caramida | All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

[n.b. This is a slight re-write of a response from comments in a prior journal entry.]

What are we supposed to do? How can we possibly fix America's race problem? Perhaps trying to meddle with a bad situation could lead to unintended consequences that would spell ruin for the nation. How can it be moral to take something from someone who earned it, and give it to someone who didn't? Wouldn't it be best to just be good to people individually? We can't be responsible for the horrible actions of bigots and detestable people? They're valid questions.

I'm not certain what should be done. I've not yet studied the problem enough to have a strong opinion, but here are some ideas. You can feel free to shoot them down, but I'd prefer to challenge you to suggest something that you think might work better.

Perhaps a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a la South Africa. I don't know if it would help to open up the subject of race in America to wide examination, but the standard White reaction of pretending the problem is only a problem when African-Americans and others bring it up fails as a solution. To paraphrase vito_excalibur, as long as persons of color keep quiet about race, there is no race problem...for whites.
I have no problem opening a discussion about reparations. I was raised in an almost exclusively white county, by northern Europeans of peasant stock who all came to the US after 1870. Nobody in my direct line lived in the South before Brown v Board and the Civil Rights era, but I recognize that I am privileged as a result of my birth as a white male in California. If we as a society claim to preserve life, liberty and property, then we as a society might justly ought to see compensation justly due when someone is improperly deprived of one or more of those. The country has failed to uphold the Constitution, a contract made by the people of the United States with the people of the United States. When the government unjustly mistreated--at Manzanar, for example--American citizens of Japanese descent, it (eventually) admitted its liability, and sought to pay reparations. Those reparations were paid with the taxes of all Americans (including those who came to the US after 1945). If we didn't exempt my high-school Civics teacher from paying his taxes toward reparations (who arrived from Hungary in 1951), why should it exempt me from paying reparations to African-Americans (or their issue) whose lives, liberty and property were unjustly deprived.

Failing that, who should pay? Well, I suppose we might also look at those 'people' still extant who directly profited from slavery, for example. If a corporation is a person, and a person must be responsible for actions he/she takes, or actions taken under the authority of that person, then we perhaps might undertake a strict accounting of Chase, or Bank of America, who bought, sold, lent money for, and insured slaves.

Hell, I don't know. But I do know that what has happened, and is happening today is criminal. When we shrug our shoulders and say, "Sucks to be them," and not do anything about it, we're accessories after the fact.

And I don't mean such to say that you aren't doing anything. I recognize that treating people individually with respect is far from nothing. Individual action is important. Still, this as with so many other things, is bigger than any person can do singly. Isn't that what we have government for? I can't singly protect my family from the depredations of North Korea¹, but I pay my taxes so that my government can use my resources and others together to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.

¹ Ok, not the best example.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm not a fan of reparations. For starters I don't know where the money should go. However, whether or not one's ancestors were here during or after the time of slavery is inconsequential. We still enjoy a comfortable life that was made possible by the "peculiar institution". The fact remains that the United States was built on slavery, cheap foreign labor and the exploitation of women and children. I think one example of how we all benefit from this is the railroads and what they accomplished. The railroads into California were built by both foreign born Irish and Chinese. The working conditions for these men were atroctious, and in the case of the Chinese, they were even denied citizenship because of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

However the railroad was vital for business, agriculture and the growth of the American west. Let us not forget the slaughter and genocide of the people who were living here already.

Again all stuff you know, but even white Europeans who arrived on the boat yesterday in some way benefit from the past exploitation of people of color, poor whites and women in building up this nation.

I think that the conversation of race, class and gender in this country desperately needs to move forward, but I think it is now in white people's court to educate themselves and work to correct institutionalized racism and sexism. One way that oppression is codified into our minds and pedagogy is the constant demand that oppressed people explain their experience to people with power. I think that before a conversation about reparations can begin white folk are gonna have to get library cards, stop being so damned defensive and educate themselves. I think the first step is to realize that when someone talks about racism they are talking about power relationships and not necessarily an individuals opinions or actions. On a personal note, being in a relationship with an Asian man has shown me time and time again that there are privledges to being white that he does not enjoy. This doesn't make me a bad person, but it makes me a bad person if I take that privledge for granted and don't do what I can in terms of speaking out, learning when to shut-up and doing what little bit I can for equity.

