I agree with Sanguinekane. Paying reparations for something our ancesters did is ridiculous. Graymatter points out that Germany holds itself accountable for the horrrs of WWII. That was 60 years ago and many of those atrocities were commited by people who may still be alive. Slavery in the U.S, however, was 150-200+ years ago and I can imagine that you'd be hard pressed to find anyone alive that ever even met a slave owner, let alone owned slaves.

Assuming it was decided that reparations were due, who pays and who receives? 50% of my family came from Hungary in the 1930's, do they need to pay? The other 50% were racist bigots (one of the many reasons why the last words my Mother ever said to her parents were "fuck you..) from the South. But, although their beliefs and feeling sicken me, they were dirt poor. I seriously doubt anyone in my family ever owned slaves. Should I still pay simply because my "whiteness" makes me guilty by association.

So, we say only large corporations, those that existed at the time and benefited from slavery, need to pay. But if they pay who really pays? Some fat cat who's great, great, great, great Grandfather owned slaves? No, he'll keep getting his fat salary. Most likley it will only be the stockholders, most of whom had no ancesters that could have possibly owned slaves, some of whom might just have ancestors that were slaves, that will wind up paying.

This may not be the most PC thing to say but the Black community needs to start looking to the future instead of whining about the past. What's done is done and can never be changed. If the Black community is going to improve its situation it needs to look inward. It needs to stop idolizing rappers and gangbangers and start looking up to Black doctors, engineers, and other professionals instead of calling them sell outs. We've come a long way in this country and nearly all of the barriers to people of non-caucaision ethnicity have been lifted. We can pay reparations, have affirmative action programs, etc. etc. but the bottom line is, even if we lead the black community to the plate, it's up to them to swing at the ball.