[realradicalwash]

Just to be sure that the passage is not misinterpreted (not saying you do, OP): This was not said to excuse the Germans from the responsibility of facing their history.

I can personally be not guilty and yet, by being part of a society that builds on a troubled past, bear the responsibilities that come with that past (responsibility to do better, reparations, making amends, and alike).

And in this spirit, Weizaecker continued: "No discerning person can expect them to wear a penitential robe simply because they are Germans. But their forefathers have left them a grave legacy. All of us, whether guilty or not, whether old or young, must accept the past. We are all affected by its consequences and liable for it. The young and old generations must and can help each other to understand why it is vital to keep alive the memories."

This point can imv be applied to many historical failings and their long lasting legacies.

[untog]

> This point can imv be applied to many historical failings and their long lasting legacies.

Feels particularly resonant at this point in the United States. I've heard the argument before that slavery was abolished long ago, so it's time to move on. Unfortunately to the contrary: the effects are still with us. That doesn't mean us white folks have to assume personal guilt as if we held slaves ourselves, but we should be active in making amends.

[munificent]

The Black Lives Matter protests have spawned a number of interesting conversations with my kids. One is on the difference between "fault" and "responsibility". They are similar: both imply an obligation to make amends or otherwise fix a problem.

"Fault" means you are responsible because you caused the problem. You break it, you fix it.

But as we get older and take on a greater share of the burdens and rewards of social connections and community, we become responsible for things that are not our fault. If my stove breaks, I am responsible for fixing it. I didn't break it—stuff just breaks on its own sometimes—but I own it, and ownership comes with that responsibility.

I see many people who, maybe from a lack of maturity, don't understand you can carry responsibility without fault. I think part of the pushback against Black Lives Matter is that when you tell white Americans that they are now responsible for systemic racism and the injustices of America's past, they hear that as "you should feel guilty for these". They get angry because they don't think it's fair that they should feel bad for something that isn't their fault.

Black Lives Matter is not about saying that most white people today personally caused most of the problems black people face (though there are certainly a minor of awful racist people who do). It's about acknowledging that having ownership of all of the many many benefits of being a white American today comes with some responsibilities as well. If life is a videogame, it's like we're playing the game in easy mode and we spawned with a bunch of free loot. It's not our fault that others didn't spawn so lucky, but we do have the loot and it carries the responsibility that we use it to help lift up others.

Our privilege is not supposed to be a source of guilt or shame, but a duty and opportunity to use it to help others.

[kmonsen]

The US also needs at some point to acknowledge it's past evils. Perhaps no penance is needed, but it is need to acknowledge the evils of the confederacy (and many other things like redlining, but I feel those are widely believed as wrong today).

We as a country need our own truth and reconciliation commission.

[lefstathiou]

Out of curiosity what does “acknowledge” mean to you?

I want to do my part to acknowledge, just want to make sure we are aligned on definitions.

[kmonsen]

I'm not too into the specifics, but if you are interested take a listen to Bryan Stevenson: https://www.npr.org/books/authors/356964348/bryan-stevenson https://www.vox.com/2017/5/24/15675606/bryan-stevenson-confe...

Short story: Having confederate monuments and the way history is thought in schools in some places is for sure a start. We need to get away from the south did nothing wrong, and of course put focus on what the north did wrong as well. There is a reason Minnesota is not the best place to live for black people.

[magicsmoke]

To put a more cynical twist on it for those less emotionally inclined, the contradiction between a US that believes in equality between humans and 30% of its population suffering from the legacy of slavery will eventually tear US society apart. It doesn't matter if you don't personally feel guilt or the need to fix this racial inequality, if this issue doesn't get fixed there may not be a US in the future. Responsibility means dealing with the problems of life even if you don't want to and wish it didn't exist before those problems spiral out of control.