Monday evening on Fox News’ Special Report, Bret Baier interviewed Bob Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), about a proposal that he had just made. It’s appropriate that Johnson came out with his idea on May Day, as it’s about as un-American an idea as one can imagine. Unfortunately, it is an old idea that doesn’t go away, despite having been shown to be unworkable. Also, Johnson’s proposal would be utterly corrosive to civil tranquility here in America. Mr. Johnson’s poisonous idea is reparations for slavery.

Over the last week, we’ve seen several American cities erupt in riots. But the apparent murder in Minneapolis of George Floyd was an excuse for the mayhem. If you want an accelerant for more civil unrest and pandemonium, then enact slavery reparations. Here’s the video and text of Johnson’s appearance on Fox.

What’s astounding about Johnson’s proposal is the price tag: $14.7 trillion. If the African-American population were 40,000,000 as Johnson claims, that would prorate to $367,500 for every black person in America. And that’s just for being the descendant of someone who was a slave 155 years ago. How about reparations for the family members of Union soldiers who died in the War Between the States that freed the slaves? Bob Johnson’s freedom is due to them. Let Johnson fork over his millions.

Bob Johnson talks about context. Well, for a little context, the recently passed CARES Act to deal with the Wuhan virus impacts was initially scored to cost $2T, which will mean the deficit for 2020 will be the largest ever. Johnson’s reparations makes that all look like chickenfeed.

The reason so many black folks are maleducated (and may well think Lincoln was a Democrat) is because of Democrats, who control our rotten public schools. The Democrats also control most of the big cities in America. And a lot of the strife we’re seeing right now is in Blue States, Democrat strongholds. And don’t forget how Democrats destroyed the black family. How many of the black looters we’re seeing on the news have strong father figures at home?

Twenty years ago, reparations was a big item in the news. In 2001, David Horowitz wrote a lot addressing this awful idea, including the controversial ad “Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Slavery is a Bad Idea for Blacks -- and Racist Too.” The Ten Reasons also appear in Horowitz’s 2001 book Uncivil Wars: The Controversy Over Reparations for Slavery on page 12, (use the Look Inside feature, and read the “The Ad” chapter, starting on page 9).

It wasn’t enough that the governors of “the several States” locked down and destroyed their economies. Nor was it enough that young fatherless hoodlums torch cities, destroy property, and loot stores. No, we also have to wring another $14.7T out of taxpayers. President Trump is working to get business, money, and jobs to come back to America. Bob Johnson’s brilliant proposal will only chase all that away.

Jon N. Hall of ULTRACON OPINION is a programmer from Kansas City.