Are we responsible for our ancestors wrongs?

Should people living now be held responsible for what their ancestors did 10, 50 or 100 years ago?

ofcourse not, we all have free will to make our own decisions,and be responsible for them.if we were to be judged by our ancestors we would all be labeled thieving murdering lying bastards, the human race has a violent history ,and we are all touched by it.
there is ofcourse a reason for it...but tha'ts an other story.

I often debate this in my mind because of slavery and how the Indians were treated. Many still feel we owe for that and I realize many, many people were wronged, but also wonder if it's not a wrong to give some more privileges than others, just because of what happened so long ago. How can equality ever be equal, if some are still treated differently?

Breezey Breezey wrote:I often debate this in my mind because of slavery and how the Indians were treated. Many still feel we owe for that and I realize many, many people were wronged, but also wonder if it's not a wrong to give some more privileges than others, just because of what happened so long ago. How can equality ever be equal, if some are still treated differently?

Responsible? No.
However, any people with a conscience !
ought to feel some responsiblity to correct it.
More priveldges? I'm not sure what you're referring to.

More privileges... some use that description for what others are getting or are entitled to that others aren't... I guess that would cover casinos?

The conscience part.. I agree. It's sad and really hard to imagine what many went through and why anyone thought it was okay to do many of the things that were done.
I think many now though... feel the debt has been paid? I don't know.. I hadn't really given it much thought how things are until recently.

I think - if you ask the average black person -
they are STILL!! disadvantaged beyond belief.
(Not talking about the occasional "user" type.)
For every deserving kid who got "breaks" by people
bending over backward to show they're not prejudiced -
there are THOUSANDS! still discriminated against.

Racism toward Blacks isn't a thing of the past.
It is as bad - or worse- now than it ever has been.

Affirmative Action is hardly the wunderkind "we" think it is.

As to the Native Americans -
for every rich tribe -from oil, land (which they've ha to sell off to become wealthy) or casinos... there are thousands! that live in squalor and are
discriminated against.
There are many many more tribes/Reservations "out there"
who live hand-to-mouth - and trust me; the occasional "Indian Hospital"
and / or agreement to build a house (on Reservation ! land, BTW)
is hardly "compensation".
People "of color" are still 2nd-class citizens here.

Ja'aj! Thank you! Now I have something to work with that I hadn't thought about. Do you know.. it's really sad that even though certain people are reaping the benefits and yet.. many others still aren't?
I have to think about this.

I agree with Jaaj. Take a drive through a typical Indian reservation, or a ghetto, and I believe you will probably agree as well.

Okay...
I get it, but wasn't asking because I truly believe that.. others do and I wanted to get other viewpoints. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Breezey Breezey wrote:Okay...
I get it, but wasn't asking because I truly believe that.. others do and I wanted to get other viewpoints. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You might consider saying that, cuz you asked the Q,
and are using the personal pronoun.
I'm happy to hear you don't think that. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

"Ja'aj!
Thank you! Now I have something to work with that I hadn't
thought
about. Do you know.. it's really sad that even though
certain people
are reaping the benefits and yet.. many others
still aren't? I have to think about this."

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] You're welcome... always happy to help. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

You might also consider that racism abounds
vis-a-vis the Native American
(and THEY are NOT! "illegals", nor are the Blacks. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.])
PLUS ... the "Tribe" is governed - and that group usually
(see: nearly always) enjoys the bulk of the wealth.
Neat, huh? Fooey.

Ja'aj, I am thinking about the sad part of... Indians being given rights to casinos and reservations, but not all really benefit from it... the black people.. the rights they are given, doesn't benefit all either. That is what I am thinking about.
Now be nice and remember not all questions asked by the asker are the asker's opinion, belief or problem. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I guess the thing is... no matter who it is, the rights or privileges given to a group, not all ever benefit... Indian, black, poor, etc.. somehow, the system still fails?

