Is it fair to blame a current generation of people for their long dead ancestors crimes?

[Still-alive]

So lets say long ago some ancestors committed some egregious crimes such as slavery or were nazis or whatever. But they are all long since dead and gone. the current generations of those ancestors are now living. is it fair to blame the current generation for those crimes their ancestors committed?

It's not fair and shouldn't be done

It's not fair but it is understandable

It is fair and right to do

[Flatmanlewis]

No. It’s not. In fact, such thinking is shockingly narrow minded. I’ll use, for example, my own family history. We can directly trace our lineage to family which fought in the Civil War. Most fought for the Union. A few for the South. Which of the family members do I get credit for? What if an ancestor bought slaves (an unarguably despicable act) but did so to keep families United and even shuttle them to freedom? What if my ancestors, in WWII, were card carrying Nazi’s but were double-agents and actively worked to subvert Nazi activities from their positions of knowledge? Perhaps even help French Resistance assassinate Nazi officers?

Add to that the possession of land has ALWAYS been transitory. There are almost no peoples on earth, in any developed nation, and many developing or primitive ones, that are sitting on the land which has always been theirs. Land transfers from people to people as tribes assimilate, wars happen, treaties form, and trades and deals are made.


History is far to complex to be broken down into a formula of collective blame.

[ManOnFire]

You make a great point about having ancestors who would've fought on both sides.

[Flatmanlewis]

Thanks man. I dork out on history pretty bad. It’s my jam.

[ManOnFire]

I voted B for the reason that in some sense it is understandable because this present generation can still maintain a mentality like the past one that the injured group is still lesser and lowly. Even if they don't directly say it, actions and behaviors do.

However, I prefer not to blame the present generation overall because just look at the Jews: they went through hell under the Germans but in the modern world they're not holding any grudges against the present generation of Germans.

[GOLDFISH_smile]

No ofc not, but it is fair to expect the past crimes and effects to be acknowledged and dealt with fairly.

For smaller, simpler example, like if my dad robbed some guy before I was born and then gave me the money in my inheritance when he died. Well then, I find out that it was stolen money, and I find out that the kid of the guy he stole it from didn't get any inheritance from their dad bc of my dad's actions. It wouldn't be right to send me to jail for robbery bc I didn't rob anyone. It would be fair to expect me to give the money my dad stole to the kid of the guy he stole it from tho. Bc it should have been their money, not mine.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Are you talking about Alabama? The state that’s been pointed out for being super racist following the sheltering of former fleeing SS agents from WW2? The state that’s been clocked a few times now for having districts drawn to give a white majority vote despite having as many black people in the state? Whether or not those people are dead, their influence lives on in the generations they raised and THAT is what people are punishing, following the influence of nazis and slave traders generations later and making life worse for others based on nothing other than the color of their skin.

[Still-alive]

I'm not referring to anything in particular. im speaking generally. is this something 'right' to do.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Do you disagree with what I said about punishing the actions fueled by the influence of generations past?

[Still-alive]

If they committed any atrocities themselves yes they should be punished. but if not then we should just leave em alone.

[Still-alive]

If you're talking about gerrymandering in that state, i believe thats been corrected recently by scotus. i do believe THAT is wrong of course.

But if you mean racists just voting? then whatever. not much we can or should do legally about that.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

They called for another redraw

[Still-alive]

They'll keep getting struck down.

[madhatters4]

not we shouldn't blame someone living today for the actions of their ancestors.

is anyone blaming current people for slavery?

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

It's not fair and shouldn't been done.

[NaultD]

The government as a standing body is different then a individual person.

For instance if you have a war bond from 1917 American Revolution this standing government of united states of America will pay out that war today. Compared to the Confederate war bonds who lost the Civil War are not payed out. It's long dead and gone.

Even documented stolen property as old as 1917 from federal government is criminal to have in your possession. Even if found cleaning your dead families basement. if you want to return it and expect a reward they retain the right to charge you for crimes. They don't follow through but will take back that property without giving a damn about you.

Same can be said with contracts and respected outcomes and payments. If grand united states of America made a declaration or promise and broke it, it is up to us today to make it happen. No real if and or's about it to be the greatest country to be or ever exist we need to uphold any promises ever made.

[lightbulb27]

it's not fair, but if there is a lack of fairness in the ensuing sytstem, then effort to gain equality makes some sense.

I dont hold Mongolia accountable for their crimes in my ancestors country... because I was raised in a good place with resources and opportunites to fair gain above them. So I don't think about it. But if they were living like rich Arabs and I was poor as dirt or cast out because their system was in power and subjugated me (or so I thought), I'd oppose it.

So I can see why some would oppose.

This answer may evolve as the time between crime/current gap narrows. If the crime was within the generation, kinda want it paid off. Whats the statute of liimitations in your heart is the question. The heart can hold onto issues 3 generations... according to the Bible.

[normalice]

"Blame" is just a way to avoid fixing the problem. For things like this we have to ask "what is the problem?" If the problem is ancestors died horribly, alright, but that can't be fixed and the people alive today can't be blamed for it. But if the problem is the ancestors stole from the other ancestors and passed that stolen stuff down through inheritance, that can be fixed.

[Still-alive]

What about land for instance? should that be given back if the ancestors are the ones who stole it?

[normalice]

Hard to say. Ideally yes, but ideals and reality have never been on good terms with each other. Personally, I think it should be a "no one gets any of it until everyone agrees how to divide it up" situation. But why would the people who already hold it agree to something that can only cost them?

[Keyboardkat]

Only if the current generation approves of the wrongs their ancestors did and tries to emulate them! Otherwise, if they are ashamed or embarrassed by what their ancestors did, then it's really not fair, because these people alive now DIDN'T DO IT!

[menina]

No, it's not fair but I can see why it happens. But in the end, it's not their fault.

Sometimes it's hard to separate the past from the present since they're related.

[Sour-rose]

I get it... but still, that ain't right mang. :/ Not supporting it but i can see how one can feel like their hate is justified... but it ain't bruv.

[Joshydavid25]

Not at all especially since everybody's racial or ethnic ancestors did something heinous at one point in time.. People are not even their parents let alone their ancestors..

[IslaTheWitch]

We should learn from previous mistakes and not blame people who didn't do it.

[Slim57]

Never