HIS PERSPECTIVE: A Slavery Apology, But No Reparations?!? WTH?

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The Senate very quietly passed a resolution yesterday that apologized for slavery. Break out the Cyber CapriSuns™ and cue the Reparations Theme Song, Nas!I always imagined this day would look like your video. It’s a celebration!!!

Whoa. What’s that you say? No reparations checks? WTF?

Why the Federal Gubb’ment keeps extending this grand symbolic gesture seemingly every 2-3 years is beyond me. But as usual, the devil is in the details.

The Senate unanimously passed a resolution yesterday apologizing for slavery, making way for a joint congressional resolution and the latest attempt by the federal government to take responsibility for 2 1/2 centuries of slavery.

“You wonder why we didn’t do it 100 years ago,” Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), lead sponsor of the resolution, said after the unanimous-consent vote. “It is important to have a collective response to a collective injustice.”

The Senate’s apology follows a similar apology passed last year by the House. One key difference is that the Senate version explicitly deals with the long-simmering issue of whether slavery descendants are entitled to reparations, saying that the resolution cannot be used in support of claims for restitution. The House is expected to revisit the issue next week to conform its resolution to the Senate version.

Charles Ogletree, the Harvard law professor who has championed restitution, was consulted on the Senate’s resolution and supports it, but he said it is not a substitute for reparations. “That battle will be prolonged,” he said.

Randall Robinson, author of “The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks,” said he sees the Senate’s apology as a “confession” that should lead to a next step of reparations. “Much is owed, and it is very quantifiable,” he said. “It is owed as one would owe for any labor that one has not paid for, and until steps are taken in that direction we haven’t accomplished anything.”

This recent willingness to deal with the nation’s difficult racial history has come about in part because of President Obama’s election, said Rep. Stephen I. Cohen (D-Tenn.), who began pushing for an apology more than a decade ago when he was a state senator and pronounced himself “pleased” with the Senate vote.

Sooooo, an apology, but no reparations? WTF? Damn that Obama. Yet again, stickin’ it to the brothaman.

BTW, don’t be totally fooled by Cohen’s vocal support. The guy’s about to be in for the fight of his life vs ex-Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton. Cohen’s scraping so low in the barrel that a few weeks ago he likened the NBA’s 1 year college apprenticeship requirement to slavery. I’m just sayin’.

Anyways, since this is prolly the final nail in the proverbial reparations coffin, I figure we should have some fun with this rather than commiserate about what’s been permanently lost. Whether or not you agree with financial payments as an apology for slavery (which I personally don’t), I figure I’ll ask you what you’d prefer to receive in lieu of reparations from the gubb’ment. Lets theoretically say Obama, instead of cutting checks, gave everyone $500 to blow immediately. No cash, just buy some stuff to stimulate the economy and whatnot. What would you do with your $500 reparations gift card? Yeah, non-black readers, this means you too. Everybody gets an Official $500 Gubb’ment Reparations Card. We’re postracial, baby!

As you can see, I’d like a pair of Gil Zeros, some Kentucky Grilled Chicken, a few months of lawn care service, and perhaps a nicer Siris XM reciever. But hey, that’s just me.

Question: If the gubb’ment’s payout in lieu of reparations was up to $500 in goods and/or services (no cash!), what would you ask for with your reparations and why?

Senate Backs Apology for Slavery [WashPost]

Tagged as: Owe, Reparations, Senate, Slavery

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