To the Editor:
As we celebrate the Fourth of July and freedom some are talking about slavery. Some of the Democrat candidates for president want to pay reparation money to the descendants of the four million black slaves in America over 150 years ago because they are descendants of victims of injustice. These same candidates support the present slavery of the unborn babies. They in effect say the unborn baby is the property of their mothers until they are born and they want taxpayer funding of abortion all nine months. Slavery was a great shame of America’s history. No one denies it. Abortion is the greatest shame and evil of America’s past and present! Many still deny it!
All races have suffered indentured servitude or slavery as result of war. What legal “standing” do people who have never been slaves have in making a “case” for reparations for slavery against people who never owned slaves? The answer is none. Only living former slaves have legal “standing” to pursue reparations from their former but still living owners. What should be paid to descendants of free blacks who owned black slaves? According to Dr. Mary Grabar, the ownership of black slaves by free blacks was a well-known fact with more than 3,500 slaveholders of African descent in the American South in 1830. To force people who never owned slaves to pay reparations to those who never were slaves most of whom aren’t poor and some of whom are extremely rich, is absurd!
When it comes to slavery any “reparation” money would be much better spent fighting modern day slavery. Why don’t these Democrats speak out against Christians being enslaved by Muslims in Africa today. There’s current day slavery present in America generating great suffering. The injustice from current day slavery is a way more important issue than what happened over 150 years ago to past generations who are all dead and gone. Most people wrongly think slavery ended in America. They believe the work of Christian men like President Abe Lincoln ended slavery. Sadly, the institution of slavery is still very much alive, it just goes by a new name: Human Trafficking. Every day, millions of victims — mostly women and includes one third children — are bought and sold around the world. For more info on human trafficking visit www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking or www.endslaverytn.org. President Trump’s Justice Department’s successful prosecution of over 550 human traffickers (slaveholders) in 2017 and over 1,500 arrests in 2018 shows Trump made it a higher priority than any president before him. There are 94 children each month who are trafficked in Tennessee it’s estimated. Parents keep up with who your children talk to on social media and don’t leave your children unattended or they could end up being trafficked.
Islam, the Muslim religion, supports slavery. The Bible and Christianity did allow volunteers to be contractual servants for six years. The servants had rights and benefits and were treated good and given many animals at the end of the six years. The Bible and Christianity are against forced slavery and says forced slavery is evil in Exodus 21:16 and 1 Timothy 1:10. You want reparations? Go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness of all your sins. This is the greatest reparations of all time! You can never be a permanent victim or victim of your past if you are a Christian who loves Jesus. Only Jesus can make you truly free and work all things for good to those who love Him. The Bible says Jesus is near to the brokenhearted! Only Jesus can bring beauty from ashes. However, you will never know what beauty Jesus can make from your ashes or messed up life until you give it to him!

D.D. Nave
Elizabethton