Anonymous
08/21/2015 16:40
Subject: We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
How about the descendants of people who did not own land? Indentured servants? Many were disenfranchised.
You cannot make up for past injustices. You just can't. The past is gone. It was wrong and those people suffered and they are dead and gone now. You can only do what is right and move forward.
At this point there are also many African-Americans who came here or whose families came here in recent decades, long after slavery and in many cases even after Jim Crow. They may be black, but what "reparations" are they entitled to? The same as any other African-American? Why? There are also African-Americans descended from slave holders. Not all slave owners were white, and not all whites were slave owners. And what about whites who came here long after slavery and Jim Crow ended? Why should they be punished for something that they did not take part in, and which they didn't benefit from?
"Reparations" simply cannot be implemented in any fair or reasonable way at this point. There are simply too many complexities that nobody wants to address in any meaningful way. The only proposals out there have been far too simplistic and completely fail to take fairness into account.
Fairness?
Lol - that's funny.
Reparations are a moot issue if you don't believe in fairness.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 16:27
Subject: We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Fairness? What is "fair" about holding people responsible for things they never did simply because of the color of their skin?Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
How about the descendants of people who did not own land? Indentured servants? Many were disenfranchised.
You cannot make up for past injustices. You just can't. The past is gone. It was wrong and those people suffered and they are dead and gone now. You can only do what is right and move forward.
At this point there are also many African-Americans who came here or whose families came here in recent decades, long after slavery and in many cases even after Jim Crow. They may be black, but what "reparations" are they entitled to? The same as any other African-American? Why? There are also African-Americans descended from slave holders. Not all slave owners were white, and not all whites were slave owners. And what about whites who came here long after slavery and Jim Crow ended? Why should they be punished for something that they did not take part in, and which they didn't benefit from?
"Reparations" simply cannot be implemented in any fair or reasonable way at this point. There are simply too many complexities that nobody wants to address in any meaningful way. The only proposals out there have been far too simplistic and completely fail to take fairness into account.
Fairness?
Lol - that's funny.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 16:11
Subject: We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
How about the descendants of people who did not own land? Indentured servants? Many were disenfranchised.
You cannot make up for past injustices. You just can't. The past is gone. It was wrong and those people suffered and they are dead and gone now. You can only do what is right and move forward.
At this point there are also many African-Americans who came here or whose families came here in recent decades, long after slavery and in many cases even after Jim Crow. They may be black, but what "reparations" are they entitled to? The same as any other African-American? Why? There are also African-Americans descended from slave holders. Not all slave owners were white, and not all whites were slave owners. And what about whites who came here long after slavery and Jim Crow ended? Why should they be punished for something that they did not take part in, and which they didn't benefit from?
"Reparations" simply cannot be implemented in any fair or reasonable way at this point. There are simply too many complexities that nobody wants to address in any meaningful way. The only proposals out there have been far too simplistic and completely fail to take fairness into account.
Fairness?
Lol - that's funny.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 16:09
Subject: We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:
How about the descendants of people who did not own land? Indentured servants? Many were disenfranchised.
You cannot make up for past injustices. You just can't. The past is gone. It was wrong and those people suffered and they are dead and gone now. You can only do what is right and move forward.
At this point there are also many African-Americans who came here or whose families came here in recent decades, long after slavery and in many cases even after Jim Crow. They may be black, but what "reparations" are they entitled to? The same as any other African-American? Why? There are also African-Americans descended from slave holders. Not all slave owners were white, and not all whites were slave owners. And what about whites who came here long after slavery and Jim Crow ended? Why should they be punished for something that they did not take part in, and which they didn't benefit from?
"Reparations" simply cannot be implemented in any fair or reasonable way at this point. There are simply too many complexities that nobody wants to address in any meaningful way. The only proposals out there have been far too simplistic and completely fail to take fairness into account.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 16:03
Subject: Re:We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Of course it's crazy. It offends the most basic principle of democracy: one person, one vote.
So does the Senate, which gives people from small states far more representation than those from large states. Abolish it.
No, that's designed as a balance of power which is a focal point of the founding fathers. That's also why those in the House are called Representatives.
There's no good reason to give people from Wyoming nearly 70 times more representation than people from California. That's an imbalance that was not contemplated when the Senate was established.
