American citizens, I stand before you having been ashamed at the fact we believe money from the U.S. government can be the remedy of the injustices and evils of American slavery. When it was brought to my attention that a new "dream team" of lawyers led by Professor Charles Ogletree of Harvard Law School, Johnnie Cochran, and some of the nation's most respected and feared class action attorneys were preparing to sue the U.S. Government and surviving business that profited from slavery I could do nothing other than sigh and shake my head. This would be saying it is OK if the kidnapped, beaten, raped, and abused slaves had simply been paid a decent salary. Even so, this salary would be given so many generations later meaning there is no definite receiver. Such a claim is for return of property wrongly gained rather than compensating a wrongful act done.
             The Confederacy may have seen slavery as part of its public character, but underneath all the talk, a lot of private individuals as well as local governments were committing millions of crimes: batteries, false imprisonment, unlawful misuse or stealing of slaves, rape cases, and even murders. If we see making descendants of white people or the government pay African-American citizens because of the wrongs committed during slavery is morally right, is it then morally right to lock up the descendants of the individuals who committed these crimes?
             "So what we are talking about is people who weren't slave holders, whose ancestors may not have even been here during the years of slavery, paying for what others did 200 years ago... But... if we are to be fair. . Shouldn't we first pay back those who owned all of this in the first place, the Native Americans?"
             >From reports it was said that $7,000 was the appropriate amount owed in reparation claims by each non-black U.S. resident. Non-black U.S. residents does include Asians, East Indians, Hispanics, Eu...