Reparations For Descendents of African Slaves in America Essay

Reparations For Descendents of African Slaves in America Slavery has been entwined with American history ever since Dutch traders brought twenty captive Africans to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. Slavery in America is a subject with minimal truths and stories rarely told. The public school system excludes the fact that eight of the first twelve American presidents were major slaveholders. Emancipation brought freedom, but not approximation. The civil rights movement killed Jim Crow, but shadows remained. Affirmative Action created opportunities, but racism continues. So why shouldn't the great-great grandchildren of those who worked for free and were deprived of education and were kept in bondage not be compensated? Why should American taxpayers who never owned slaves pay for the sins of ancestors they don't even know? Ask one question and it leads to another. How would the economy be affected? How do you put a price tag on over two centuries of legalized inhumanity? In what form would reparations be paid? How would you establish who is a descendant? Questions start debates. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines reparations as the act of making amends for a wrong. Money paid by a defeated nation in compensation for damages caused during hostilities, is also included in the definition. It is essential to locate the claim for reparations within a framework of law and justice. The following four propositions are truths that attempt to conceptualize a legal framework for the formulation and prosecution of the claim for reparations. First, the evil enslavement of Africans was a crime against humanity. Secondly, domestic and international law recognizes that those who commit crimes against humanity mus... ...ington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Gifford, A. (1993). Legal Arguments in Support of Reparations: First Pan-African Congress on Reparations. Federal Republic of Nigeria. Mazrui, A. (1998). Black Reparations in a Conservative World of Racial Aspirations and Political Realities. New York: Global Publications. Rhone, S. (2000, January 28). America?s debt to blacks. The Post Dispatch, pC1. Robinson, R. (1999). The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks. New York: Dutton. Ruble, R. (2000, February 4). Riot reparations sought. The Associated Press, p.B1. Saul, M. (1997, June 30). U.S. legislation could pay money to descendents. The Dallas Morning News, p.C2. Westley, R. (1998, December). Many Billions Gone. Boston College Law Review, XL, 11.

Evaluation of King David

In both books, Samuel I and Samuel II, King David is depicted as a true, but imperfect, example of an ideal king. When David was first introduced, he was a young boy, but quickly proved himself to be a strong leader, as he defeated Goliath, the giant. But as he takes his role as king, and gets older, his judgment and decisions aren’t always smart ones. I believe as a moral and political leader, King David was a good king, despite his sinful nature, and there is a lot to learn from his kingship. King David’s decisions showed he was a decisive and an effective king. He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and took it for his own home. (Samuel II: Chapter 5, 6-7) 6: And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke unto David, saying: ‘Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither'; thinking: ‘David cannot come in hither. ‘ 7: Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. By David going and taking over the city of Jerusalem, it shows how he his a committed leader, and that he wanted to take this city and transform it to the capital of the holy land. In god’s eyes, this must be an extremely powerful act, as David is truly showing his loyalty to Hashem. We can also conclude that by David winning this battle, he must be a strong military leader. Despite some of the eventual imperfections of David, he still defeated his enemies and because of that the nation prospered. One of his great displays of devotion to God would be when he brought the ark from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem. Samuel II: Chapter 6, 15-16) 15: So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the horn. 16: And it was so, as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, This showed the people of Jerusalem his devotion to God, and he openly displayed his devotion by bringing it openly. David was aware how the Ark of th e Covenant was most sacred and powerful item to his people, so by bringing it to Jerusalem, people would give him more support and recognize him for being a strong religious leader. Even though we study today that this wasn’t the best way for David to prove he is a good religious leader, we still look up to him, as his purpose is what really counts. I believe a lot of us could learn from that, to be more open in our worship and show our devotion publicly to God. I believe David’s heart was in the right place and God knew that, that is why he blessed him in his reign. David wanted to build a house for the Lord, but instead God built a house for him. (Samuel II: Chapter 7, 5-6) 5: Go and tell My servant David: Thus said the Lord: Shalt thou build Me a house for Me to dwell in? : for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. God made a covenant with David in which God promised to make David a great and everlasting dynasty. David showed great devotion to the lord, but fell short of his glory. The lord saw he was whole-heartedly devote d to him and therefore he made an everlasting covenant with David. I believe it was David’s â€Å"good intentions† that God did not see David’s his sinful nature, because God doesn’t expect perfection, just devotion. The fact that David acted in a way that he constantly dedicated himself to God, and tried to do the right thing, is what God saw him for, and we can learn from that because people have a sinful nature sometimes, but God still cares for us. I think it is important to remember David was a human, granted he had responsibilities as a King, but he shouldn’t have been expected to be perfect. Like all humans, he had weaknesses, which got him into trouble. David had several â€Å"downfalls† in his reign. One example of David’s downfalls is when he committed adultery. (Samuel II: 11, 4) 4: And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house. This act is perhaps one of the reasons why people have controversy over David, and if he was a â€Å"good† king or not. I believe it can be compared to that of the incident of our president Clinton. David was a human like Clinton and, given they were leaders who represented a nation, were both human. My point is that pressures are put on those with power and people expect them to be perfect when really they are not that different from us. I’m not saying that what they did was okay, but I’m just trying to understand it more. It was a sin, what they did, but God knew their hearts, and in David’s case the Lord still blessed him. I believe the greatest thing we can observe from King David would be that God called him a king after his own heart. (Samuel I: Chapter 13, 14) But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you The fact that God says this, and understands that David is a man of heart, is the most significant to learn from all of David’s actions. It was the fact that David was willing to confess his wrongdoings and admit his sins, then repent that saved him, and showed God his devotion to him. I admire David’s whole heartedness and I believe that is the most important thing I’ve learned from him.

