LYMAN: Here’s Why Your ‘We Deserve Reparations’ Argument Is BS

You’ve heard it a thousand times: “reparations are unfair!” “reparations are bad!”

We get it, there’s no place for reparations. But the argument has less to do with the obvious pitfalls of a mass reparations program and far more to do with the very real possibility that reparations are likely downright unlawful.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors moved Tuesday night to accept a draft reparations proposal that would allow black Americans who meet at least two of many requirements to be eligible to qualify for a $5 million payout. Fox News contributor Leo Terrell took aim at the draft, noting that “no legal analysis as to whether or not this is constitutional” has even been heard.

Cue the legal nerd in me!

As it turns out, the Supreme Court and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals have weighed in on very similar issues and unfortunately for liberals desperate to buy the black vote with payouts, the courts don’t seem poised to accept any argument in support of reparations.

The Supreme Court, along with lower courts, has consistently ruled that entitlements, like reparations, are only permissible to remedy discrimination that takes place by the government providing the special treatment.

So for example, the government of 1865 was responsible for slavery and therefore would have been responsible for reparations. The government of 2023 is not responsible for slavery and therefore not responsible for reparations.

Let’s take a look at two prominent cases.

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