I don't know whether reparations are the best use of our resources or not. Presumably were we to pay out, it would be to people who were direct descendants of slaves. Seeing as how we keep pretty good records, we might be able to account for many folk. Failing that, instead of actual cash, perhaps we could find some other way to help balance the tables. We've spent long enough with the tables balanced against minorities, perhaps we might spend a little while with the tables balanced the other way. Rather than proposing a specific solution, I think perhaps we should actually have the National Discussion on Race that Clinton attempted while the Republican Congress stuffed their fingers in their ears and said, "Nonny, nonny, nonny. I can't hear you."

Of course, in order to do that, we'd have to have someone in office interested in something other than short-sighted, narrow-minded, personal self-interest. While the Republicans carry that as a banner, the Democratic party has not traditionally strayed far from the Me Generation hit parade.

I like the idea of the National Discussion on Race. I imagine it will infuriate everyone. That might be a good thing. Seriously. Although it isn't a solution (I'm not sure there is one "quick fix") I think it might help to keep things on track in regards to civil rights gains. I think the reparations argument will be dead the minute it gets out the door. Whether or not it is a good idea, the vast majority of Americans will see it as a "handout." I think that in the world of realpolitik it won't play.

Balancing the tables the other way has never worked. Marx tried it and it was a disaster.

At this point I would be happy seeing some of the affirmative action programs for the Universities restored.

Marx never tried anything. He was just a scholar. Lenin was the disaster. Affirmative action is just that a rebalancing of the tables.

Marx was a philosopher without whom there never would have been a Lenin/Castro/Mao. Granted, his role in the political arena was limited, but I think the Manifesto constitutes a definite political agenda that was implemented. To go with the conservative chestnut, ideas have consequences, Marx's ideas certainly did.

I never thought of Affirmative Action as rebalancing. I have have always thought of it as promoting opportunity to succeed. Rather than claiming the universities "for the people" it allowed different types of people into the universities, what they did after that was up to them.

Well, my idea of balance does not include anything like Marx's hairbrained schemes. I mean a little tipping, like offering advantages to people who have been purposefully dis-advantaged.

I always wonder what Marx would have done if a committee had taken away his favorite pen, intending to give it to someone who was a better writer (to each according to his needs).

I think that reparations in the form of a free college education or small business loan for any person of African descent who wants one would be a valid place to start reparations.

Everyone in the US has profited from slavery and the continued oppression of people of color in the US.

For me, reparations are about being honorable and keeping the promises that this nation has made in its founding documents.

We are a nation without honor, we have abandoned so much of why we fought the revolution in the first place our founding fathers would find us unrecognizable.

When this nation was founded we had one thing to get right - eliminating slavery from our land. We failed because we chose profit over people and as a result we are all subject to those consequences- it is not enough to be an American when we get things right, one must be an American in the face of the wrongs committed as well.

See, now we're talking! Something I can actually tear apart. However, my response is going to wait a bit, as work is really busy right now (and I'm not going to waste valuable leisure time on it ;-) ).

I will point out in passing, however, that I believe the Supreme Court long ago ruled that the Preamble to the Constitution is not legally binding ;-)

Well, thanks- shockingly, I did know that bit about the preamble to the Constitution- not what I was referring to- but whatever.

I should point out, in passing, that I recently graduated from law school and they still teach constitutional law there.

I will leave my comment posted but am not interested in participating in being "torn apart" for my point of view.

Discussion, maybe. But not ad hominem attacks.

Later.

Sorry, I thought I was replying to

caramida, not to any of the responders to his post. He quoted the Preamble, that's why I was referring to it.

I never try to tear apart people, only ideas. That said, no idea is safe :-)

Cheers!

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

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