REPARATIONS

In the early 1800’s my paternal ancestors immigrated to this county from England. Those on my maternal side actually arrived probably in 1794 from Germany. Since there are no accurate records, I have been unable to determine exactly what prompted them to undertake the long journey to these shores.

 Were they perhaps sailors jumping ship at the first opportunity, or maybe army members seeking military adventure? Most likely they were shipped against their will to the new world after being released from debtors prison, or perhaps signed on as indentured servants in order to obtain passage to the new world.

 The how and why are unimportant. What really matters is they came. And I thank God everyday for their successful journey. I seriously doubt many of us today would have the knowledge, desire or ability to survive the daily hardships encountered during that time of history.

Millions of immigrants arrived in America with little more than the clothes on their backs. How could they possibly be held responsible for slavery? There were actually very few whites and even fewer blacks that owned slaves. Most blacks brought to these shores by English and Dutch slavers ended up on English owned plantations. Are all “African-Americans” descended from slaves? If so, there must have been a lot of free time on the old plantations!

The overwhelming majority of arrivals come from Europe. They were poor, didn’t speak English, and for the most part uneducated. Tolerated at best, hated sometimes and almost always taken advantage of they became some of America’s best citizens. They were called Kikes, Dagos, Wops, Chinks, Spics, Heinies shanty Irish and worse. They are the ones really responsible for building this country, and we all know it!

These immigrants, in a few short years, were able to drop their hyphenated American descriptions in favor of simply being Americans. It seems those most easily identified without that type of designation are the ones insisting on keeping it. Is it because they need it for their own self-esteem? Are any groups emigrating back?

Unless you consider we are all slaves to one thing or another, slavery in this country actually ended in 1865. Maybe taxes, jobs with no future, cigarettes, booze, stupid laws, bad marriages etc., makes all of us feel enslaved sometimes. If so we have only ourselves to blame. We must take responsibility for ourselves.

Recently, unscrupulous lawyers and would be civil-rights black leaders along with a few self-serving left wing liberal politicians are trying their level best to extort reparations (money) from our Government (taxpayers) to supposedly reward all those slave descendants. Actually, if that were to happen, lawyers, black leaders and liberals would have and keep the money. That’s the way it always works. Will their followers ever learn?

Suppose we consider reality for a change. Africa during the time of slave trading was truly the “dark” continent of early history. It was filled with famine, tribal wars, savage animals, disease, infanticide, murder and slavery between tribes with even some selling their own people to traders. Medical treatment was known at that time to consist primarily of the rhythmic pounding of drums while the local witch doctor waves a hyenas tail over the sick or injured. In short, it really was a jungle over there. Is it much improved today?

Keeping all that in mind, there can be only one conclusion! Without the early institution of slavery, up to 90% of the blacks in America today would never have been born, much less survived, if their ancestors had remained in Africa.

I am not now and have never been a racist, but I do believe if there are to be reparations, it should come FROM instead of TO the blacks. Since that is highly unlikely to happen, the least they could do is to publicly thank those in the past responsible for bringing their ancestors here. After all, these slave owners of the past are the ones really responsible for the millions of black descendents to be free to prosper and seek happiness in this great land of opportunity.

Gene Mays

1/9/2001