No we are not. We are only accountable for our wrongs. When Haiti had the earthquake there were some people that believed it happened because of theuir ancestors making a pact with the devil. Not true. One thing we must remember is the rain falls on the just and the unjust and the rises on the same. And for the subject of the Indians have their native land taken and certain privaliges by our forefathers and murdered by them. we are not responsible for that neither. We were not there so we did not participate in such events. Some people try to continue to place blame on us because of our ancestors. But that is because they don't have the sense of forgiveness. The fact of the matter is only we are accountable for what we do. Our ancestors are accountable for what they did.

Hi, Roger!
WELCOME TO YAFOOEY! I'm Ja'aj.

"we are not responsible for that neither. We were not there so we did
not participate in such events. "

True. It is still a good idea to try to make amends, isn't it?
"We" weren't responsible for any of the natural disasters
that occur around the world - to say nothing of the
pogroms,attempts at genocide, etc.
But ... "we" still show up and try like hell to help.
It is the very least we can do as human beings.

Well yes it is. As a loving person that cares for mankind, we do what we can to show that we are not responsible for the actions of our ancestors. We can not change what happened but we can do our part to make the present better and the future. Still we have to face people that will not see it the way we do. As a christian I believe that we must always follow the 2 greatest commandments. Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind and strength. And to love thy neighbor as thyself. Every individual is our neighbor. No matter where they are or who they are. What we do is to not have the mentality of hate and revenge. We leave that to God. If the chance was to arrive for me to do services to help someone in need I will do it. I am in a ministry that feed the homeless of all races and creed, I do work free of charge for some poeple that I know are not able to pay. I speak against racism and crime in the community. Still no matter what we do it will never change the past. All we can do is make now better and give our children and their children a better future.

HELLO ROGER

AS JAAJ SAID ,MAKE AMENDS.
OUR FORMER PRIME MINISTER, KEVIN RUDD DID APOLOGISE TO THE ABORIGINES OF THIS CONTRY WHO WERE SO BADLY TREATED.MOST OF WHICH YOU WILL NOT FIND IN SCHOOL HISTORY BOOKS, TO HORRIBLE.
IT WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED ,AND GAVE CLOSURE TO MANY,TRUE YOU CANT CHANGE THE PAST, BUT YOU CAN RECOGNISE THE WRONGS THAT WERE DONE AND APPOLOGISE AS RUDD DID,IT MEANS MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER REALISE.

"Now be nice and remember not all questions asked by the asker are the asker's opinion, belief or problem. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] "

Breeeeee.......
No. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] };>

EDIT:
Actually (I bet you already know this) it never occured to me
that that was your opinion/whatever...
AND... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
it would make no difference to my answer(s). [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Also I just thought of something...
(yes I did too.)

Consider ALL THE LAWS! against discrimination -
in schools, housing, jobs, blah-blah-blah...
HAH!
You can pass a law ; you can NOT! change people's prejudices.
The is ALWAYS! a way around them.
Bussing; Affirmative Action; Women In The Workplace, yada yada.
All hardly foolproof; ALL circumvented - every day; ALL day.

Three quotes for your consideration:

"I begin here. In this moment.
I am not a pawn or victim or puppet." -- Terry Hershey

"In the time of your life, live -- so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite variety and mystery of it." -- William Saraoyan

"Every morning you are handed 24 golden hours. They are one of the few things in this world that you get free of charge. If you had all the money in the world, you couldn't buy an extra hour." -- Author Unknown

Carpe diem! ("Seize the day!")

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] Bun-EEEE!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Good ones...
you left out:
"Arrested for driving while being Black."
And "The only good Indian is a dead Indian."
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Seriously - where HAVE! you been?
(...like we don't know) How's your damned LAWN?
We MISS! you. };>

Ja'aj wrote:
Seriously - where HAVE! you been?
(...like we don't know) How's your damned LAWN?
We MISS! you. };>

Hi there!
I've just been a bit busy.
There's always plenty to do around here.
And it's so HOT that I'm about to melt!

"Should people living now be held responsible for what their ancestors did 10, 50 or 100 years ago?"


TEN ! YEARS AGO....??
Unless yoer're talking about someone born TODAY...
That would be "us". So yeah, TEN years ago -
you damned betcha! Who else?
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] and on and on and on.
The "buck" has got to STOP... somewhere.