Transcendentalism, By John Waldo Emerson And Henry David...

Transcendentalists believe that using their principles, humanity can inch closer and closer to utopia, the perfect society. Transcendentalism, the flawed doctrine, instead leads its adherents on the road to nowhere, and many of the principles fail spectacularly when applied in real life. Transcendentalism is too idealistic to be realistic. Simply put, transcendentalism is wrong. Their ideals are not just incorrect, they are potentially dangerous. First, transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, among others, believe the spontaneous emotion and childlike wonder of the outside world outweigh logic and intellect. However, that is all transcendentalism is: childlike. Transcendentals think that reactions should be spontaneous, not well thought out through reason and logic. However, this spontaneity can be harnessed by others to do the unspeakable. For an example, consider Operation Northwoods during the Kennedy administration. The U.S. government planned to c ommit numerous atrocities and blame them on the Cuban government. The Kennedy administration would then use public outrage to gain backing for an invasion of Cuba to remove Raul and Fidel Castro from power. Among the atrocities planned were shooting down jetliners, bombing subway systems, and mock raids on military compounds in Miami, Texas, and Washington, D.C. The Kennedy administration planned to use the spontaneous emotional outrage of the citizens to justify war. The government plannedShow MoreRelatedThe True Transcendentalist: Thoreau and Emerson775 Words   |  3 Pagesemotion, individuality, and nature. But one of the greatest literary movements the one that will be focused on is transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is intuition and individual conscience that helps lead to the truth. When transcendentalism began to start two people played a major role Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, but who is truly a transcendentalist. Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 25, 1803. His father was a minister as well as seven of his male familyRead MoreEarly American Transcendentalism1204 Words   |  5 PagesEarly American transcendentalism has one of the greatest influences towards American society because it is not only a philosophy, but also a religion and physical progression. During the early nineteenth century, Ralph Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and other radical individuals challenged the present day theories of values, ethics, and what it means to live life to the fullest (Timko). If early American transcendentalists were living among civilians today, would present day civilians think the earlierRead MoreTranscendentalism And Ralph Waldo Emerson And Henry David Thoreau807 Words   |  4 Pages but none quite like that of Transcendentalism. This movement embodies the idea that spiritual growth can be achieved through personal journey instead of conflicting with organized religion. By the time of the movement’s onset, newly gained religious freedom in the United States allowed for new ideas and beliefs to prosper freely. At the heart of this movement was Transcendentalism philosophy famous ambassadors, Ralph Waldo Emerson and apprentice Henry David Thoreau. These men believed nature isRead MoreTranscendentalism : The And The Movement1027 Words   |  5 Pages Transcendentalism Web Quest Directions: Research the answers to these questions online using reputable websites. As you work, copy and paste the website URLs that you use at the bottom of this document (you do not need to create a Works Cited page). Type your answers into this document. Make sure that all of your answers are in your own words. You will be submitting this document via www.turnitin.com and need to be sure that you are not plagiarizing. If you plagiarize from an online source orRead MoreTranscendentalism and Transcendental Meditation1471 Words   |  6 PagesTranscendentalism and Transcendental Meditation The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of spiritual doctrine. He believes in miracle, in the perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; he believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy.(Emerson 196). These two lines written by Ralph Waldo Emerson exemplify the whole movement of transcendentalist writers and what they believed in. Though to the writers, transcendentalism was a fight for a belief, unknown to themRead MoreNatural Justice : The Crux Of Transcendentalism And Abolitionism1651 Words   |  7 PagesLaurel Day HIST 1301-066 3 November 2015 Natural Justice: The Crux of Transcendentalism and Abolitionism The year was 1850. President Millard Fillmore had signed the Fugitive Slave Act into law, giving southern slave-owners the right to claim slaves they alleged had run away from their property in exchange for the federal government claiming California as a free state. Fillmore would not have signed the act without the pressure created by numerous slave rebellions over the last fifty years, withRead MoreThe Philosophy of Transcendentalism Essay1292 Words   |  6 Pages Transcendentalism was a philosophy that became influential during the 1800s. It was based on the belief that knowledge is not limited to and solely derived from experience and observation but from the truths seem through reason. In the United Sates, transcendentalism became both a philosophy and a literary, religious, and social movement. Emphasis was placed mainly on oneness with nature and God while making the possibility of social change a reality. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the leading AmericanRead MoreTranscendental ism Essay1866 Words   |  8 Pagesown minds† This message encompasses the whole ideology of transcendentalism. The transcendentalist were a group of individuals attempting to pave their own path in the world. Without them the progression of women’s rights, anti-slavery laws and various religious movements would slow tremendously. The American history of transcendentalism is often attributed to the struggles of a single man. In early 1831, Boston pastor, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who had his faith tested when his wife passed. With the industrialRead MoreFrederick Douglas And Henry David Thoreau950 Words   |  4 PagesFrederick Douglas and Henry David Thoreau The life and works of Henry David Thoreau and Frederick Douglass’ has had a lasting impact in the literary field since there work is studied now in most colleges. Although, the writers travelled in the same circle and were both friends of Ralph Waldo Emerson the pair were not friends. In looking at the life and works of the two dynamic literary giants analyzing their common goals, work, and their place in Transcendentalist history will bring more understandingRead MoreThoreau And Transcendentalism1518 Words   |  7 Pages Henry David Thoreau’s words that â€Å"disobedience is the true foundation of liberty† and that â€Å"the obedient must be slaves† is a political statement that never lost its topicality during the Romantic era. Thoreau served as an important contributor to the philosophical and American literary movement known as New England Transcendentalism. Nature and the conduct of life are two central themes that are often weaved together in his essays and books that were published in the Romantic era of literature