Thomas Sowell, an Economist and Social Theorist has been consistently against the idea of reparations. Sowell said in a 2012 interview: “The people made worse off by slavery were those who were enslaved. Their descendants would have been worse off today if born in Africa instead of America. Put differently, the terrible fate of their ancestors benefited them. If those who were enslaved were alive, they would deserve huge reparations and their captors would deserve worse punishments than our laws allow. But death has put both beyond our reach. Frustrating as that may be, creating new injustices among the living will not change that.”
Write an response in which you support, refute, or qualify Sowell's claim that the descendants of slaves have benefited from the fate of their ancestors and that the death of those ancestors has put the idea of reparation beyond our reach.Use examples from your readings, experiences, or knowledge to support your argument.
It has been discussed many times before if the descendants of slaves deserve reparations. There are many arguments that fight for or against this idea. Thomas Sowell is one who believes that reparations are not needed for the descendants. He believes that "The people made worse off by slavery were those who were enslaved. Their descendants would have been worse off today if born in Africa instead of America." The descendants of slaves did not suffer the slaves past and they don't suffer today, therefore they is no need of reparations on behalf of their ancestors.
Descendants of slaves shouldn't push for reparations to those who had nothing to do with slavery itself. The descendants of slave owners today have no responsibility in paying back for the actions of their ancestors. The slaves descendants have no right to claim reparations to the slave masters descendants because slave owner descendants didn't benefit from slavery as slave descendants weren't damaged as their ancestors were. Claiming and giving reparations would make no change as the reparations are given to strangers of the salary itself. If reparations were to be given it would only be "creating new injustices among the living..." (Thomas Sowell).
Slaves suffered, the descendants didn't. Descendants of slaves don't suffer today because they aren't treated unfairly as slaves did about 400-200 years ago. African Americans today have many opportunities to rise and be just as good or better than any other White person in America today. Minorities have many opportunities, maybe sometimes even more than the white population. In order for one to be able to take these opportunities, it is up to the person them self to decide to take action or not, at this point no one can blame the past for discrimination to African Americans today. Hoping for reparations will not get anyone anywhere, for hard work will actually help make a difference.
Reparations to the slaves themselves would of been proper. "If those who were enslaved were alive, they would deserve huge reparations and their captors would deserve worse punishments than our laws allow" (Thomas Sowell). Reparations to the salves themselves would of been ideal, and great actions would of been made. However, today slaves are no longer alive and running. The ancestors of slaves and their owners, should of took action into giving reparations, but they didn't. It is too late to give reparations now. African Americans today have been able to rise from slavery and overcome huge discrimination. Discriminations still exists, but it is not as huge as it was before. African Americans have many opportunities in America and have been able to overcome past obstacles and become great leaders of the United States. Reparations are not needed for, African Americans in America today can do fine on their own.
Descendants of slaves shouldn't push for reparations to those who had nothing to do with slavery itself. The descendants of slave owners today have no responsibility in paying back for the actions of their ancestors. The slaves descendants have no right to claim reparations to the slave masters descendants because slave owner descendants didn't benefit from slavery as slave descendants weren't damaged as their ancestors were. Claiming and giving reparations would make no change as the reparations are given to strangers of the salary itself. If reparations were to be given it would only be "creating new injustices among the living..." (Thomas Sowell).
Slaves suffered, the descendants didn't. Descendants of slaves don't suffer today because they aren't treated unfairly as slaves did about 400-200 years ago. African Americans today have many opportunities to rise and be just as good or better than any other White person in America today. Minorities have many opportunities, maybe sometimes even more than the white population. In order for one to be able to take these opportunities, it is up to the person them self to decide to take action or not, at this point no one can blame the past for discrimination to African Americans today. Hoping for reparations will not get anyone anywhere, for hard work will actually help make a difference.
Reparations to the slaves themselves would of been proper. "If those who were enslaved were alive, they would deserve huge reparations and their captors would deserve worse punishments than our laws allow" (Thomas Sowell). Reparations to the salves themselves would of been ideal, and great actions would of been made. However, today slaves are no longer alive and running. The ancestors of slaves and their owners, should of took action into giving reparations, but they didn't. It is too late to give reparations now. African Americans today have been able to rise from slavery and overcome huge discrimination. Discriminations still exists, but it is not as huge as it was before. African Americans have many opportunities in America and have been able to overcome past obstacles and become great leaders of the United States. Reparations are not needed for, African Americans in America today can do fine on their own.
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