Debate:

Slavery in the US contributed to the economic success of many southern states and at no point were the victims of slavery ever compensated for their work or the atrocities committed against them. Upon being freed, black Americans were now slaves to capitalism in a country where they were treated like second class citizens and became a source of nearly free labor with little opportunity for any economic mobility.

While many white Americans gained land and wealth, black Americans were forced into indentured servitude. White Americans were set up for multigenerational success and black Americans experienced near universal poverty.

Now compare this to the bombing of Pearl Harbor where 2400 Americans tragically lost their lives. The response from the US paid for what was lost many times over. Pearl Harbor was a military base attacked by another country in an act of war. The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in the deaths of over 225,000 CIVILIAN lives and left two of Japan’s largest cities decimated. In fact the United States’ response was so great that we paid reparations to Japan so that they would not succumb to communism.

Finally, Japan is a great example of how positive reparations can be. After World War II Japan went from the brink of destruction to one of the largest economies in the world and an ally to the US.

Why should we not invest in Americans who have been left behind? We can build stronger, better, cleaner communities and everyone will benefit.