What exactly are reparations? The Merriam-Webster definition is: “The act of making amends, offering expiation or giving satisfaction for a wrong, injury, or something done or given as amends.”
In the last several years, there has been an on-again, off-again effort to provide reparations some 157 years following the Civil War to the descendants of enslaved people. It is thought that the enslaved people and their families are owed reparation from the slave owners.
I wholeheartedly agree that slave owners should have made reparations back then. That didn’t happen; unfortunately, they all have since passed on, and that window of opportunity is long gone.
The argument against proceeding with any reparation today is why people who have never owned slaves would pay restitution to people who have never been slaves. The issue is complicated to assess, especially regarding how any monetary compensation would be distributed equally and fairly, if done at all.
However, the premise of reparations is entirely valid and should seriously be considered for situations that are much more current in time where all participants are still alive. A damaged group is deserving of recoupment due to the actions of others.
One such situation is our most recent presidential election.
I believe reparations should be paid by those that voted for our current administration. They should reimburse those that did not. Equally responsible for this mayhem are the majority of the media and social tech companies that pushed the disinformation to the citizenry, who may have voted differently.
Why you ask? Due to this administration’s inability to govern properly, they caused the most significant recession in our recent history, devalued our currency, shut down our oil and gas industry, and opened our borders to anyone or anything to enter, all of which could have been avoided with logical, common-sense policies. While I put the blame directly on this administration’s incompetence and failure, I also blame those that aimed, abetted and handed the keys to this inept, unskilled, incapable group that continues to make these lifelong and life-altering decisions.
Everything was wonderful before this disgraceful executive branch was inaugurated into office. Look where we are now. Ridiculously high gas prices, grocery prices through the roof, a flailing stock market, an enormous amount of national debt, an embarrassment on the world stage, and the list goes on and on.
Those who voted for this failed presidency should minimally apologize, if not pay for their shameful mistake. What do we have to look forward to? November. Get out the vote, and let’s turn this around while we still have a chance. Otherwise, the reparations will be much too costly, not to mention the dire consequences.
The opinions expressed above belong solely to the author and do not represent the views of the Boulder City Review. They have been edited solely for grammar, spelling and style, and have not been checked for accuracy of the viewpoints.
G. Kevin Savord is currently a professional pilot and former small business owner. He can be reached at gksavord@gmail.com.