Race and Ethnic RelationsReaction to Slavery ArticleReparations are intended to make up for the unjustified actions of the past. By doing so, it punishes the people of today to make up for the actions from the people in the past.
Should a person in today’s generation suffer for the actions of our ancestors’should one collect special benefits for the suffering of their ancestors? By offering special benefits, would it solve or make up for the injustice of slavery? African Americans did suffer in the past from the injustice of slavery. Take in mind that it was the past, and the injustice of slavery does not affect African Americans in today’s day and time. White Americans in today’s day and time did not own or have anything to do with slavery. If one was to be punished or receive special benefits it should be the people that slavery directly affected. In the history of the United States the American Indians were slaughtered, and are still collecting for the injustice actions of the past. America is still providing help, and handing out special benefits.
American Indians receive special benefits such as land being put aside called reservations, allowed to put up casinos, and are able to receive scholarship funds for college with fewer qualifications. The experience that the American Indians went through was a lot worse than the experience that the African Americans faced. In both cases I believe that the people of today should not have to feel guilty for the actions of their ancestors. If the Unites States developed reparations program for the injustice of slavery of African Americans it would create no good but only conflict. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Punishing the people of today for the actions of the past creates reverse racism. It’s simply stating that because one is African American that he or she deserves special benefits. It forms racism towards other races. It is saying that just because one is not African American that they do not deserve to receive special treatment, and that they are not as good as African Americans. African Americans today were never slaves, nor were white Americans today slave owners. African Americans have recovered from slavery, and do not need any extra help.
It is more satisfying to accomplish something on ones own. Instead of developing a reparation program witch would hurt the nation, as a country we should educate so that the same problem will never occur again. One should learn from the past, and not make the same mistake. A reparation program teaches discrimination rather than eliminating it.
Reparation will only separate people by race, rather than seeing all Americans as people. All people should be treated the same regardless of ones gender or race. By teaching America about it’s past will only bring a brighter future.
