Mitch McConnell: We paid for ‘sin of slavery’ by electing Obama

(Defender News Service) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s remarks over the last week have been making headlines, but the latest may be the most controversial.

When asked about reparations for slavery on the eve of a House hearing on the issue, McConnell said reparations “for something that happened 150 years ago, for whom none of us currently living are responsible,” were not a good idea. Besides, he suggested acts, such as electing Barack Obama president, could be considered a form of compensation.

“We tried to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a Civil War, by passing landmark civil rights legislation, elected an African-American president,” McConnell said. “I don’t think we should be trying to figure out how to compensate for it. First of all, it would be hard to figure out whom to compensate.”

The backlash, as it often happens with McConnell, came swiftly.

Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker (D-43rd District) wrote on Twitter that the “shameful” remarks showed McConnell doesn’t care about Black people or Louisville’s West End, and that Kentucky needs to stand against McConnell during his reelection bid.

This article originally published in the June 24, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.