Dear Editor:

George Floyd’s death demands national confrontation of our historic, ingrained racism.

Reparations are fundamental towards atonement.

Not in cash. Not with privilege. But with equal, unfettered access:

To health care.

To higher public education.

To the ballot.

To our justice system.

These are four critical tools of a modern, 21st century democratic society.

Equal access would benefit not just ethnic and racial minorities but all Americans striving for the American dream.

“Reparations” would be the taxes all Americans would pay for universal access to healthcare (through something akin to extended Medicare) and to higher public education through our state universities.

“Reparations” would also be the political courage and grit of our elected officials — national, state and local — to overcome the racial bias buried in our national DNA and vote through and carry out these reforms.

But, again, all Americans would benefit.

A fully participative economy would boom.

And, our culture could take giants steps toward fulfilling its historic promise.

Hamilton Meserve

Newagen