At least one court victory

[Moi]

This is one of the rare times lately that I can say a court decision was just:

"A federal judge in Chicago on Monday dismissed a historic class-action lawsuit by descendants of African-American slaves seeking reparations from 19 blue-chip companies, saying it fell short "on numerous well-settled legal principles."

Link:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...ib/judgedropssuitseekingreparations&e=1&ncid="

 

[DKSuddeth]

because you KNOW that every Native American Tribe was licking its chops to see that one go through

 

[jon_forward]

dont you know it, they would have been able to BUY the USA!!! and then kick all of us out...

 

[DKSuddeth]

Originally posted by jon_forward
dont you know it, they would have been able to BUY the USA!!! and then kick all of us out...

who's "US" kemosabe? me, part cherokee.

 

[jon_forward]

be gentle then...OK?

 

[Bullypulpit]

Originally posted by Moi
This is one of the rare times lately that I can say a court decision was just:

"A federal judge in Chicago on Monday dismissed a historic class-action lawsuit by descendants of African-American slaves seeking reparations from 19 blue-chip companies, saying it fell short "on numerous well-settled legal principles."

Link:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...ib/judgedropssuitseekingreparations&e=1&ncid="

Indeed, to decide in favor of such a case would simply be visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children. It would serve no purpose.

 

[wonderwench]

It would be far worse than holding the children accountable. It would be forcing a penalty on people who had absolutely nothing to do with slavery. Children who inherit ill-gotten fortunes are one thing - but the employees, investors and customers today come from all over the world.

The other thing that really, really, really chaps my hide on this issue is that slavery is a practise that existed long before the U.S. was formed, and is still practised in many parts of the world today. The U.S. paid an enormous price to end slavery. The focus now would be better spent on trying to eliminate slavery worldwide.

A must read on the topic:

There are more slaves today than were seized from Africa in four centuries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The modern commerce in humans rivals illegal drug trafficking in its global reach—and in the destruction of lives. (more)

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0309/feature1/

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by wonderwench
It would be far worse than holding the children accountable. It would be forcing a penalty on people who had absolutely nothing to do with slavery. Children who inherit ill-gotten fortunes are one thing - but the employees, investors and customers today come from all over the world.

The other thing that really, really, really chaps my hide on this issue is that slavery is a practise that existed long before the U.S. was formed, and is still practised in many parts of the world today. The U.S. paid an enormous price to end slavery. The focus now would be better spent on trying to eliminate slavery worldwide.

A must read on the topic:

There are more slaves today than were seized from Africa in four centuries of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The modern commerce in humans rivals illegal drug trafficking in its global reach—and in the destruction of lives. (more)

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0309/feature1/

I swear it's like I wrote this myself...have you hacked into my computer? (Just kidding)

But I do agree with your points. I'd only add that whilst these companies perhaps profited by slavery, IT WAS LEGAL AT THE TIME. Even today when certain laws are made or punishments changed, no one is forced to pay the penalty for such changes. To penalize a company or individual for acts which, at the time they were taken, were legal is wrong- morally and legally.

 

[wonderwench]

Exactly. It is Unconstitutional to punish anyone for a law enacted after they committed an act.

(Maybe I did hack into your computer! )

 

[tim_duncan2000]

I'm pretty much against reparations for slavery. No one is a live now that went through it and their descendants should not get money from people living today who had nothing to do with slavery (and, in some cases, their relative might not have either if they hadn't come to this country until slavery was abolished or if they were against slavery).

 

[Isaac Brock]

Amen. Can't say anything better than what you all have already said.

 

[William Joyce]

Reparations would be worth it to me if blacks would then shut up. But I doubt they would. And I doubt most whites would want to pay. But if any of you think blacks aren't resentful toward YOU as a white person because of slavery, you're kidding yourself. Whites are good at kidding themselves --- it's how they all proclaim to be non-racist but live in all-white neighborhoods at the same time.

Affirmative action, German payments to Israel, etc. --- these are all examples of future generations held responsible for acts of their ancestors, fairly or unfairly.

In any event --- sins of the ancestors ARE visited upon the descendants, whether officially recognized or not. Believe it.

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by William Joyce

Affirmative action, German payments to Israel, etc. --- these are all examples of future generations held responsible for acts of their ancestors, fairly or unfairly.

Agreed with affirmative action. However, with German payments...I thought those were a condition of surrender, which, is a bit different than an after the fact payment a century later. Now, as for the lawsuits against banks, mercedes and volkswagen- again, I don't think that they should be made to pay.

 

[acludem]

The two examples the pro-reparations crowd likes to site are the payments made the Japanese-Americans who were put in iternment camps during World War II, and those made to holocaust victims. The problem is, these reparations were paid to victims who were still living, not 140 years after the atrocity occured. To make those of us living today pay for slavery, woudl be like the descendents of orphaned children of union soldiers suing the states of the former confederacy for wrongful death.

Reparations are not only legally wrong, they are morally wrong. For people living today to attempt to profit from the blood, sweat and tears of their ancestors is an insult to those ancestors, to honor those ancestors is to appreciate the freedom and opportunity you enjoy now, instead of bitching and moaning about things that last occured 140 years ago.

acludem

 

[wonderwench]

Absolutely! Well said.

 

[jon_forward]

I tend to agree with reparations made to the holocaust and the internment of americans of japanese desent during WWII. as for the rest I am in total agreement with acludem

 

[Johnney]

Originally posted by acludem
The two examples the pro-reparations crowd likes to site are the payments made the Japanese-Americans who were put in iternment camps during World War II, and those made to holocaust victims. The problem is, these reparations were paid to victims who were still living, not 140 years after the atrocity occured. To make those of us living today pay for slavery, woudl be like the descendents of orphaned children of union soldiers suing the states of the former confederacy for wrongful death.

Reparations are not only legally wrong, they are morally wrong. For people living today to attempt to profit from the blood, sweat and tears of their ancestors is an insult to those ancestors, to honor those ancestors is to appreciate the freedom and opportunity you enjoy now, instead of bitching and moaning about things that last occured 140 years ago.

acludem

WHAT?!? you mean i cant get moneybecause my great great great great great great grandparents grandparents were slaves? cant you see how this has affect me in my current life?

in other words, i dont wanna work

WTF ever

 

[wonderwench]

Hey - do any of you all with ancestors from the British Isles want to join my class action lawsuit against the descendents of the Roman Empire?

I want blackm...errrrrr...reparations dammit!

 

[jon_forward]

Im adopted damn-it...so I dont know whats owed me..the hell with it, I'll just sue all the sonsabitches that got money...I do know that I am related to mary queen of scots...fuck it..I'll sue her ass too...never mind shes been died since whenever...:cof:

 

[Johnney]