Slavery reparations?

[cheeseburger]

Procecuting a criminal is prevention in action. If you don't stop them, they very well may continue.

Fair point. I'll concede the analogy isn't perfect, but the concept remains. When something goes wrong, heads roll. Thats how its always been.

As far as both sides, yes, the side that wanted to keep slavery lost, and that governing body was removed. So why should those who fought for and succeeded in freeing slaves pay for actions that were corrected with the civil war? Since we are going there.

At some point in America's history, slavery was rampant throughout the entire country, and was accepted legally. At another point, a more subtle form of racism was practiced against largley one group of people. As a citizen of this country, I feel that 'we' collectively have a debt to pay them. And no, before you ask, my grandparents were from eastern europe. I'm not even descended from the original slave owners. However, as a country, we owe them something in return. At the very least, a formal apology.

I just dont like the attitude where you think, "yes, something wrong happened. But who cares? It didn't happen to me, so lets not worry about it." I don't think thats right.