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Originally posted by dissention
That's the defintion of shock and awe.  
Just to get the pot stirred, why are you conservatives against reparations?
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Well, I say if you have it for one class of people you have it for everyone. Again, every Irishman that was imported to work until they died because it was cheaper than buying and caring for a slave, deserves compensation. I mean if you want to go that route, the Italian govt. owes the Christians
Also, to me its the whole ex post facto argument. How can I today be held financially liable today for something my great, great . . . . grandparents did that was perfectly legal. The Const. seemingly prohibits that (Art. 1, Sec. 9 "No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed."). If it had been illegal that might be another issue. But, it was legal prior to December 1865, when Art. XXIII was ratified (Art. IV, Sec. 2 "No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due." Also, clearly any statute of limitations in common law has expired.
If the money went to some kind of college fund, I would not mind so much. But, to award millions to an individual for something perfectly legal that happened to people they never knew. I just do not get that. Moreover, many many almost fully caucasians would get $$$$ if 200 years ago, they had any enslaved black blood.
Finally, not all slave owners treated their slaves poorly. That is kind of a Hollywood myth. I mean why would you beat to death every day and starve your best workers that you paid handsomely for. Think about it. Note: I am not justifying slavery or saying it was a bed of roses by any means. It was not; it was a horrible thing. I am just saying that it is illogical to think that every slave was beaten everyday as seemingly depicted by Hollywood.