Representation? How many members of Congress does California have (55) and how many does Wyoming have (3)? That is representation of the people, the Senate represents the state as a whole.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 15:59
Subject: Re:We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Of course it's crazy. It offends the most basic principle of democracy: one person, one vote.
So does the Senate, which gives people from small states far more representation than those from large states. Abolish it.
No, that's designed as a balance of power which is a focal point of the founding fathers. That's also why those in the House are called Representatives.
There's no good reason to give people from Wyoming nearly 70 times more representation than people from California. That's an imbalance that was not contemplated when the Senate was established.
It was absolutely contemplated! I suggest you read about how our government was formed. Representation and balance of power were keys. And given how laws are passed there is no imbalance.
Odysseus
08/21/2015 15:48
Subject: Re:We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Agree - it should be one person, one vote across the board. Just abolish the Senate; the UK does fine with an effectively unicameral legislature.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 15:29
Subject: Re:We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Of course it's crazy. It offends the most basic principle of democracy: one person, one vote.
So does the Senate, which gives people from small states far more representation than those from large states. Abolish it.
No, that's designed as a balance of power which is a focal point of the founding fathers. That's also why those in the House are called Representatives.
There's no good reason to give people from Wyoming nearly 70 times more representation than people from California. That's an imbalance that was not contemplated when the Senate was established.
So break up California into many smaller states. There, problem solved.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 15:23
Subject: Re:We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Of course it's crazy. It offends the most basic principle of democracy: one person, one vote.
So does the Senate, which gives people from small states far more representation than those from large states. Abolish it.
No, that's designed as a balance of power which is a focal point of the founding fathers. That's also why those in the House are called Representatives.
There's no good reason to give people from Wyoming nearly 70 times more representation than people from California. That's an imbalance that was not contemplated when the Senate was established.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 15:06
Subject: Re:We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Of course it's crazy. It offends the most basic principle of democracy: one person, one vote.
So does the Senate, which gives people from small states far more representation than those from large states. Abolish it.
To compensate for that historic injustice, starting tomorrow, the citizens of California, Texas, Florida and New York will elect 50 senators each.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 14:58
Subject: Re:We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Of course it's crazy. It offends the most basic principle of democracy: one person, one vote.
So does the Senate, which gives people from small states far more representation than those from large states. Abolish it.
No, that's designed as a balance of power which is a focal point of the founding fathers. That's also why those in the House are called Representatives.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 14:56
Subject: We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Ok...just a minute here. Slaves were counted as 3/5ths for purposes of representation in the House. They didn't vote then. Women didn't vote then either. So this reparation idea, which is essentially to change the outcomes of elections, is asinine. What's next? Oh, you're here illegally but you paid some taxes so we will give you half a vote?
Well Mr. Johnson, while I appreciate your service to our nation did you live through the fifties and sixties? After repairing the injustices and inequities of the past, Jim Crow anyone, we are now going to create a new form of injustice? Again, asinine. One person, one vote.
Damn, Black women weren't allowed to vote until the passage of the 1964 voting rights. Shafted again.
Yep. FREE AT LAST, I'M FREE AT LAST, THANK YOU GOD. What? I can't vote? I can't open a bank account? I can't save money and buy a house? What the hell can I do? What? Cook, clean, take care of the kids and...ah hell we need to talk about this!
No doubt in my mind women had the tougher life and as a reward they where held in marital, legal and financial subjugation.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 14:46
Subject: Re:We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Of course it's crazy. It offends the most basic principle of democracy: one person, one vote.
So does the Senate, which gives people from small states far more representation than those from large states. Abolish it.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 14:32
Subject: We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
This is so stupid.
Anonymous
08/21/2015 14:30
Subject: We used to count black Americans as 3/5 of a person. For Reparations give them 5/3 of the vote.
Anonymous wrote:Ok...just a minute here. Slaves were counted as 3/5ths for purposes of representation in the House. They didn't vote then. Women didn't vote then either. So this reparation idea, which is essentially to change the outcomes of elections, is asinine. What's next? Oh, you're here illegally but you paid some taxes so we will give you half a vote?
Well Mr. Johnson, while I appreciate your service to our nation did you live through the fifties and sixties? After repairing the injustices and inequities of the past, Jim Crow anyone, we are now going to create a new form of injustice? Again, asinine. One person, one vote.
Damn, Black women weren't allowed to vote until the passage of the 1964 voting rights. Shafted again.