nightwind1
Explorer
The phrase that I was told some Southerners actually used in reference to the US Civil War was "The War Between the States."
I've always preferred (and use almost exclusively when I'm dicussing it) "The Slaver's Revolt".
The phrase that I was told some Southerners actually used in reference to the US Civil War was "The War Between the States."
Then tell him he should be proud to be an American.A side note: My 10 year old son has expressed a feeling of shame at being a Southerner because the South had slaves and fought a war to keep them. I wonder if any of you can understand how I could feel both glad and sad about this?
Bullgrit
We beat the British, we don't fly the Union Jack. We beat the slavers, we shouldn't fly the traitor's rag.A lot of people have called the Confederacy traitors in this thread. How so? Aren't USians traitors to the crown of England? Yet that is celebrated. How is the distinction made for you folks? Just the morality of the cause of rebellion?
...And in any event, a 10 year old kid ain't responsible for whatever people did 150 years ago. he's responsible for whatever good or bad he's done in the here and now independent of that.
This was among the lessons that I was taught as well, but I think new Progressive thinking rejects the notion. Otherwise we wouldn't still be having discussions about reparations, etc.
The problem with this claim is that the consequences live on. The goal of reparations isn't to penalise. It's to level the playing field so the kids born to the descendents of slaves aren't screwed by inter-generational poverty.
This was among the lessons that I was taught as well, but I think new Progressive thinking rejects the notion. Otherwise we wouldn't still be having discussions about reparations, etc.
I think you misunderstand what reparations are.
They aren't punishment or blame assignment. They are recognition of the fact that certain groups *currently* still benefit from actions taken by their ancestors, and that other groups *currently* are disadvantaged from actions taken by the ancestors of those same people.
If I steal your inheritance from your parents and give it to my grandchildren, those grandchildren need to give it back to your grandchildren, who rightfully deserve it. Now add in 10 generations; same thing.
How many rich American "old money" families are black? Why are they currently rich? Because of stuff wrongly taken from others in the past ("stuff" including labour and freedom, too, of course).
Reparations are about returning ill-gotten gains which have been handed down through generations, and giving them back to the people who would have them now had they not had them taken from them generations before.
Obviously, it's done on a class of people basis rather than an individual basis, because that's the closest to a practical solution there is. It's not ideal, but investigating individual claims is an immense task, and not very practical. So we go with reparations as a reasonable mechanism.
Would you be open to reparations from the UK to Ireland? To India?
EDIT: Added India