Attacks on the Issue of Reparations
attacks the issue of reparations as suggested by Coates' essay. From Reagan's article, three aspects invalidate his argument against the issue of reparation. First, Reagan argues that it is wrong for the advocates of reparation to indicate that Americans should pay for historical injustices that their ancestors committed. According to Reagan, it seems that he is insinuating that Americans should accept, forget and move on. The significant part of his assertion is that he accepts that there were mistakes and there is the need for life to continue. However, what he fails to consider is that forgetting is associated with some truth, justice, and reconciliation (Coates n. p). When the African American community is compelled to forget, they will still hold grudges, and as such, there will be a united America.
The Debt Catered for by Union Soldiers
The second point that demonstrates the misconception in Reagan’s perspective towards reparations is that the debt was catered for by the Union soldiers who fought for the American liberation (Reagan n.p). For this argument, it is far-fetched because it means that since there was some liberation war, then atrocities cannot be compensated. Liberation is a positive activity, but disrespect of people's rights is negative. As such, it is wrong for Regan to suggest that the soldiers' initiative is a replacement of reparations. When soldiers were fighting, they were doing so for a different course, and it is, therefore, inappropriate to try and find a relationship between the two (Franklin12).
The Priority Given to Africans
Lastly, the author suggests that Africans were given priority, unlike the Irish immigrants. One of the things that Reagan fails to consider is that Africans did not find themselves in America out of their own volition; they were brought with the purpose of providing labor. As such, this means that the white community had a priority for the Africans because of particular traits which the Irish immigrants lacked.
Works Cited
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. "The Case For Reparations". The Atlantic, 2014, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/. Accessed 12 Apr 2018
Franklin, V. P. "The Power to Define: African American Scholars, Activism, and Social Change, 1916–2015." Journal of African American History 100.1 (2015): 1-25.
Reagan, Micheal. "Frontpage Magazine - Where Are My Reparations?". Archive.Frontpagemag.Com, 2008, http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=31894. Accessed 12 Apr 2018.
