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You can't just propagate forward and say well you are guilty because your dad was guilty because his dad was guilty because his grandpa was white in a time where segregation still existed in the south. It literally doesn't make any sense. Harboring that type of animosity towards one group of people based on their skin color is the definition of racism. Reducing individuals rich lived experiences to that of their skin color is the definition of racism.
As an example, it is very common in US culture to make eye contact in business, but in other cultures this is not the norm and even considered rude or wrong. Many people live in the US who come from Asian cultures where this is the case. When white Americans try to force people to make eye contact and think it is about “respect” they are completely enforcing their way on others and this can lead to marginalization.
Another example, handshakes. Men and women in many cultures and religions do not shake hands because of gender differences, and this is often a matter of respect and beliefs. When white Americans or Europeans try to force people from opposite genders to handshake, even when this is against the way of life for other individuals, this is a form of oppression. And it’s not even far fetched to say oppression exists in handshakes… in many news articles there have been cases where European countries cancelled citizenships or deported people based on someone’s refusal to handshake the opposite gender because of the cultural and religious beliefs.
Any culture has pros and cons. You’re acting like the only positive culture history has seen has been “white” culture (which is kinda racist in and of itself). Of course people build cultures to achieve positive social outcomes!!! That’s life, meng.
What you’re explaining does not justify reparations and conveyance of generational guilt. Look at the comment I responded to. I asked whether I deserve scorn. You’re arguing that I deserve scorn and somehow need forgiveness literally for being white.
The micro fluctuations in cultural benefits you’re describing isn't tangible in any way. You’ll just be shouting into the void forever trying to equalize every culture so that no differences remain. And you’ll hate a lot of people from different cultures along the way. And guess what: our law already treats people equally, we’ve already achieved legal equality.
Finally, logically, it simply doesn't follow: culture (a) at one point in history did something we now consider wrong. Culture (a) listened and changed. Culture (a) removed the bad parts and kept the good parts. Therefore the remaining good parts must be bad and culture (a) must be dismantled and destroyed and anybody who participated in it and shares its majority skin color shall be scorned and etc.
It’s just stupid.
>You’re acting like the only positive culture history has seen has been “white” culture
I’m certainly not stating this. If it seemed that way then now I will plainly state white culture is certainly not the only positive culture. Every culture has positives and negatives.
This is not about generational guilt, it is about establishing justice. Generational trauma and current day injustice has been enforced against minority groups.
>guilt
I’m not here to grant any white people forgiveness or make them feel guilty. this conversation need not focus on the feelings of guilt of white people. Guilt with no action is not helpful. Don’t feel guilty for something you didn’t do. Just don’t support oppression and help in establishing justice.
It’s better if instead of denying established evidence because someone is afraid of feeling guilty, that we focus on how can we as people in society use this evidence to do better today, given the historical context.
Why do you see establishing justice as an attack on white people and their culture?? Unless your culture is to promote injustice which I don’t think most people desire, I don’t believe you should be opposed.
This is not about dismantling a culture and making everyone the same. It’s about establishing justice.
If a culture has injustice and oppression, then no doubt these elements must be opposed.
Contradicting yourself much? The whole point of the previous comment was if your father was black he would be much less likely to get the loan in the first place, which would result in, at the very least, crippling college debt for yourself, which would in turn lead to renting until you're ready to pass the ghost.
Furthermore you have no idea my family’s situation and whether my father would or would not have been actually more likely than a black man in a similar situation to “get a loan” (he didn't even get loans like you suggest). And generally your comment doesn’t even apply to my situation it’s cant be reduced in the way you’re trying to argue it can. Also student loans ensure that there isn’t discrimination in who can take out a loan for college. Arguably my dad paid a tax because he didn't have use take out loans and help pay that way.
How does one do that? You can't un-enslave, or un-intern, or un-commit atrocities, so your best bet is some >subjective< analog of recompense.
Then who is to decide what is satisfactory compensation? You? Me? Voters? The government? Universities?
We elect representatives in Congress and the WH, who based on public opinion in the form of voters decide.
Yep, those two.
So by your quote I'm to assume either you're a monarchist seeking a benevolent ruler, a socialist/communist, or an anarchist.
I can point out an insightful quote as a warning and imply we’re not on a healthy path in our current system without espousing delusions of socialism…
No one alive in the US has legally owned slaves. The more we focus on this insane rhetoric of "sins of the father" the longer it will take for everyone to just see each other as humans. I'm a jew from a tiny family, most of them died in the holocaust and Russia. I don't expect reparations from the current Germans or Russians, they had nothing to do with it. I came to this country in my early teens with my parents who had literally a few k to their names after selling all their possessions in our home country.
My dad died essentially a pauper. My brother and I each are by all measures financially and socially successful now. People should stop spending so much effort blaming the past for their present, just get on with it. Its your life, do or do not.
Or you could realize that civil society is impossible if you insist on punishing people of the present for the sins of the past.
I think Germany's reparations for the Holocaust make sense, for instance.
Generally, I think the nuanced take is that nobody is saying they don't want to help right past wrongs if the effects are still present today. They’re saying that doing so on an artificial boundary of a protected class is toxic and backwards and does not positively contribute to the solution.
What if we just invested more in poor and disparaged communities and added a 10% federal poor and disparaged communities tax. I don't see anything rhetorically sour about that (the number isn't the point). A burden shared by all to work towards a better world given to those communities with clear needs…