The Problems of Slave Reparations

             In a proposed bill to form a commission to examine the institution of slavery, its subsequent racial and economic discriminations, and the impact of these forces on living African-Americans, Representative John Conyers wrote, "Approximately 4,000,000 Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the United States and colonies that became the United States from 1619 to 1865; the institute of slavery was constitutionally and statutorily sanctioned by the Government of the United States from 1789 through 1865; the slavery that flourished in the United States constituted an immoral and inhumane deprivation of Africans' life, liberty, African citizenship rights, and cultural heritage, and denied them the fruits of their own labor..." (Conyers H.R. 40).
             These men, women, and children were kidnapped from their homeland and shipped to the United States where they were bought and sold into slavery. They were forced to do hard labor for no pay or compensation. As awful and tragic as this part of American history was, should the living descendants of these slaves be compensated for what happened more than 250 years ago? The slave reparation issue has been debated for many years and once again it is being brought to the forefront of today's political debates. There are many arguments for and against the issue but I believe that today's living descendants of American slaves should not receive reparations: There were too many groups involved to make only one group pay; those directly involved are no longer living; and we've thrown enough money at the problem.
             Reparation advocates feel that the U.S. Government and a handful of U.S. businesses should pay theses reparations but to obtain reparations from those who profited from slavery isn't that simple. To include all those responsible we would have to sue the descendants of all those Africans who hunted other Africans, usually from rival tribes, and too
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The Problems of Slave Reparations. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 08:48, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/92121.html