Thanks for Capitol, Slaves.

[Jafo]

http://www.local6.com/news/4552675/detail.html#

WASHINGTON -- Two centuries later, Congress wants the world to know who helped construct the building they work in.

Congressional leaders have announced that a task force will be created to study the history of slave labor that was used in the construction of the U.S. Capitol.

Historians have said slaves were the largest labor pool when Congress decided to build a new national capital in 1790.

Local farm owners from Virginia and Maryland started to rent slaves for an average of $55 a year to help create the White House, the Capitol and the new city streets.

One member of the task force said they study is "long overdue."Another congressman said next year's opening of the new Capitol visitors' center might be a good venue for recognizing the slaves.

Why do I smell "reperations" coming out of this "study"..

[OneSharpMarble]

I believe it was tried before to get the states to pay for the years of slave labour and years of interest. It came out to some ridiculous figure. Needless to say it will never happen.

[vman]

i dont understand "reparations." first of all, NO african american alive today ever experienced the life of a slave and second, money cant buy freedom for dead ppl nor can it buy happiness/solution to grief.

[duke]

I understand reparations, I just don't agree w/ them. They feel that slavery and the attitudes that went along w/ it have helped to make a large part of the black population poor. While this may or may not be true, and I do think it has at least some truth to it, we have programs to help the disadvantaged of all colors.

Could something more have been done at the time? Absolutely. Still people like to apply modern day opinions and standards to past actions. Yeah, we treated a lot of people not too well. So? So did a lot of people, and overall we did more for those people (no, not THOSE people, so don't anyone start that) afterwards than were done in any other society. Deal w/ it and move on.

[Jafo]

Well, if they want reparations, then I think they should go back to Africa and sue the tribes that actually sold them into slavery.

[StudioAlex]

I'd be all for reperations if it meant never again could anyone blame his lot in life on the intentional or unintentional racism of whites.

[Snake Eyez]

The study sounds like a huge waste of money and would provide more ammunition for the idiots that want reperations.