Vanselous: Slavery reparations won’t fix mistakes of past

I cannot more strongly disagree with Joshua Patterson (“A lingering shadow: why Delaware needs reparations"). Reparations will do nothing to fix the past mistakes of this nation.

Every time we talk about equality and equity, we forget about the value and hard work of the American people. Countless groups of American citizens — Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, etc. — have made this country what it is. That doesn’t mean hardship and serious obstacles weren’t present; they just figured their way past it.

Dwelling on the past instead of learning from it is the best reparation payment we can make. Removing our history (paintings, statues, pictures, books) to appease a few is how we doom ourselves to repeat the history of the generations and centuries before us.

My family served in the Revolutionary War and came here from Europe with nothing. But, by God’s grace, we pushed forward.

Mark Vanselous

Farmington

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.