Yet that’s exactly what a recent lawsuit intends to do. Naming insurer Aetna, railroad firm CSX and financial-services firm FleetBoston as defendants, the suit alleges that these companies profited from the slave trade before it was abolished in 1865. Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, the lawyer who filed the suit on Tuesday in a Brooklyn federal court, contends that CSX, FleetBoston and Aetna were "unjustly enriched" by "a system that enslaved, tortured, starved and exploited human beings."

Reparations sound like a good idea in theory. After all, shouldn’t the families of former slaves receive a chance at opportunities that was unfairly robbed from their ancestors? But the last time that I checked, the vast majority of black American families are quite well off - despite what the self-appointed priests of black victimhood may say, owners of a color TV and microwave have reached higher than most in the world can ever hope to go.

Thus, black families don’t really need the money. Who does? Maybe the companies, since it’s part of their operating funds…but perish the thought that those nasty old corporations will be allowed to keep money they earned quite legally. It was money earned from the sweat of African slaves, yes, but our tort system is not based on far-off values of "fairness" and "justice." It is based on the law, and evidence, a preponderance of the evidence to be exact. Where is the evidence that the predecessors of CSX/FleetBoston/Aetna committed any legal wrongdoing?

Even if we were to take the high road and prosecute companies based on immoral and unjust actions, it would only make sense to do so for crimes where the parties responsible were still drawing breath. Thomas Jomo, a lawyer involved in the case, has publicly stated, "There are no statutes of limitation on crimes against humanity." Correct, Mr. Jomo, but the statute of limitation isn’t necessary when those responsible are resting comfortably six feet under!

CSX and FleetBoston and Aetna are completely different companies now, changed almost 100% from the entities they were 137 years ago. They have committed no crime, none whatsoever. Paellmann’s single-minded crusade against corporations smacks of the anti-business bias typical of the left; just one more excuse to rifle through the pockets of the greedy fat cats, playing Robin Hood to the Bush Administration’s Sheriff of Nottingham. Who’s really the hero?

The money has to come from somewhere. Paellmann will probably ask for a multi-billion dollar verdict (given that most of the defendants are extremely large and wealthy), and money doesn’t just grow on trees. On the contrary, it will result in raised prices for rail travel, freight shipping, life insurance and financial services. Raised prices hurt the economically disadvantaged the most. Guess who the economically disadvantaged are? Black Americans, for the most part, who will get money from the reparations only to hand it back out for increased prices.

The complaint alleges that "the disparities that currently exist between blacks and whites in the US are a product of 250 years of enslavement and more than a century of institutionalised racism," according to BBC News. Smashing job, Paellmann, you’ve just helped to reinforce those disparities while creating bad blood against blacks. We can only hope that CSX/Aetna/FleetBoston refuse to give in to legal and political pressure, and that the lawsuit is quickly thrown out of court.

Let’s stop acting like those of African-American descent need special help and privileges to get along in this world. As William Carlos Williams once said, "Americans don’t like losers." How more un-American could it be than to pump money out of corporations to subsidize the lower class? Hard work and dedication will carry a man just as far as vitriol and vindictiveness.

Brian Hinkle is a student at a suburban Denver high school. He is a features editor of the school newspaper, and his column is published by both Etherzone and the Aggressive-voice. He is a regular columnist.

Brian Hinkle at:terranwannabe@onebox.com

Published in the April 8, 2002 issue of  Ether Zone.
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