Reparations paid in full.
This morning, a black man tried to break into my car at the St. ElmoKangaroo gas station. When I confronted him, he yelled, “Barack” at me.I responded that, while today people would be voting for Barack Obamafor president, what was this guy doing? As I drove away, I realizedthat, for me, the uneasy guilt that plagues so much of the white middleclass was gone forever.
Here’s why: my grandfather’s grandfather served in the 162 NewYork Volunteer Infantry under General Banks, was shot, disabled, takenprisoner at the defeat of Red River and sent to a POW camp inLouisiana. He made his way back home to Minnesota and then Iowaprimarily on foot. His stories of the Civil War underscore one truthfor me: that a lot of white people suffered and died to correct thehorrible wrong that was slavery (about 620,000 white troops, North andSouth, died in the struggle for the freedom of around 4,000,000 slaves).One hundred years later, members of my family supported the CivilRights movement, not out of obligation but from a sense of what wasmorally right. Again, a lot of white people gave what they could,including reputation, money, property, and safety, so that thelingering wounds of racism could be healed. (I recommend John HowardGriffin’s book from that era entitled Black Like Me). I continue thisproud tradition of upholding respect and dignity for all men.
Tonight, a black American became president of the United States ofAmerica. He became president because the white majority voted for him.I believe that I can hold my head up high and acknowledge that, for meas a WASP-American, reparations have been paid in full.
So, the next time a thug tries to make me feel guilty for his poorchoices because I’m white and he is not my answer will be this: “Barackis President. What’s your excuse?”
K J. H
Chattanooga