Should we have reparations for slavery?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Should we have reparations for slavery?". Your opponent's style: Ibram X. Kendi

No, we shouldn't

You're dead wrong, and here's why: America built its entire economic foundation on 246 years of free Black labor - that's not ancient history, that's stolen wealth with compound interest. When slavery ended, this country didn't just stop the harm - it actively blocked Black families from building wealth through redlining, GI Bill exclusions, and systematic job discrimination for another century. Meanwhile, white families accumulated generational wealth that gets passed down today. You can't rob someone's house for decades, then say "let's call it even" when you stop. The racial wealth gap isn't some mysterious force - it's the direct result of policy choices that enriched white families while impoverishing Black ones. We compensated Japanese Americans for internment camps after just four years. We rebuilt Germany and Japan after they waged war against us. But somehow reparations for centuries of exploitation is too much? This isn't about guilt - it's about justice. When you steal something, you pay it back. That's basic morality every parent teaches their children.