Former NFL star Burgess Owens speaks at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on reparations – 6/19/19. Screen grab via CSPAN.
As expected, there was much drama and fireworks at today’s House Judiciary Committee hearing on reparations, as Democratic presidential hopefuls like Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and liberal celebrities like Danny Glover made their cases in favor.
But one speech stood out from the crowd, and it’s the one that NFL legend and former Democrat Burgess Owens made against reparations.
Owens, an author and also a Fox News contributor, started out by saying that this was “not about black and white, rich or poor, blue collar, white collar.” In remarks that were sharply different than most others on the panel, he told the committee that we were “fighting for the heart and soul of our nation.” He also lamented the fact that this generation of kids were being told that they didn’t have the same opportunities as the older people in the room once had.
After speaking about the poisons of socialism and Marxism on our society and how some of those teachings were now being taught in our schools, he spoke of the history of some of his ancestors who were slaves. Owens noted that once they were free the took advantage of the opportunities presented to them and were very successful. He said the same was true of many other freed slaves.
He also talked about the effects he says Democratic policies have had on the black community over time:
“I do believe in restitution,” he continued. “Let’s point to the party that was part of slavery, KKK, Jim Crow, that has killed over 40% of our black babies, 20 million of them.”
“State of California, 75 percent of our black boys can’t pass a standard reading and writing test. A Democratic state. So yes, let’s pay restitution. How about a Democratic Party pay for all the misery brought to my race and those — after we learn our history — who decide to stay there, they should pay also.
They are complicit. And every white American, Republican or Democrat, that feels guilty because of your white skin, you should need to pony up also. That way we can get past this reparation and recognize that this country has given us greatness.
Look at this panel. Doesn’t matter how we think. Doesn’t matter our color. We have become successful in this country like no other because of this great opportunity to live the American dream. Let’s not steal that from our kids by telling them they can’t do it.
Watch the full speech Owens gave to the committee below:
Wow, Burgess Owens just stunned everyone:
“I used to be a Democrat until I did my history and found out the misery that that party brought to my race… Let's pay restitution. How about the Democratic Party pay for all the misery brought to my race…" pic.twitter.com/ZXuwncFreV
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) June 19, 2019
Powerful.
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—Based in North Carolina, Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter.–
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