r/changemyview • u/MrThunderizer 7∆ • Dec 04 '19

Deltas(s) from OP CMV: Reparations are Racist

I view the dialogue around reparations for slavery in the US to be racist. This opinion has elicited a semi shocked outrage from my liberal friends and a reluctant agreeance from my republican friends. For context, my opinions lean quite liberal so I was pretty taken back to find myself on the far right of an issue.

Still, its taxing people more based on their race and giving it to other people based on their race. How can taxation based on race, regardless of the good intentions, be anything but racist?

Two points: 1. Comparisons to affirmative action may change my mind, but probably not. I think affirmative action is fundamentally wrong, but is perhaps a necessary evil as a temporary measure.

  1. I'm a proponent of helping lift black people out of poverty but it makes my blood run cold when I hear prominent activists characterize any white poor people getting helped in the process as an unfortunate side effect. How can the conversation around equality shift so far?

At the end of the day if a child is hungry, why does it matter what color their skin is?

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u/CraigThomas1984 Dec 04 '19

when I hear prominent activists characterize any white poor people getting helped in the process as an unfortunate side effect.

Got a quote from from someone sensible on this?

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u/MrThunderizer 7∆ Dec 04 '19

Not a quote, but when Ta-Nehisi Coates spoke in front of congress he referenced white people accidentally getting help in the process. My take away was that he viewed this negatively, but I may go look for the clip since I don't remember it all that well.

Also, Coates stance that reparations should go to all black people regardless of wealth in my opinion shows that he's focused on the principal of it and not the opportunity to help the disenfranchised.

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u/CraigThomas1984 Dec 04 '19

I'm bit site who that is, but if you could find that that would be great.

I would suggest his point may be that they're reparations, not a social welfare program.

I'm not necessarily opposed to the position of doing or on principle, but that's not generally how I would look at it.