In a shocking and controversial statement, Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno has floated the idea of reparations for the White descendants of northern soldiers who fought in the Civil War for the freedom of enslaved people. Moreno, a wealthy businessman and self-proclaimed conservative outsider, made the suggestion during a radio interview on Thursday, sparking outrage and criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
Moreno argued that White Americans who can trace their ancestry to Union soldiers who died or were wounded in the war should be eligible for some form of compensation or recognition, as they sacrificed their lives and limbs for the cause of ending slavery. He claimed that this would be a way to heal the racial divide in the country and acknowledge the contribution of White people to the abolition of slavery.
“We stand at the shoulders of giants, don’t we? We stand on shoulders of people like John Adams, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington. That this group of people took on the largest empire in history. They said no, we will not stand for this. And won,” Moreno told supporters at a campaign event in the Buckeye State this week.
“That same group of people later, white people, died to free black people. It’s never happened in human history before, but it happened here in America. That’s not taught a lot in schools much is it?” he added.
“They make it sound like America is a racist, broken country. You name a country that did that: that freed slaves, died to do that. You know, they talk about reparations. Where are the reparations for the people in the North who died to save the lives of black people?”