Post by Keith on May 24, 2007 23:23:19 GMT -8
My mother and her family had witnessed various atrocities at the hands of both United States and North Vietnamese Communist troops during the Vietnam War. It's not different from the acts of slavery instilled by the Whites on the African-Americans through the 18th and 19th centuries. But we learned we cannot hold people accountable for the acts of their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or other ancestors. If you have a famous father for example, his accomplishments are not your accomplishments. If your father did a lot of bad things, his sins are not your sins.
What is done is done. Trying to force an apology will not undo the acts of slavery back in the past. Yes, slavery took place and that's part of history. That's all it's apart of, history. We can always look back in the history books and read what to look out for. None of us were existant during the time of slavery. My family wouldn't be in the United States for over a century. Apologizing for the slave trade is just obsessing over the past. There is no good that can come out of obsessing.
The past does not determine the outcome of the future. What we do in the present determines the outcome of the future. We're always living in the present. Every second we live and breathe is the present. Every second before is considered the past. Every second after is considered the future. The past was just ten seconds ago and the future will be ten seconds later. While I'm typing this article, it's all being done in the present. About an hour into the future, I'll be done typing this article. Once I post it, it's going to be present time. I know this is going to sound confusing, but it goes what we do in the present determines the outcome of the future.
We can reflect upon the past and learn but not obsess about. Wanting an apology for what ones ancestors did falls on the line of obsessing. Constant obsessing is going to leave you miserable. If you're a decendent of the slaves, you shouldn't obsess for an apology. I doubt the ancestors who were forced into slavery would want you to obsess about it as well. We have our own lives to live. Don't let an obsession run your life. If you're busy obsessing about the past, you will not be able to live in the present, in turn your future is going to be very bleak.
I wasn't part of the indignity, therefore I owe them nothing. I posted a question about reparations on the message board, one person replied: "Did you pick cotton? Did your parents pick cotton?" There's plenty of people's ancestors that have suffered indignities at the hands of other people's ancestors. But they didn't ask for some sort of an apology. We addressed it and moved on.
Instead of obsessing, focus on the present. Focus on the present you can build bridges and keep other possible indignities from every existing. Obsessing about the past will only make things worse and cause many more indignities. All we can do is move on and leave the past behind. Leave the past behind and you'll be free. Obsess about the past and you'll have a huge heavy weight on your shoulder that's going to keep you stuck to the past.
If you're stuck to the past you'll be alone. So instead of obsessing about an apology and the indignity to your ancestors, let it go and focus more on life. There are plenty of indignities in this world today. Let's focus on combatting those instead of obsessing of long dead indignities of the past.
I remember one episode of the West Wing where Lymen had a talk with this African-American man who signed off on a book agreeing with reparations. He explained the reasons for it. No amount of money nor an apology is going to undo what's been done in the past. He also went on to explain that the forefathers never meant for this country to be "finished." What that meant to him is continue to build bridges between communities. Once a bridge starts to faulter repair it before it's too late. If there's a big gap, start building a bridge over it. Something that should perfectly make sense.
Obsession will only be rewarded with "broken bridges."
www.helium.com/tm/261576/mother-family-witnessed-various
What is done is done. Trying to force an apology will not undo the acts of slavery back in the past. Yes, slavery took place and that's part of history. That's all it's apart of, history. We can always look back in the history books and read what to look out for. None of us were existant during the time of slavery. My family wouldn't be in the United States for over a century. Apologizing for the slave trade is just obsessing over the past. There is no good that can come out of obsessing.
The past does not determine the outcome of the future. What we do in the present determines the outcome of the future. We're always living in the present. Every second we live and breathe is the present. Every second before is considered the past. Every second after is considered the future. The past was just ten seconds ago and the future will be ten seconds later. While I'm typing this article, it's all being done in the present. About an hour into the future, I'll be done typing this article. Once I post it, it's going to be present time. I know this is going to sound confusing, but it goes what we do in the present determines the outcome of the future.
We can reflect upon the past and learn but not obsess about. Wanting an apology for what ones ancestors did falls on the line of obsessing. Constant obsessing is going to leave you miserable. If you're a decendent of the slaves, you shouldn't obsess for an apology. I doubt the ancestors who were forced into slavery would want you to obsess about it as well. We have our own lives to live. Don't let an obsession run your life. If you're busy obsessing about the past, you will not be able to live in the present, in turn your future is going to be very bleak.
I wasn't part of the indignity, therefore I owe them nothing. I posted a question about reparations on the message board, one person replied: "Did you pick cotton? Did your parents pick cotton?" There's plenty of people's ancestors that have suffered indignities at the hands of other people's ancestors. But they didn't ask for some sort of an apology. We addressed it and moved on.
Instead of obsessing, focus on the present. Focus on the present you can build bridges and keep other possible indignities from every existing. Obsessing about the past will only make things worse and cause many more indignities. All we can do is move on and leave the past behind. Leave the past behind and you'll be free. Obsess about the past and you'll have a huge heavy weight on your shoulder that's going to keep you stuck to the past.
If you're stuck to the past you'll be alone. So instead of obsessing about an apology and the indignity to your ancestors, let it go and focus more on life. There are plenty of indignities in this world today. Let's focus on combatting those instead of obsessing of long dead indignities of the past.
I remember one episode of the West Wing where Lymen had a talk with this African-American man who signed off on a book agreeing with reparations. He explained the reasons for it. No amount of money nor an apology is going to undo what's been done in the past. He also went on to explain that the forefathers never meant for this country to be "finished." What that meant to him is continue to build bridges between communities. Once a bridge starts to faulter repair it before it's too late. If there's a big gap, start building a bridge over it. Something that should perfectly make sense.
Obsession will only be rewarded with "broken bridges."
www.helium.com/tm/261576/mother-family-witnessed-various