I have letters written by my Irish ancestors telling of the signs in the windows "No Irish need apply." We lived in a really prejudiced area when an Italian relative needed a haircut just before he got married. My father had to accompany him to the barber shop to be sure they would seat him; otherwise they would mistake him for what they called a 'wetback' and order him out. Before desegregation in the 1950's and 60's, just about every small southern town had a '******' town and they called them that.
Well those Irish went on to become teachers, lawyers, bankers, and college presidents. That Italian relative became a championship winning football coach and eventually superintendent of schools. Those 'wetbacks' now own businesses and are the backbone of their communities--and more than just few of their children are members of my family. There are no more 'n' towns and some of the residents of those places and their kids became our colleagues, coworkers, and bridge partners.
The point is, almost everybody has to overcome something, and there is no realistic way that any society can 'pay back' every single slight, injustice, or affront to every person that has been treated or make amends for every challenge we have had to face.
Paulitics hit the nail on the head when he said that black people should be grateful they were not born in Africa. Yes slavery was horrible and indefensible. Segregation was cruel and senseless. But every single one of my black heroes--Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, JC Watts, William Raspberry, Clarence Thomas, Shelby Steele and I could go on and on--agree that they are infinitely better off because somebody dragged their ancesters over here in chains on a slave ship. Even though they were all born into a segregated society, they have watched those inequities be corrected, and they all know they are privileged to live in a free society that values human life and offers unlimited opportunities. All have accomplished great things and have lived amazing lives.
They know they would have had less hurdles to jump over if they had been born white. But they don't waste time whining about those hurdles because they were all able to jump them. They know that had they been born in Africa, their options would have almost certainly been severely limited if they had managed to live at all.
And no, they are not due any reparations from anybody.
Well those Irish went on to become teachers, lawyers, bankers, and college presidents. That Italian relative became a championship winning football coach and eventually superintendent of schools. Those 'wetbacks' now own businesses and are the backbone of their communities--and more than just few of their children are members of my family. There are no more 'n' towns and some of the residents of those places and their kids became our colleagues, coworkers, and bridge partners.
The point is, almost everybody has to overcome something, and there is no realistic way that any society can 'pay back' every single slight, injustice, or affront to every person that has been treated or make amends for every challenge we have had to face.
Paulitics hit the nail on the head when he said that black people should be grateful they were not born in Africa. Yes slavery was horrible and indefensible. Segregation was cruel and senseless. But every single one of my black heroes--Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, JC Watts, William Raspberry, Clarence Thomas, Shelby Steele and I could go on and on--agree that they are infinitely better off because somebody dragged their ancesters over here in chains on a slave ship. Even though they were all born into a segregated society, they have watched those inequities be corrected, and they all know they are privileged to live in a free society that values human life and offers unlimited opportunities. All have accomplished great things and have lived amazing lives.
They know they would have had less hurdles to jump over if they had been born white. But they don't waste time whining about those hurdles because they were all able to jump them. They know that had they been born in Africa, their options would have almost certainly been severely limited if they had managed to live at all.
And no, they are not due any reparations from anybody.
