Reparations?

If the sins of a society are present, how do we handle that? Especially if the sins are hundreds of years old. That raises who receives the reparations, and who makes it happen? Does this action involve actual cash payments to individuals? If true, how are these financed? And to what end? For how long do we make such reparations?


These are weighty questions. Answers are not readily available, are they? An immediate reaction from many will be – “No! Absolutely not!” “What will ‘they’ do with extra income?” “Isn’t this just another entitlement program?” You get the idea.


In fact, someone on Facebook mentioned this, and the answers pretty much flooded the site as I predicted.


I am a supporter of reparations. I admit, however, I do not have a plan or design on how this would work. I suppose many options exist. I think it helps to accept the fact at the outset, that reparations are needed to counteract the negative effects of discrimination that exists now on others unlike ourselves (wittingly or not!), and the accumulated effects of actions performed by our forefathers.


The sin is a reality. We must admit it. We must admit that our society has damaged the lives of people. They didn’t invite it. And many innocents were unaware of such actions happening. In their name or not, however, damage was done to immigrants, Native Americans, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and so many other classes as well (disabled, disfigured, etc.). Admit the sin; its reality.


Now what’s left is doing something about it.


Fashioning opportunity that will help those in need is one way. Counseling, education, healthcare and a host of social programs that will help personal development take place. That’s what I think is needed most. Such programs will create self-esteem, uncovering native talents, and nurturing lives of hope and creation. Those are the things repressed, damaged or destroyed among the victims. How do we undo this?


My ideas at this point do not embrace cash reparations. What other forms can reparations take that will produce desired outcomes? Maybe we start with defining those outcomes? How do we make them happen?


This is a starting point of the discussion. Care to join in?


June 24, 2020