US Reparations to African Americans.

First, some definitions: Pay: Give (someone) money that is due for work done, goods received, or a debt incurred [1] Now, my plan is to give African American citizens of the United States tax credits. This gives monetary reparations while not affecting the taxpayers. My contentions are: 1. We have a moral obligation to pay reparations 2. Reparations would help close the race gap 3. Reparations would stimulate the economy 1. We have a moral obligation to pay reparations The University of California at Santa Barbara notes, "Lord Anthony Gilford, British Queen's Counsel and a Jamaican Attorney-at-Law, maintains that international law recognizes that those who commit crimes against humanity must make reparation. In a paper presented to the First Pan-African Congress on Reparations held on April 27-29, 1993 in Abuja, Nigeria, Lord Gifford noted that the Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal defined crimes against humanity thusly: Murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation and other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population. .. whether or not in violation of the domestic law of the country where perpetrated. " [2] The Huffington Post notes, "Until that debt is paid, the cycle of violence that began in the 1600s and continues to this day will continue to haunt our psyche and disrupt our social good. It is time for America to atone for our past in both word and deed, and to heal our weary soul. " [3] The US government has a moral obligation to help African Americans recover from the horrific experiences and situation that the Government put them in. 2. Reparations would help close the racial wealth gap The legacy of slavery and other discrimination still affect African American Socio-economic status. According to The Huffington Post, "Median household wealth today is one hundred forty-one thousand dollars for for whites and only eleven thousand dollars for blacks. Despite making up only 13 percent of the population, black Americans are 27 percent of those living at or below the poverty line; the white unemployment rate is 4.6 percent, while it"s 9.6 percent for blacks; the black incarceration rate is over two thousand two hundred per 100,000, compared with the national rate of seven hundred seven per 100,000; nearly 3 in 4 black children today attend segregated schools. " The list goes on and on. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, "A credit that"s worth about $3,000 (in 2005 dollars) during a child"s early years may boost his or her achievement by the equivalent of about two extra months of schooling. " 3. Reparations would stimulate the economy The University of California at Santa Barbara notes that after the Luxembourg Treaty was signed, "Twenty-five percent of Israel"s shipbuilding came from West Germany, nine percent of the electrical industry, eleven percent of the iron and steel and thirteen percent of machinery. Shipments under the agreement made up twelve percent of all annual Israel imports. They helped fuel Israel"s economy and stimulate future production. In the north, Israel"s ironworks were built entirely from German shipments. " Reparations for slavery would without speculation provide significant benefits for African Americans including poverty alleviation and reducing the crime. Just as significantly, paying reparations would have positive consequences for everyone, including economic stimulation and the lifting of the huge moral debt we owe to African Americans. Sources: 1. . http://www.oxforddictionaries.com... 2. . http://www.research.ucsb.edu.... 3. . http://www.huffingtonpost.com... 4. . http://www.huffingtonpost.com... 5. . http://www.cbpp.org...