Guilty? Of what? Having Ancestors Who Made Bad Decisions?
By J. D. Longstreet
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Why does the most powerful nation on the face of the earth allow a third world country such as Iraq, or Iran, to throw us into paroxysms of “conscience wrestling” and cause the US to allow little brushfire wars such as the one in Iraq to go on for years when we could so easily end it in a matter of days, or even hours? In the case of Iran we could literally mop them up in hours.
Why does the all-powerful USA allow another third world neighbor to invade our country and our leaders not find the will to repel the invasion? Why?
Shelby Steele of the Hoover Institute has been pondering the same questions and he has arrived at an answer, which is truly uncomfortable for Americans to hear, but it remains the truth, nevertheless.
In a hard-hitting article at “Opinion Journal.Com” Mr. Steels lays it out for us. If you squirm, as you read it, then you will know the truth hurts but sometimes we must suffer the pain of a diagnosis in order to begin a regimen, which will cure the malady.
Read Mr. Steele’s article in its entirety at:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008318
How much of this is generational? Mr. Steele does not say. But there must be a degree of “generationalism” involved here. I cannot deny he has hit on the truth. But, I have difficulty applying his cause and effect to myself.
If you are a regular visitor to, this site then you know, already, that I have no problem with the use of overwhelming force to realize a military goal. I have no difficulty with that same overwhelming force in defense of this country and the security of its borders.
As a Southern White Male, of European decent, I learned, as a child, to not allow guilt for my ancestor’s actions, both in the old and new country, to be a burden for me. The decisions they made, hundreds of years ago, were their decisions and based upon the best reasoning of that era. I cannot judge them by today’s standards. To attempt to do so leads one to lay that burden of “White Guilt” Mr. Steele speaks of, on one’s own shoulders. I won’t do that.
The result of a guilt-ridden existence is “societal stagnation”. I submit that is where the USA finds itself today.
I am not responsible for what my ancestors did… or didn’t do. Present day America is not responsible for what Past America did… or did not do. Even though there are those who will attempt to hold our mistakes over us, as retribution, we cannot allow it to sap our energy as a nation. We must learn to shrug it off and get on about the business of the world’s only remaining superpower. If the remainder of the world wishes to wallow in their guilt and self-pity… then they are free to do so. But do not expect me, or my country, to join you in that filthy mud hole.
So, get a grip America! We have work to do, places to go, wars to win, discoveries to make, and dreams to fulfill. The past is past. We must keep our eyes fixed on the horizon for there is where the future lies.
Why does the most powerful nation on the face of the earth allow a third world country such as Iraq, or Iran, to throw us into paroxysms of “conscience wrestling” and cause the US to allow little brushfire wars such as the one in Iraq to go on for years when we could so easily end it in a matter of days, or even hours? In the case of Iran we could literally mop them up in hours.
Why does the all-powerful USA allow another third world neighbor to invade our country and our leaders not find the will to repel the invasion? Why?
Shelby Steele of the Hoover Institute has been pondering the same questions and he has arrived at an answer, which is truly uncomfortable for Americans to hear, but it remains the truth, nevertheless.
In a hard-hitting article at “Opinion Journal.Com” Mr. Steels lays it out for us. If you squirm, as you read it, then you will know the truth hurts but sometimes we must suffer the pain of a diagnosis in order to begin a regimen, which will cure the malady.
Read Mr. Steele’s article in its entirety at:
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110008318
How much of this is generational? Mr. Steele does not say. But there must be a degree of “generationalism” involved here. I cannot deny he has hit on the truth. But, I have difficulty applying his cause and effect to myself.
If you are a regular visitor to, this site then you know, already, that I have no problem with the use of overwhelming force to realize a military goal. I have no difficulty with that same overwhelming force in defense of this country and the security of its borders.
As a Southern White Male, of European decent, I learned, as a child, to not allow guilt for my ancestor’s actions, both in the old and new country, to be a burden for me. The decisions they made, hundreds of years ago, were their decisions and based upon the best reasoning of that era. I cannot judge them by today’s standards. To attempt to do so leads one to lay that burden of “White Guilt” Mr. Steele speaks of, on one’s own shoulders. I won’t do that.
The result of a guilt-ridden existence is “societal stagnation”. I submit that is where the USA finds itself today.
I am not responsible for what my ancestors did… or didn’t do. Present day America is not responsible for what Past America did… or did not do. Even though there are those who will attempt to hold our mistakes over us, as retribution, we cannot allow it to sap our energy as a nation. We must learn to shrug it off and get on about the business of the world’s only remaining superpower. If the remainder of the world wishes to wallow in their guilt and self-pity… then they are free to do so. But do not expect me, or my country, to join you in that filthy mud hole.
So, get a grip America! We have work to do, places to go, wars to win, discoveries to make, and dreams to fulfill. The past is past. We must keep our eyes fixed on the horizon for there is where the future lies.
J. D. Longstreet
***********************
I am responsible only for what I do, not what my ancestors did and not what my decendants might do.
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