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Originally Posted by hkbajwa  Well the fact is that all of the things mentioned have already been addressed and laws have been amended. In fact i would say that contant focus on PREVIOUS wrongs prevents people from righting TODAY'S wrongs.
Now i know that racism and anti-semitism still abounds, but you cannot ask a society to apologize for the opinions of a few people TODAY. The fact is that from an institutional perspective, these things have been fixed.
It is equally unfair to hold the son responsible for the sins of his father. | I don't think that anyone can argue the fact that generations carry the pain of previous generations; after all who is teaching the children?
Such an apology carries symbolic meaning if no actual force. In the same way that, in a situation between two people, one saying "You are right, I'm sorry" makes the other feel better even if no other action is taken. Sometimes the symbolic act helps to create a sense of closure.
If slavery had ended and everyone had been considered equal from that point on, this would be much less of an issue. We have people LIVING that have spent a good chunk of their lives being treated as LESS than the dominant class. Changing laws does not change attitudes, nor does it change the anger or resentment of past hurts.
Personally, I don't see that the apology is that big of a deal, but it may well offer a sense of validation to many. It can do no harm, but can potentially help. It should go forward. |