Why I’m skeptical of reparations. Part 2: A reparations I’m sympathetic toward.

While I’m skeptical of reparations, wrongs were clearly committed. And, there would be some justice in a formal recognition of such wrongs combined with a reparation payment. No payment would ever truly make up for slavery, Jim Crow, and other government and societal discrimination, and anything that would attempt to…would be astronomically expensive, but, a substantial token payment that is enough to help someone’s life would still be a form of justice.

The U.S. House of Representatives actually already apologized for slavery and Jim Crow in 2008, and the Senate apologized for slavery and segregation in 2009. However, no reparation came with these apologies.

While some wrongs can be repaired with an apology, the massive and repeated evils poured upon blacks are not one of those wrongs. It certainly seems reasonable and fair to do more.

I will explain why I’m skeptical of reparations later, but first, I should make a case for reparations. There are a lot of different ways to do it, and there are forms of reparations that I’d consider getting on board with.

A reparations plan that’d I’d be apt to support would have five attributes involving: who pays, who is paid, what is paid, the nature of the reparations, and finality.

The United States did Wrong and Should Pay

First, who is paying reparations is American society. When we’re not thinking about…