Clotilda - Are Reparations to Descendants of Slaves Healthy for America – Or a Perpetuation of an Entitlement “Victim” Culture?
The Associated Press ran a piece this week on “Clotilda,” the last slave ship to enter America in the 1860s (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/americas-last-slave-ship-could-offer-a-case-for-reparations/ar-AAIjJPC?ocid=spartanntp.).
I am writing this article because people should have a position on this growing issue in America, an issue that has emerged prominent in recent democratic presidential political debates - should reparations be provided to the descendants of slaves either individually, or as a community? Another tough socially charged issue to get our heads around, right? On the one hand, there are those who make the argument, among others, that slave descendants have never had a fair break or chance at a good life. They have been kept down and oppressed socially and financially for generations since the Civil War that ended slavery and are still disadvantaged today. Can something be done?
On the other hand, there are those who ask whether it is a good idea to have the government use taxpayer money to finance slave labor reparations. And, as the referenced “Clotilda” article asserts, consideration of taking money from the descendants of slave owners could be an option.
The current crop of Democratic presidential candidates has weighed in on the topic. Cory Booker, for example, if elected president, supports government wealth redistribution, taxpayer payments, etcetera, to compensate slave descendants (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/09/cory-booker-introduce-slavery-reparations-bill-senate/3409097002/). Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke supports reparations to descendants too, lamenting the slaves owned by members of his family tree (https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/14/beto-orourke-ancestor-owned-slaves-slavery-1415849). So folks, this issue has legs and is worthy of being weighed in on, and being on the record on.
Since I feel compelled to take a position on this thorny topic, I must take the side of no government mandated taxpayer dollars, or any law redistributing the assets of the descendants of slave holders, should be supported (nor any support for such candidates for elected office for that matter). Doing otherwise is unhealthy for America and unhealthy for the individuals it is meant to compensate. I have self-reflected deeply on this, and I feel I do not consider myself a conscious, or even unconscious, white supremacist or in any way racially prejudice. And, I feel I am very open minded and responsive to counter-views and alternative ideas that truly help us all – regardless of which party they come from.
Therefore, my position is in no way a racial bias – end of story on that. I recognize that America is, and has always been, a land of opportunity – not a land of guarantees. And, I recognize that America has come a long way since the Civil War and the end of slavery in America with thousands of racially diverse folks having achieved far greater success than me in every corner of society – academia, wealth, business, political station – even a black President of the United States. And, I accept that many people of “every” race have not been blessed with all the advantages of others. I embrace and accept the belief that a person reaps what they sow with no guarantees that their honest hard work will ever pay off. And, I accept that doors of opportunity open to people of all genders and races at the hands of folks who recognize them for their behaviors and contributions over and above any racial consideration. I believe these things because I have seen it in America, contrary to those who would have you believe otherwise.
I also think it is very important to “Do-the-right-thing.” Wrongs against people should be addressed. Restitution, where appropriate, should be paid as a matter of good form and conscious when good sense dictates. But all cases must be assessed in the context of their unique merits and circumstances. Just as it would be ridiculous for me to personally offer an apology to a descendant of a slave - since my family tree was not even in America during slavery, I never owned a slave, and I know no one who has, not to mention it would be taken as condescending by some folks – it is not healthy for America to redistribute money to such descendants, and ridiculous that descendants whose ancestors were not even in America when slavery occurred should pay restitution. Programs that help people, yes. Programs that label people as a special class of victims to be compensated, no. There’s a difference.
However, just as I have supported official recognition of the Armenian Genocide that occurred at the hands of the authorities in the crumbling Ottoman Empire, I think formal recognition of the circumstances, including genuinely empathetic governmental level official apologies to mankind, is appropriate - without compensatory strings attached.
Payments, or redistribution of wealth, are a slippery slope on so many levels which have already been articulated why ad nauseam in the media. I don’t support official government payments or wealth redistribution for the descendants of slaves, and I have not read anything that has given me pause to reconsider – because if I did, I would.
