The rally got its most energetic jolt just before 2 p.m. when Minister Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam, gave a short speech on the need to use the money responsibly, if reparations are ever approved. "We cannot settle for some little jive token," he told the crowd. "We need millions of acres of land that black people can build." (washingtonpost)

The issue of slavery reparations is daunting for many reasons. It's hard for me to say that I don't agree that reparations are due because it's going to be instantly seen as a comment from a racist, spoiled, college student. But the fact remains, I have issues with this... issue?

I agree that slavery, forcing people to work w/o pay, was an institution of evil; with no ethical or moral reasoning behind it. I do however see how slavery became such a building block of the American history. It's saddening to think about the conditions that slaves were forced to endure, and the overall quality of life that was robbed of them. The Emancipation Proclamation and the Union's victory in the Civil War signify the start of freedom for slaves. While it took years longer in areas of the country, the freedom can be traced back to around the Civil War. So why, 150 years later, should the government be forced to hand-out cash to people four-generations removed from slavery?
Slavery, at the time, was not illegal. Slavery was an institution that helped build America; seen as right at the time, but later deemed unfair. Should our government be burdened with the task of issuing reparations to people not directly involved? As the years pass our morals, ethics, and passions evolve; should we be punished for actions deemed fair at the time? There are so many questions I ask of reparations, but there are no clear answers.

For the government to do as Farrakhan asks, they must take away millions of acres of land from their rightful owners.
Reparation leaders are asking for trillions of dollars; where will the money come from?
Why should generations of people not involved with slavery be burdened with higher taxes to dole out money to people who weren't slaves?

To sum up my convoluted thoughts, I feel as though reparations are not due to people not involved with slavery and I take issue with the notion that reparations are due to people that moral evolution now say were cheated.