up with a reparations figure? And yes, that includes welfare and food stamp recipients.

· The vast majority of Americans did not own slaves, even in the South (especially in the South because they couldn’t afford much land, let alone slaves). Period. That is a fact you don’t hear or read about much, especially in our public NEA-run schools. Why should those descendants of poor rural farmers who never owned slaves be subjected to reparations payments via taxes or however it is to happen? Because they are white and indirectly benefited in some way? If so, how? If whites benefited, blacks must have too. Period. Will that be taken into consideration?

· This ties in with #4, but what about all those massive flocks of Europeans who came over here at end of the 19th Century? Is the reasoning the same as listed above if they have to pay reparations? If so, will the reparations nazis take into consideration all the suffering those white people had under the Great Depression and make adjustments in the amount of reparations for the government to dole out?

· What about income level? Will all blacks be given reparations or will there be a maximum income qualification cut off? Does Oprah need a reparations check? How about Colin Powell? Or Puff-Daddy, P-Diddy, Sean Combs, Sean-John, or whatever-the-hell-his-name-is-this-week? Why should they get a check when they are worth more than most white people, and more than many white people combined? Hell Oprah is worth more than certain black African nations.

· What about the descendants of the West Indian blacks who were slaves who are on-par with white people in average class and wealth. Will they get paid? Will anyone on the reparations committee look into why West Indians are more successful than blacks who are non-West Indian descendants? Will this committee look at why illegal Mexican immigrants have no problems finding jobs that pay $10-$20hr in various fields such as landscaping, construction, and other manual labor venues whereas New Orleans evacuees, most of whom are perfectly able-bodied to steal big screen TVs walking through 3’ of debris-filled water, can’t seem to find a job?

· Will the trillions of “transfer” payments to African Americans since the Great Society and the passage of the Civil Rights Act be taken into consideration as a “down payment” of reparations? What about all those minority contract assessments and allocations, preferential educational assistances, preferential job placement services and laws, welfare and food stamp programs, and especially affirmative action policies that were set up to benefit blacks in America? Will those be factored into the reparations allotment equation?

· At what point will reparations payments come to a stop? Will they be paid to the newborns for the next month, year, or generation? Specifically, at what point will all the African Americans have been “paid” or will it be a continual payment to each newborn? What about all the half blacks and half whites? Do they only get half a reparations check? I could go on and on and on here, but who’s counting.

This reparations crockery is nothing more than an attack and an attempt to tear down the institution of business and economics that made this nation the wealthiest and most powerful single nation the world has ever known. Of course, with the disease of liberalism and socialism in leftwingnut policies, it’s unfair to others that we can have it so good here while others have suffered in the past, suffer today, and will suffer tomorrow, race aside.

Liberalism and the left always have to put the guilt trip on. If you are rich, you never “earned” it. You just “stepped on the backs of others” to make your money, as if an Alpharetta corporate CPA stepped on a homeless crack addict sleeping under I-285 at Bankhead Highw… errr excuse me, Metropolitan Parkway. Hence, Howard Scream’s nonsense about “Republicans have never worked an honest day in their lives” and all that liberal BS. Reparations is nothing but yet another liberal neoStalinist feel-good policy that they believe somehow will right a wrong, as if nothing since 1964 has been geared towards that by our wonderful bureaucratic behemothic government complex.

Concocting up yet another liberal “cause” in this nation like reparations will not move this nation forward, excluding the sheer complexity of the logistics of it alone. In fact, it will pull this nation backwards just as affirmative action now is meeting with more and more resistance. But alas, liberals, the left, and all those kooks who always have to have some sort of group social cause will never be happy. If reparations payments were approved next year, in 2008 these same group-thinkbats who give you a blank stare when you talk about goals as an individual would find some other cause (or make one up) to wet their beds about. They’ll never be happy. Liberalism wasn’t born out of happiness, nor will true happiness ever be a byproduct of it. If you look up Liberalism in the dictionary and there’s a picture of a sourpuss. Think about it: when was the last time anybody saw a truly smiling liberal democrat or Jesse Jacksun or Al Sharptongue? Will reparations finally make them smile? Puh-leeze.

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 05:35 PM | Link to this

Buy Danish,

I only won because you were busy next door.

By Buy Danish

December 18, 2006 05:39 PM | Link to this

RW,

PoFo must be in that Kindergarten class for slow learners with BS…N!

By Irish Reparations?

December 18, 2006 05:39 PM | Link to this

I’m all for reparations and I will gladly encourage the Federal govt. to fork over a check to the first person who can step up and demonstrate that they suffered under slavery. Whoops - I forgot that was over 150 years ago. And how to we figure the pay outs? If you are full black-you get x amount, but if you are black and Native American you only get 50%? What about those black Americans who are descendants of blacks from the Caribbean or South America-how do we figure that? This is a no-win situation.

And how do we calculate who is responsible? Those Americans who are descendants of white slave holders? How many were there? Historians estimate that less than 10 to 15% of the total population of the South owned slaves. What about descendants of recent immigrants? While slavery was going on in this country, my family was starving to death in ditches in Ireland. They immigrated to Boston in the late 1890s and were promptly greeted with the NINA (No Irish Need Apply) laws in Massachusetts. Do I qualify for reparations from the British government or perhaps the State of Massachusetts?

Slavery was reprehensible. It was a terrible chapter in our country’s history, but we must all move forward and stop playing the blame game. Learning from past mistakes and moving ahead so that all people have an equal opportunity to prosper is the way to go. Why is it that the US is still considered by many to be the land of opportunity ?

By RW-(the original)

December 18, 2006 05:50 PM | Link to this

Buy Danish,

He probably is and I think OotMV, who goes by OV over here, is their teacher.

By Political Foreskin

December 18, 2006 05:58 PM | Link to this

Look, you, 150 years ago just wasn’t that long. It’s like a couple of IceCapade performances. I think RW should find the nearest person of the year and pay them reparations for having to listen to anything he’s ever said, man.

Word, bird.

By Political Foreskin

December 18, 2006 06:02 PM | Link to this

If RW and Buy Danish looked in the Time Magazine Mirror Cover together would Dumb and Dumber be the person of the year?

By Buy Danish

December 18, 2006 06:04 PM | Link to this

RW,

Add the AJC’s slow server to that trio and you have a mess.

By ICEMAN

December 19, 2006 10:39 AM | Link to this

Markus,

Unlike the liberalized idiots on this blog, you deliver a breath of fresh air with your insightful deliberation of information. Keep up the good work.