Balancing the Scales

Misanthropic Boomer

Whenever the subject of reparations is broached there is a furor that arises unlike no other. There are many who believe, and I am one, that nothing can make up for the unjust treatment visited upon persons of color. However, pecuniary reparations would, at the very least tell those so unjustly treated that we are admitting the wrong done their antecedents. It would be a way to balance the scales, so to speak.

On the other hand, there are just as many who opine “what’s done is done.” They also argue that it is in the past, and finally it wasn’t done to the current generation by us. For those who argue these points I put forth the following.

When the War Between the States ended people of color were technically “free.” However, they had for the most part received no education or training that would help them get established and support their freedom. Many had to go to work for those from whom they had so recently been liberated. For many this often resulted in conditions worse than they had before the war.

They received no compensation for their prior enslavement. And, in the Southern States, although they were in the majority they found themselves dealing with laws enacted by the white minority designed to control and suppress their rights. No reparations…no help from the Federal government. On the other hand however, reparations were made available.

Former slave owners, almost entirely wealthy white men were compensated by a generous government for the apparently “unfortunate loss of their property.” So while the abused were destined to suffer still more abuse their abusers were gifted with compensation; reparations. Wealthy white men who lost what morally wasn’t theirs to begin with were made even more wealthy, giving them more power over their former chattel.

Now let’s consider the internment visited upon Japanese Americans during the Second World War. Once again white America thought slavery was justified. This is what it ultimately was, a form of slavery. People of color were once again forced to live under rules that denied their rights as free Americans. And once again with the government’s cooperation wealthy white people were given the opportunity to increase their wealth at the expense of those whose rights were denied them. 

This time it wasn’t through government payouts, but rather through the government allowing wealthy white people to acquire property belonging to those who were “illegally” imprisoned. Property was seized and auctioned off, or allowed to be acquired through the payment of delinquent taxes. Taxes that were delinquent due to the inability of those imprisoned to make enough money to pay the taxes. And so once again white Americans were able to improve their lot by a complicit government. In 1988 reparations of $20,000 each were paid those WWII internees still living…not nearly enough considering what they suffered and the wealth they lost.

Finally there are the Indigenous Americans. They were, between 1946 and 1978 paid 1.3 billion dollars for the theft of their land (that would be the entire contiguous United States) and the attempted genocide visited upon them. That amounts to roughly $1.40 an acre…not a bad deal for White America

It is long past the time that we rip the blindfold from the eyes of Lady Justice, that she may see what has been wrought in her name. Her scales will forever remain out of balance unless we admit to the nation’s wrongdoing and take action to give the same consideration to people of color that is given the descendants of white Europeans. Reparations would be a good start.