Sandel

Justice: What's the Right Thing to do?

While reading for my Social Ethics class I came across a great question simply put it was; What do we owe one another? The question itself was followed by the concept of reparations, specifically reparations for black slaves. Sandel makes a point to question whether we have the duty to apologize for the crimes of our ancestors? Do we owe money to past slaves if we were never slave owners? If all the slaves are dead do we owe money to their children or grandchildren? Do we owe ex slaves anything?

Some believe that yes indeed we do owe blacks and specifically ex slaves for crimes committed against their race. Yes those crimes were horrific but since I'm using past tense you have to understand that they happened in the past. I, Paige Marie Gallagher never owned a slave. I never forced anyone into slavery, or forced anyone to work for me in general. I had no part in the actions of the generations of Americans before me. My ancestors were the original slaves and yet I am not calling for reparations from the Greek, Roman, Prussian  or Turkish governments though all at some point have committed crimes against my people. I don't see why I, the first in my bloodline to live in the United States, have to pay for something I or my ancestors did not do. If we gave reparations to everyone who has had injustice committed towards them most of the world be broke.

Sandel, M. J. (2010). Justice: What's the right thing to do?. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.