First of all, there’s a very real possibility that McConnell had no idea that his family owned slaves, just like not all of those of German descent know if their family members were Nazis. He may not have omitted that. He could have not known.

Not only that but how does the government determine who gets repaid? Is it every single current living descendant? Every descendant that comes in the future? People could very well have more kids between now and when the end of slavery tracking takes place, although, theoretically, it could be one giant never-ending project. We’re talking about family history over hundreds of years. And at what point are decedents of slaves considered “repaid?”

Why does being against reparations mean that the person’s family had a history of owning slaves? Can’t people, like McConnell, not agree with slavery even if his family members may have owned slaves? People do evolve and move away from their family politically.