Sunday, August 15, 2004
German Genocide in Namibia:
Germany has taken responsibility for a genocide that took place 100 years ago in Namibia. The relatives are attempting to get compensation from the Germans for the crime. I don't hold out much hope for them. While it is appropriate and mature of the Germans to admit the truth, it is difficult to hold them responsible today for what happened so long ago. Every nation has similar events in their past. Trying to correct these actions today is mostly futile. While we must all accept the horrors in our past in order to heal..... punitive actions should be reserved for crimes in which the perpetrators are at least still alive. We are not responsible for the actions of our great- grandparents. Many ancient crimes must go unpunished, at least in this life. Even if we wanted to take it further, it is very difficult to understand the situation as it existed in the past. That wrongs have been done goes without question. History is full of them. Acceptance of these actions as fact is a must for us to grow and evolve as well as preventing re-occurrences. However, we must focus on the crimes of today, in terms of justice and prevention. There are plenty of crimes going on everyday which could be prevented or failing that at least prosecuted. Alas, many of the current crimes are ignored until far too late to prevent. This should be the focus of our efforts. We must learn from the past and apply it to the present for any good to come from it at all. Genocides are being committed everyday. As much now as at any time in the past. The Germans have taken a step forward by trying to come to terms with their past. There are many nations who might take their example and deal with the crimes in their own past. Not in an effort to make up for it, because frankly we can't make up for this type of crime no matter what we do. The best we can do is try to make sure it doesn't happen again. It is in this regard that we are still failing terribly.
Germany has taken responsibility for a genocide that took place 100 years ago in Namibia. The relatives are attempting to get compensation from the Germans for the crime. I don't hold out much hope for them. While it is appropriate and mature of the Germans to admit the truth, it is difficult to hold them responsible today for what happened so long ago. Every nation has similar events in their past. Trying to correct these actions today is mostly futile. While we must all accept the horrors in our past in order to heal..... punitive actions should be reserved for crimes in which the perpetrators are at least still alive. We are not responsible for the actions of our great- grandparents. Many ancient crimes must go unpunished, at least in this life. Even if we wanted to take it further, it is very difficult to understand the situation as it existed in the past. That wrongs have been done goes without question. History is full of them. Acceptance of these actions as fact is a must for us to grow and evolve as well as preventing re-occurrences. However, we must focus on the crimes of today, in terms of justice and prevention. There are plenty of crimes going on everyday which could be prevented or failing that at least prosecuted. Alas, many of the current crimes are ignored until far too late to prevent. This should be the focus of our efforts. We must learn from the past and apply it to the present for any good to come from it at all. Genocides are being committed everyday. As much now as at any time in the past. The Germans have taken a step forward by trying to come to terms with their past. There are many nations who might take their example and deal with the crimes in their own past. Not in an effort to make up for it, because frankly we can't make up for this type of crime no matter what we do. The best we can do is try to make sure it doesn't happen again. It is in this regard that we are still failing terribly.
# posted by Wil Smith : 6:42 a.m.
