Reparation Vouchers for Yankees .....

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Out of respect for the wishes of another, I have re-posted the following without comments)

This post by George at Sleepless in Midland has me asking, "Is it time to profit from my status as a 'dang Yankee from back east?'"

In his post, George asks, "How firm is Mr. Obama's stand against slavery reparations? Does it matter?" In my response, I ask, "If we were to have government-mandated and directed reparations for slavery in the United States, would there be a sliding scale for calculating those reparations?"

Here's why I ask ... one doesn't have to go far in Texas (or throughout the South, where I have also lived) to bump into proud descendants of someone who fought for the Rebel cause, seeking to dissolve the Union and assert states' rights ... including the right to buy and sell people like so many animated widgets.

But me, I'm on the other side (the winning side, he added smugly). I'm a dang Yankee from 'back east' and my great(x4)-grandfather William served with the 23rd Michigan Infantry, seeking to preserve the Union and uphold the Emancipation Proclamation.

So, if we do have to pay reparations for slavery in the United States, can Sons of Union Veterans apply for discount vouchers - or even waivers! - while Sons of Confederate Veterans pay an added premium?

A silly question, perhaps ... but I think reparation for slavery in the U.S. is a silly idea, to begin with.