I don't think that you shouldn't excuse something, just because something similar or worse than it has happened before.
Like, if somebody burns my entire house down and then steals my handbag a week later. Should the stealing of the handbag be excused just because my house got burnt down first? They're both still bad things that have happened and should be apologised for.
You forgot the USA apologising to the Native Americans or the African Americans. There are other examples, too, from all around the world
I don't know how I feel about this. I think it does a nation good when they acknowlege past mistakes, but I agree that it needs to be clear that it doesn't mean that all the current inhabitants aren't guilty of the sins of the ancestors. That's why I have a problem with reparations. My ancestors never owned slaves. My ancestors had nothing to do with the westward expansion. Why should taxes collected from me go to the descendants of people who were the victims in those cases -- and in some cases aren't really descendants but may have similar complexions? Reparations get very tricky. Apologies, well, if a nation does wrong it doesn't hurt to fess up even if it's years later.
Yo, havent been on for a while, just read this and tis very interesting.
We had a similar situation in the UK last year when Tony Blair apologised for Britains actions in the slave trade which was met with widespread criticism, I dunno really what I feel, I think we should acknowledge terrible attroctices committed by past generations rather than sweeping them under the carpet. but apologising for somthing that was ended by our country over 200 years ago seems a step to far.
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Like, if somebody burns my entire house down and then steals my handbag a week later. Should the stealing of the handbag be excused just because my house got burnt down first? They're both still bad things that have happened and should be apologised for.
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I don't know how I feel about this. I think it does a nation good when they acknowlege past mistakes, but I agree that it needs to be clear that it doesn't mean that all the current inhabitants aren't guilty of the sins of the ancestors. That's why I have a problem with reparations. My ancestors never owned slaves. My ancestors had nothing to do with the westward expansion. Why should taxes collected from me go to the descendants of people who were the victims in those cases -- and in some cases aren't really descendants but may have similar complexions? Reparations get very tricky. Apologies, well, if a nation does wrong it doesn't hurt to fess up even if it's years later.
Just my two cents.
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We had a similar situation in the UK last year when Tony Blair apologised for Britains actions in the slave trade which was met with widespread criticism, I dunno really what I feel, I think we should acknowledge terrible attroctices committed by past generations rather than sweeping them under the carpet. but apologising for somthing that was ended by our country over 200 years ago seems a step to far.
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