Reparations and Puerto Ricans

[LSRA]

the following e-mail was sent to National NCOBRA on 8/16/03. I have not rec'd a response so I wanted to get some feedback from the you.

I have not heard much about money owed to the African People of Puerto Rico. Aside from the invasion of the U.S. of P.R., Later called and annexation from Spain, the U.S. rec'd 20 million dollars from Spain. This money was a form of reparation from Spain to the United States and the money served as a garantee that the U.S. would not invade Spain. The Slaves were already "free" in 1898 and had not rec'd reparations from Spain nor later the United States both countries benefitted from the slave labor and the United States inherited the debt from Spain. Are there any brothers and sisters working on Puerto Rican reparations?

[Jose]

Reparations for anyone is a bad idea. Basically, it's a way to extort money using a previous generations suffering and then benefiting from it. Wasn't the Civil War, War on Poverty and entitlements enough? Let's move on and seek ways to improve ourselves without the need for reparations.

[LSRA]

:cool: AFTER LONG DISCUSSIONS WITH MANY WHO ARE OF OUR CULTURE WITH GREAT-GRANDPARENTS THAT WERE SLAVES IN PUERTO RICO, I HAVE DECIDED TO RESPOND. REPARATIONS IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT ITS A DEBT OWED FOR THE FREE LABOR THAT BUILD THE WESTERN EUROPEAN HEGEMONY. THE DEBT WILL NEVER BE PAID BACK EMOTIONALLY NOR SPIRITUALLY BECAUSE THE IMPACT WILL ALWAYS PUT THOSE OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA AT A DISADVANTAGE. IT IS A BUILD IN HANDICAP THAT THOSE OF US WHO OVERCOME AND "MAKE IT" HAVE TO WORK TWICE AS HARD THAN OUR NOT OF COLOR COUNTERPARTS. WE MUST BE EVER CONSCIOUS OF THAT DEBT AND DEMAND THAT OUR ANCESTORS DID NOT WORK FOR NOTHING AND THAT TODAY THEIR DECENDANTS REAP WHAT THEY SOWED. REPARATIONS IN WHAT EVER FORM IS A THREAd. (SEE HAITI) IT WAS WHEN ARISTIDE ASKED FRANCE FOR 30MILLION IN REPARATIONS THAT HIS DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT WAS ERADICATED..YET 30MILLION TO PAY FOR A FILM THAT DEPICTS HOW SOME OF THE MOST CRUELEST SLAVE OWNERS WANTED TO MAINTAIN SLAVERY EVEN IF IT MEANT STARTING THEIR OWN REPUBLIC AND PROCEEDED TO STEAL LAND FROM PEOPLE OF COLOR...I PERSONALLY WILL NOT PAY TO SEE THE ALAMO. REPARATIONS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN ALL START FROM THE SAME LINE EQUALLY. SORRY I TOOK SO LONG...

[Jose]

How can you ask the present generation to pay for the crimes of a previous one? That would be an injustice and would have to be paid for by the next generation. Reparations is just EXTORTION. I refuse to pay it. Would gladly join a war against it, would fight against it if it were necessary. What about paying the families of all who died fight for the Union in the Civil War? Why do their great great grandchildren have to pay when their great great grandfathers died in defense of the Union?

Reparations is a greedy scheme. Nothing else.

[LSRA]

Hi JOSE

FIRST OF ALL IF IT WERE NOT FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN JOINING THE UNION ARMY WE WILL BE PICKING COTTON IN WARDS ISLAND.....

IT IS NOT HEALTHY TO IDENTIFY WITH THE AGGRESSOR....YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY BUT YOUR ANCESTORS WERE SLAVE WHETHER YOU REALIZE IT OR DENY IT....AND YES THEY ARE OWED MONEY THE BIBLE IS CLEAR THE SON PAY FOR THE SINS OF THE FATHER....SORRY I USUALLY SAVE THIS RETHORIC FOR MORE PROGRESSIVE FORUMS....ALL NATIONS EXCEPT THOSE OF COLOR GET REPARATIONS.....WHEN ARISTEDES THE PRESIDENT OF HAITI ASKED FOR 30 MILLION FROM FRANCE HE GOT COLIN POWELL AND SENT TO AFRICA....

LOTHERAPEZ