David Horowitz: The man who started it

David Horowitz is a leftist-turned-conservative who has written many biographies of prominent American families, including the Rockefellers, the Kennedys, and the Roosevelts.

A former editor of the leftist Vietnam War-era magazine Ramparts, Horowitz slowly drifted over the years to the political right. He now runs Front Page magazine, a conservative Web publication, and leads the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, a conservative group based in Los Angeles. He is also a regular columnist at Salon.com.

In his 10-point advertisement, entitled, "Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Slavery is a Bad Idea and Racist Too," Horowitz argues that black Americans don't need to be compensated for the slavery of their ancestors because whites ended slavery 136 years ago. He also noted that most white Americans' ancestors didn't even own slaves.

Horowitz, who called reparations "one more attempt to turn African Americans into victims," also points out that blacks already have access to compensation through welfare and affirmative action programs. He asserted that black Americans are better off economically than black Africans, and owe a debt of gratitude to their country for the freedom and prosperity they enjoy.

While Horowitz has said that he has made peace with being branded a conservative troublemaker, he told the Los Angeles Times in April that he was deeply offended at being called a racist.