From Newsgroup: uk.religion.christian

I see that some countries in Africa are leaping on the reparations band
wagon, claiming that Britain owes them vast sums of money for slavery.

Actually, I think it may be a good idea - on three conditions.

The first is that those who profited from the slave trade should be made
to pay these reparations, not you and me who had nothing to do with it.
Of course, this must include not only people in Britain but those in
Africa who captured and supplied the slaves to British traders.

The second is that the reparations should go to those who were directly affected by the slave trade - basically, the slaves themselves. Just as
the reparations should not come out of general taxation in Britain, so
they should not go to general income in Africa or wherever - which in
practice means, into the pockets of politicians.

And the third condition is that the African countries and anyone else
who demands reparations should repay the cost of Britain's anti-slavery patrols by the Royal Navy, patrols which covered not only the west coast
of Africa but the Red Sea, east Africa, the seas around Indonesia and
other places. And, of course, the repayments should include suitable compensation to the families of those sailors who died, either of
tropical diseases or of naval action against slave traders.

Let's be FAIR about reparations.

God bless,
Kendall K. Down
--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG antivirus software.
www.avg.com



--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2