One of the justifications for the current racial protest is that America was once a slave nation. And because of that the country, including the taxpayers, should give blacks so called ‘reparations.’

African American billionaire Robert Johnson is calling for $14 trillion in reparations. 

Mr. Johnson made history as the country’s first black billionaire after selling his BET network to Viacom in 2001. 

From Johnson: “Wealth transfer is exactly what’s needed. Think about this – for 200 plus years, or so, of slavery, labor taken with no compensation – is a wealth transfer. Denial of access to education, which is a primary driver to accumulation of income and wealth, is a wealth transfer.”

The problem with that quote is that here is no denial of education in contemporary America. Yes, there is bad education but that is the fault of politicians not the taxpayer. Let’s look at some stats.

Black Americans comprise about 12% of the population – 38 million people. That number includes 4 million black immigrants from places like Africa and the Caribbean. $14 trillion for the country’s 38 million African Americans would be $368,421 per person. 

And that kind of reparation payment, even spread over years, would badly damage America’s economy. We simply do not have enough tax money to come close to paying that.

And then there is fairness. What about reparations for other groups injured in the past such as Native Americans? If you read my upcoming book “Killing Crazy Horse” you will vividly see the suffering of the Indians.

And how about the descendants of the 360,000 Union soldiers killed in the Civil War? Are they entitled to compensation? 

Polls say more than 60% of Americans reject reparations. Only about 1/3rd support the payments. 

But clearly our country should stop the corruption and design a superior public school system. Education is the key to improved economic status. If you cannot read well, speak the language, it doesn’t matter what color you are. You are not going to succeed on a large scale in the United States. 

So let’s teach the children well and get past this skin color business, which is tearing the nation apart.