Reparations: The Blog for Economic & Political Empowerment - by Simmonds Ballentine, LLC

Right...I agree! Thanks for your comment!

2009-07-14T23:06:09.952-05:00

Right...I agree!

Thanks for your comment!

I was just thinking two days ago that she should h...

2009-07-14T22:38:06.878-05:00

I was just thinking two days ago that she should have been charged with hate speech or an equivalent crime for inciting violence against a visible minority group.

And the same twice over for that woman who murdered her own children and tried to throw the blame onto an anonymous black man.

Pete,Thanks for taking the time to express your th...

2008-11-08T11:40:35.300-05:00

Pete,

Thanks for taking the time to express your thoughts.

I say, see him as exceptionally intelligent and eloquent, a man gifted with innate leadership ability. Recognize the qualities we haven't seen in a presidential candidate in a very long time. But, also see him as a Black man.

Why? Because people for so long have denied that Black people could have those qualities. Being "color blind" denies my identity. And, it is destroying these myths that will truly help us to create "A More Perfect Union."

Truly this is an incredible opportunity to transform our Country for the better. It's going to take all of us, doing things we never thought possible - as was done in this election.

You too, Pete - Come and Get Your Reparations!

I am a white American who voted for Obama. I don'...

2008-11-08T08:36:33.122-05:00

I am a white American who voted for Obama. I don't see him as a black president. Rather, I see him as exceptionally intelligent and eloquent, a man gifted with innate leadership ability, qualities we haven't seen in a presidential candidate in a very long time. Nevertheless, I recognize the significance of his victory for African-Americans. All should be very proud.

And I like the fact that he is black because I believe it makes it all the more likely that he will pursue policies that benefit the middle and lower classes. While it's great that blacks have this incredible new role model to emulate, those near the bottom of the economic ladder also need the means to pull themselves up. That means jobs, good-paying jobs with decent benefits, like the manufacturing jobs we've been shipping overseas. The main reason I voted for Obama was his recognition of the damage that our free trade policies have done to our economy. My hope is that he will aggressively work to restore a balance of trade and bring our manufacturing jobs home.

I hope that President Obama uses the incredible opportunity he's been given to truly transform our country for the better.

Pete Murphy
Author, "Five Short Blasts"

I think you're right...there's a lot of work to be...

2008-11-03T12:21:12.715-05:00

I think you're right...there's a lot of work to be done - either way. I do think it will be more difficult should Obama not win. If he wins, we'll battle complacency. If he looses, we'll battle cynicism. Which is worse? I don't know...

This is for the reason Obama MUST win. We as Black...

2008-11-03T00:47:30.045-05:00

This is for the reason Obama MUST win. We as Black people will blame Republicans for being racist and somehow cheating. We would also lose the excitement of new black voters. I too am a Obama supporter but I still keep asking myself the question why is Obama not polling tens of points ahead of John McCain and his discredited party. But Obama has been a sure shot only with blue collar workers, college students, animated not only by Obama's intellect, but also by his "diverseness" and its symbolic import for showing that what our ancestors endured in the past is THE PAST.

The News would quote Angry Black people on the streets for weeks, while racist white people smiling on the sidelines. Don't t talk about 2009 We would spend the year blaming the republican party for ALL our misfortunes instead of using this opportunity to remind us that to be black is still to be a victim.

This would also hold back other BLACK Leaders: For years to come, we would remember the 2008 election as a lesson about racism rather than about a heartening near-victory that no one could have imagined as recently as 15 years ago.

I often ask why as black people are we so pessimistic. Is because of insecurity? Is because we are unsure of our worth is so called "whit America"? My opinion is that as Black people seek the crutch victimhood as a substitute for a true pride.

I have seen Obama being compared to MLK. If we understood MLK's lesson as truly being equal we must understand that RACE is not the only reason Obama could lose. If he did not win WE NEED TO CELEBRATE HOW CLOSE OBAMA CAME TO BEING OUR NEXT PRESIDENT AND HOW FAR WE HAVE COME IN "WHITE AMERICA". There is still a lot of work to be done. Hopefully, when he wins Black will not become too relaxed and look to him for encouragement and see where he came from and what he has achieved.

Well, I appreciate your comments!I think it will t...

2008-10-09T22:18:29.896-05:00

Well, I appreciate your comments!

I think it will take more of us being brave enough to stand up and state these things. It will take us to encourage others to engage in discussions such as this.

Most of the misleaders don't love our Country. If they did, they'd defend and uphold the Constitution. And, most of the population has been opiated into following the prevailing thought like mice following the Pied Piper.

We'll have to get serious about our Liberty...Come and Get Your Reparations!

A hearty AMEN ! from this Libertarian atheist.Grea...

2008-10-09T22:12:01.440-05:00

A hearty AMEN ! from this Libertarian atheist.

Great post, and your assertions are right on the money.

Question is: How do we bypass the generations of political brainwashing and educate the masses as to why the 2AM was really included within the Bill of Rights- and why it is more imprtant now than ever before?

I know...let's see where this leads, eh?

2008-09-21T22:51:18.175-05:00

I know...let's see where this leads, eh?

woo-hoo! talk about WoW;) i have 2 pinch myself....

2008-09-21T17:59:44.051-05:00

woo-hoo! talk about WoW;) i have 2 pinch myself.