That said, our elected representatives are there to solve problems and address issues. Opportunity for Americans who find themselves in disadvantaged situations “are worthy” of initiatives that give them opportunity and a leg-up - not guarantees, but opportunity. For example, those in Congress have decided the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill was a program worthy of taxpayer funding for the sacrifices our servicemembers made in serving our country. I benefited from that, and I support that kind of assistance. Avenues that help people is what I call “Doing-The-Right-Thing” and I support such intelligently thought-out initiatives. Earning your way is the right way to help… not delivering presents for votes as Presidential Candidate’s Cory Booker or Beto O’Rourke would have it. Sorry guys, you have demonstrated your lack of suitability for the presidency in hanging your hats on such poorly constructed, racially divisive, positions.
Victim-hood is a dangerous train to board. Once you are on it, it can be difficult to get off it. Whether it be government handouts, payments, welfare, etc., being labeled as a victim - even if we have to reach back hundreds of years to determine the cause and culprit - is not healthy or the answer. Efforts that cause people to be identified as victims and who must be taken care of by, in this case, elected officials, perpetuates the condition of victim-hood – shame on you Mr. Booker, Mr. O’Rourke. Programs that take away the victim-hood condition, and conversely promote the dignity of human achievement by enabling individual success, regardless of race, is the answer. Offering opportunity to folks in undesirable conditions regardless of their association to circumstances such as slavery that ended long ago is the way forward. Offering presents to special classes of people is not the answer.
I take money, and tax revenues, very seriously. I first test any thought of any expenditure as if were coming out of my own pocket – which in fact, it is (and yours)! I recognize that most American’s do not have tons of extra cash to throw around, especially for people who are identified as being entitled to my, or your, money, because of the business some long dead and forgotten slave trader was in hundreds of years ago. In this case, folks, the thought pegs my ridiculous meter out. Of course, I am all for the plight of any folks in circumstances that need a hand – we should do what we can as Americans and help our neighbors where we can – right! Folks, we are all American’s, and we all should get a fair deal and shake. But, let’s not perpetuate and fund handouts to special cases of victims because a DNA strand is tracible to someone that encountered unfavorable circumstances centuries ago. Because, if we were to do so, we can also board the ridiculous train and start getting seriously extreme - like, let’s start paying back accrued rent to the American Indians who are owed for the lands occupied by those without American Indian DNA - those damn free-loading pilgrims. And, let’s give the Southwest United States back to the Mexicans while we are at it. Where does this end?
In my case, I take personal ownership for the single moms and students who work hard in my business. I see it as on me to do the best I can to create circumstances to give them the best chance to make an income. I do not give them hand-outs; I do not see them as victims. I see them all as people that work hard and deserve what they earn. And I do my best to make sure my business can sustain and grow itself profitably and pay them as much as possible to ensure they can stay employed, achieving greater levels of income, as long as they desire – this is the approach American leadership should take – not the creation of a victim culture.
Access to education, life-skills training in already funded public schools, and mentorship by those who have met with favorable outcomes, and who have jobs to fill, is the answer to helping people improve their circumstances in life (such as what Howard Schulz and Starbucks have outlined in his book, “From the Ground Up”). Handouts that amount to a redistribution of wealth and the creation of a victim-hood culture, and more bureaucratic overhead, are not helpful. Those who support such initiatives should be ashamed of themselves for enabling a victim mentality whereby big government takes responsibility for solving all of our unfortunate circumstances. Providing vehicles to give people opportunity, to work toward better outcomes, is the focus our leadership should keep in mind – not perpetuating a welfare state of mind or class - which is what slavery reparations does. Slave reparations makes the brain hurt, perpetuates the victim-hood class, pegs the “ridiculous meter,” is unhealthy for America, and is not the answer.
Enabling opportunities for American’s is the answer.