A Big Door

I was reading through a piece in the Washington Post from the weekend, there's this opinion piece written by a PhD guy (Theodore R. Johnson).  He has surveyed the whole discussion of paying back the black community for reparations from the era prior to 1865, and think the only think that can be done logically....is to grant some type of vote-change that allow (at least for some period of time) a vote power of 5 to 3 for blacks.....meaning that each time a black guy voted....it'd count for five-thirds of a vote.

The logic here....for this entire period prior to 1865 is that black votes counted for three-fifths.  So, for some period of time (not mentioned in the commentary), this five-thirds vote would fix the unfairness that blacks have dealt.

This type of wisdom would draw two reactions.  Some people might agree in theory but doubt that it'd work.....too many folks would claim to be black when they weren't black.  And the second group would obviously say it's totally unfair and would be against the idea.

My issue would be that it would open up this big door and folks would start to talk about other reparation deals to solve a past problem.

Women would want a seven to two vote, for all those years that they weren't allowed to vote.

Indians would want a twelve to three vote, for all those years they were unfairly treated.

Ethnic Chinese would want a six to four vote, for all those years they were unfairly treated.

Mormons would want a nine to seven vote, for all those years they were unfairly treated.

Japanese-Americans would want a nine to six vote, for the period they were held in camps in WW II.

Irish people would want a six to five vote, for the period they were held back in economic conditions.

At some point, then you'd have members of the Washington Redskins football team who'd want a two to one vote for the unfairness of the NFL and life.

Then you'd have residents of New Orleans who'd demand a eight to one vote for the years of suffering after Katrina.

Then you'd have West Virginia and Oklahoma folks who'd demand a twenty to nineteen vote because they were always treated as second-class citizens.

This would go on and on, with everyone thinking of some unfairness and dreaming up a way to pay themselves back.  Life is unfair...period.  For over 100,000 years.....we can pretty much sum up the gains of human civilization as being unfair.  As for repairing unfairness?  It's a pretty big door and if you open it.....I'm not sure where fairness and unfairness would end up.