Exactly - well said, Jazzylady. The problem is, w...

2008-09-01T18:57:58.970-05:00

Exactly - well said, Jazzylady. The problem is, we're following them right down this road to destruction - ushering in our own demise. Hopefully, we'll wake up before it's too late!

Come and Get Your Reparations!

In other words, they see electing Obama as absolut...

2008-09-01T00:32:27.897-05:00

In other words, they see electing Obama as absolution.

You are right, and this is one of the things I hav...

2008-09-01T00:30:54.026-05:00

You are right, and this is one of the things I have thought about why whites want this man as president. It's their "final ticket" out of having to think of blacks anymore, of having to "do" something, of finishing the work of Dr. King. It's my belief that all the so called "progressive" whites have a benign racism going on, which is worse than that of those we know are racist. It says that they believe they have done all they want to do for blacks, that blacks are basically lazy and now need to get up and do for themselves. They forget that we not only have to battle the virulent racists, but them too, as they no longer see the need for an active civil rights movement.

I definitely appreciate your comment. Check out t...

2008-08-03T20:56:15.198-05:00

I definitely appreciate your comment. Check out this posting: http://reparationsblog.com/2006/05/reparations-mission.html

You may have a better understanding about our purpose.

Come and Get Your Reparations!

Good luck at that! We as a group of people don't ...

2008-07-31T23:45:02.038-05:00

Good luck at that! We as a group of people don't need reparations. We need restraint, we need to look at ourselves and problems that need to be fixed on our own instead of depending on the white people to fix that! Please, get over yourself.

If you search this Blog, you will see that we have...

2008-07-14T16:25:58.084-05:00

If you search this Blog, you will see that we have criticized all and spared none. Check for the article about Frances Rice. Also, search the blog for Clinton.

Yeah. Obama is all messed up. The problem I have w...

2008-07-12T15:07:05.215-05:00

Yeah. Obama is all messed up. The problem I have with that sort of nonsense is that Obama is the one and only messed politician in America. Clinton is not all messed up. Neither is McCain. People seem to be too afriad to even mention Bush's name. Only Obama is messed up. Interesting.

As far as I am concerned, I will extend some credibility to you and people like you after you criticize Clinton and the conservative, racists who run the Democratic Party. But, please do not criticize Obama without criticizing all of that bunch.

I think what Jesse Jackson said off-mic is an exam...

2008-07-10T19:06:33.390-05:00

I think what Jesse Jackson said off-mic is an example of what was in his heart all along regarding Sen. Obama's run for POTUS. After all, Jackson (as a preacher) should know that from out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

Can you say HATER? Jesse Jackson is feeling obsole...

2008-07-10T16:03:31.191-05:00

Can you say HATER?

Jesse Jackson is feeling obsolete and thus he feels the need to go after Obama.

Talk about the crabs in the barrel mentality.

Jesse need to hold his corner and sit his ass down!!

Speaking of patriotism, can anyone question Obama'...

2008-07-08T12:00:35.899-05:00

Speaking of patriotism, can anyone question Obama's "patriotism" when George Bush called the late Jesse Helms a "great patriot?" www.chicagotribune.com

The "misconstruance" of the etymology of the word ...

2008-06-12T22:56:35.799-05:00

The "misconstruance" of the etymology of the word "race" was not the doing of Black people. Yet, I can agree with your assessment. Nevertheless, whatever the term used the experience is the same.

Let me clear the record on the TERM - RACE. Race i...

2008-06-12T18:54:29.800-05:00

Let me clear the record on the TERM - RACE.

Race is a COMPLETE construct. The way we have been taught to look at the word Race is INCORRECT and WRONG.

I learned the truth about RACE in discussion with groups that have multi-ethnic families.

There is only ONE RACE - The Human Race.

That isn't a SUGGESTION! That's the fact, Jack! It's the TRUTH!

The different color variances are what are made up by our ETHNICITY. So, rather than refer to "RACE" you should be using the term ETHNICITY. (IE: Obama is "Multi-Ethnic" not "Multi-Racial").

You cannot be two races, unless you are KLINGON and HUMAN. Human is the only race of people on this planet. (I was kidding about the klingon thing)...

So LIGHTEN UP !

I agree that Barack should have to court the black...

2008-05-28T17:28:16.753-05:00

I agree that Barack should have to court the black vote. Ironically, no one has yet demanded that he do so. If someone does, the media would make it seem that they're against him, or they will make it seem that by Barack having a black agenda they (white) would somehow be at a disadvantage. Yet, no one is concerned if he has a Jewish agenda or Cuban agenda or hispanic agenda, but he can't have a Black agenda even tho' he's Black . . . interesting . . .

And, this is exactly why reparations is a valid is...

2008-05-08T09:26:24.466-05:00

And, this is exactly why reparations is a valid issue. Essentially, what this comment says is that those three boys in Philly deserved to be gang-jumped by police. There is no explanation for this kind of thinking except for - as described in "Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome" - Cognitive Dissonance.

Reparations is not just for Black people. As we have said, the oppressor is adversely affected by oppression as well. This whole Country - and indeed this world - needs reparations!

Come and Get Yours!

It's cute when you make believe that niggers are h...

2008-05-08T09:25:51.324-05:00

It's cute when you make believe that niggers are human beings.