Keyes on Reparations and Tax Cuts

Illinois Senate candidate Alan Keyes is caught in an interesting conflict with other conservatives: he supports a kind of reparations for the descendants of slaves which one normally hears of from the far left. Conservatives who are Keyes usual allies are aghast at this - but maybe they shouldn't be.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

"Do you know how many Oprah Winfreys there might have been running around in the 1930s or in the 1920s or in the 19-teens that got nowhere because the doors were shut in their face?" Keyes thundered. "If you think that because I wear a conservative label, I have forgotten that history and am not mindful of that injustice -- then I will tell you now that you are wrong." ... On Wednesday, Keyes ridiculed the fuss over his position, saying it is simply a tax break, something "Republicans and my conservative brethren" don't object to when applied to a "wealthy corporation."

I’ve never before had anything positive to say about any of Alan Keyes ideas or positions, but I have to admit that he made a very interesting and insightful observation there. Whatever one thinks about reparations generally or his idea specifically (and I have to admit that as far as reparations ideas goes, his has more merit than most I’ve heard of), it can’t be denied that Republicans who are big supporters of lowering taxes and giving tax breaks to businesses shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the idea of lifting taxes on African-Americans as a form of compensation for past slavery and racism. Maybe it’s not really such a good idea after all, but Keyes’ is right in what he points out above.

Read More:

• 2004 Elections
• Election Polls
• George W. Bush
• John Kerry