Revised paragraph: America is founded on discrimination and racism, so what happens when we are asked by the black community to make reparations for our actions? The answer is simple. We refuse to admit our wrongdoings. The term “reparations” refers to the act of making amends for unjust actions against a specific person or group. Ta-Nehisi Coates, in The Case for Reparations, explains what the HR 40 bill is and why he believes Americans are so keen to ignore it. This attempted erasure of America’s history of white supremacy is caused by many things. One explanation can be our fixed mindset. The term coined by Carol Dweck in her TedTalk The Power of Yet shows the narrowmindedness that is exhibited when a call for reparations is made. Similarly, ideas such as emotional reasoning from The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathon Haidt could show America’s aversion for reparations. There is no excuse for the constant refusal of reparations that this country has shown.  America is simply far too self righteous to admit the pain to the black community that we have caused in the past, that we are currently causing and that we will inevitably cause if we continue to let our hubris get in the way of actual change and a chance for reparations. 

Conclusion draft: This country cannot make change unless we allow ourselves to see our actions for what they truly are. We are so stuck on maintaining this seemingly unassailable facade of greatness. Pride in our country is good but not if what we pride ourselves in is continual discrimination and shamful ignorance of our past. The United States is built on a grim foundation composed of the heinous actions of our founding fathers and we continue to build up using those materials completely ignoring the blood on our own hands now.  To ignore is to condone.  There must be change in this country. We must open our eyes and rebuild ourselves so we can achieve actual greatness.  The white man cannot be great alone. It is with our black brothers and sisters by our side in equal greatness that true success will be achieved.