Dear Editor,

Based on the editorial, “Reparations debate needs to be settled”, which appeared in the Jamaica Observer of Wednesday, May 8, I would like to say that the only worthwhile thing that will emerge from the reparation debates is a more balanced view of history.

Caribbean nationals are not entitled to, and will never get reparation for slavery because from ancient times until it was abolished in the 19th century, slavery was regarded as a natural institution and was practised by all ancient civilisations. Since the dawn of civilisation, all nations have practised some form of slavery. There was no universal law against it and it was regarded as a natural part of life for humans to enslave humans deemed weaker by virtue of economic standing and military might. As such, it was an unspoken agreement that slavery was right.

Starting in Greco-Roman times, slaves were regarded as “tools with voices”, which means that slaves were purchased and used in any capacity their owners desired. Planters in the Caribbean were not slave raiders; they obtained slaves by purchasing them from sellers. Since the planters used their money to purchase “tools with voices”, then legally, these “tools” were added to the planters’ assets, which would be used to bring them greater wealth.

The first slaves in British colonies were from predominantly Roman Catholic regions of Great Britain and Ireland. Scots, Irish and other poor white Britons were ripped from their homelands and sold to planters in the US and Caribbean. The eventual need for African slave labour arose because European slaves could not handle the heat and died in huge numbers.

Eventually, some black and white slaves in Jamaica and other British colonies obtained their freedom and became planters. They, too, purchased slaves because within that historical context, they were doing what was culturally natural. Planters had to provide their slaves with three meals a day, clothing and shelter, and when slaves were sick or too old to work, planters had to provide for them for the rest of their lives. Planters were responsible for the complete welfare of the slaves.

Edward Long, in 1774, went as far as saying that 20 per cent of the total money in circulation in Jamaica was in the hands of slaves, who were allowed to sell their produce in the Sunday markets.

Two major things happened when slavery was abolished: the governments of the day paid planters, who in turn figuratively handed off their slaves to the government. In other words, governments purchased the freedom of the slaves from the planters. It would be ridiculous for the planters, who were business people, to lose their “assets” without any form of compensation. Not only did the governments purchase the freedom of the slaves, but they also allowed the freed slaves and their descendants to keep all these beautiful Caribbean islands.

If the British are foolish enough to pay reparation, shouldn’t Caribbean nations also be repatriated to Africa so as to allow Europeans and descendants of the Tainos to decide what will become of all these islands? I think our Caribbean intellectuals are masters of myopic thinking and wasting time.

Howard Rennis

rehnis@msn.com