The EcoLife: Are Reparations Green?
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Thursday 16th August 2007 | 11:38 am
Where: USA
Feeling: 
curious
Listening to: damali ayo-05 living flag
Is the paying of reparations to African Americans (or any group) a “green” issue?
Why or why not?
My philosophy is that all issues are deeply connected. It is the segregation of issues and "specialization" of experts that has caused us to become segmented as a society and to turn a blind eye to things we see as only affecting other people. The reality is that everything affects all of us.
In addition, reparations incorporates issues of wealth equity, profit from agriculture, economic justice, globalization, recycling, alternative energy and making the shift to green lifestyles. If we learn to treat each other with respect we can more easily treat the earth with respect. Oppressed groups have historically (sadly) shown each other that when we experience oppression, we often respond by oppressing others. This includes the earth. Collectively (not always individually) we exhibit the syndrome that people who have been treated as trash want to treat something else like trash. In that respect reparations could be a way to interrupt this cycle. In addition living with a legacy of unfair labor- "we labored without fair pay or work conditions so let someone else do that for me" informs our daily choices. Even though we know from our own history that sub-standard working conditions are inhumane, we fail to make that connection with those in sub-standard conditions today. The lack of recognition, restitution and reparation from this nation's historical actions makes empathy all that much more difficult.
What do you think?
damali
Why or why not?
My philosophy is that all issues are deeply connected. It is the segregation of issues and "specialization" of experts that has caused us to become segmented as a society and to turn a blind eye to things we see as only affecting other people. The reality is that everything affects all of us.
In addition, reparations incorporates issues of wealth equity, profit from agriculture, economic justice, globalization, recycling, alternative energy and making the shift to green lifestyles. If we learn to treat each other with respect we can more easily treat the earth with respect. Oppressed groups have historically (sadly) shown each other that when we experience oppression, we often respond by oppressing others. This includes the earth. Collectively (not always individually) we exhibit the syndrome that people who have been treated as trash want to treat something else like trash. In that respect reparations could be a way to interrupt this cycle. In addition living with a legacy of unfair labor- "we labored without fair pay or work conditions so let someone else do that for me" informs our daily choices. Even though we know from our own history that sub-standard working conditions are inhumane, we fail to make that connection with those in sub-standard conditions today. The lack of recognition, restitution and reparation from this nation's historical actions makes empathy all that much more difficult.
What do you think?
damali
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kmd
date: Thursday 16th August 2007 10:06 pm (UTC)
Link
I had help in coming to understand this from James Cone:
http://www.crosscurrents.org/cone.h
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helenkosings
date: Sunday 19th August 2007 07:24 am (UTC)
Link
"The light of men is Justice. Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice of unity among men."
There are lots of other ones, but I'll contain myself. It is unjust to waste the earth's resources, in my opinion. Unjust to those alive now, and to those in the future. We cannot expect peace and unity to proceed from injustice.
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