History all over the world is often full of movements and existences based upon guilt. This is not just in the United States. It is all over in history, yet my perspectives will focus more on United States history as that is where I am from. The things I am speaking of with regard to the US are still current an relevant. I do suspect similar historical GUILT is pushed upon people in all countries in one way or another.
I don't own a slave.
I have never owned a slave.
This is true of my parents.
This is true of my Grand Parents.
This is true of my Great Grand Parents (I only met one).
I cannot say farther back than that.
I did not run anyone off of their land.
My parents did not run anyone off of their land.
My grand parents did not run anyone off of their land.
I suspect this is true of my great grand parents as well, but I don't know 100% so I won't state it is.
The point is this. I am not guilty of slavery. In fact I've never met a slave in my life time.
I am not guilty of stealing someone's land. I've seen people lose their land due to government corruption and other things, but I've never been party to it. In fact, my grand mother lost some land that way.
So since I know no living slaves, and I encounter people that bring up the slave card as though they need reparations. Reparations for what? I didn't do anything to you. Reparations for ancestors far removed? Okay... how far can we go back, as I believe everyone can find examples of their ancestors being wronged in some way depending upon how far we go back. So I guess if we're going to hand out reparations for suffering and ill treatment to those that never experienced it then we ALL can get such reparations.
An interesting thing about the stealing land. This comes up with Native Americans, it comes up with the La Raza movement, etc. Yet none living experienced that. None living perpetrated that.
In fact those cases had histories of tribal warfare and people stealing land before the events they are speaking of. So do we go back to the animals that it was stolen from? (speaking actual animals, not humans acting like them)
Furthermore, if we want to get on the stolen land bandwagon. I have Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Cherokee ancestry. I am very pale skinned. Yet if ancestors are all that matter I too can be making the claim. Yet inevitably I will be one that they say "You stole our land" when in fact I have never stolen any land.
Did my ancestors? I'm sure some did.
Their actions are not mine. I refuse to pay someone for something I did not do. I will own up to my own choices and the consequences of those choices but I will NOT accept responsibility for actions and choices made by someone else. It's simple.
