What if trump isn’t held accountable?

[LDAHL]

https://www.newsweek.com/painting-lo...-years-1679513

That works for individual works of art, but how do you trace the provenance of Western Europe or North America? How far back should we be willing to go?

[catherine]

OK. So noted. History happened, and sometimes it wasn’t pretty. But what’s “appropriate”. A “stolen land acknowledgment” before every gathering? Some kind of race-based national day of penitence? Knocking down a few more statues and renaming some schools? If you go back far enough, we all have some villains and some victims in our pedigrees. Who’s in charge of the calculations of which group owes what to who?

What is appropriate is recognizing the truth. You can only admit to yourself what the truth is. If enough people do that, justice will eventually be served in one way or the other. if one feels more comfortable in denial or in resistance to the truth, humanity will never progress. We are all human beings first. After that we can label ourselves any way we choose--as long as we recognize our shared humanity first.

[bae]

That works for individual works of art, but how do you trace the provenance of Western Europe or North America? How far back should we be willing to go?

Well, rather than arguing that since it is difficult to remedy the injustices perpetrated upon the Neanderthal by Homo Sapiens we should just smile and move on, how about we start with specific recent events, and the ongoing consequences of them?

Rather than, say, trying to suppress the votes of people who aren't members of the dominant culture? And trying to eliminate discussion of such issues in our public educational system?

[LDAHL]

What is appropriate is recognizing the truth. You can only admit to yourself what the truth is. If enough people do that, justice will eventually be served in one way or the other. if one feels more comfortable in denial or in resistance to the truth, humanity will never progress. We are all human beings first. After that we can label ourselves any way we choose--as long as we recognize our shared humanity first.

Except for a few outliers, everybody acknowledges historical injustice. But apart from empty pieties and virtue signaling, what should the practical response be?

[JaneV2.0]

I don't feel responsible for my priggish ancestors--just disgusted by them. But witch hunters may be in vogue again, if Samuel Alito is any indicator.

[catherine]

Except for a few outliers, everybody acknowledges historical injustice. But apart from empty pieties and virtue signaling, what should the practical response be?

Why don't you ask the Native American communities?

[iris lilies]

Why don't you ask the Native American communities?

I think the native American communities that own all that land in Palm Springs where homeowners pay leases fir the land their house sits on are doing pretty well.

[JaneV2.0]

I think the native American communities that own all that land in Palm Springs where homeowners pay leases fir the land their house sits on are doing pretty well.

Wealthy tribes are the outliers, from what I've seen.
At least we could learn from our mistakes (or crimes, more realistically), which it's not clear we have.

[catherine]

Wealthy tribes are the outliers, from what I've seen.
At least we could learn from our mistakes (or crimes, more realistically), which it's not clear we have.

They could also be great teachers with regard to how we view and manage our natural "resources."

[bae]

They could also be great teachers with regard to how we view and manage our natural "resources."

I think that outlook runs the danger of committing another "sin" - fetishization of Native American wisdom and cultural practices.