Another way I think about this is that there have to be consequences to evil deeds. It’s a shame that the current generations have to make amends for the evils of their ancestors but there’s a job to be done and the ancestors aren’t here anymore to own up and make restitution. You can’t just write things off as “oh well, not MY bad”. I grew up with a family that lost their home, furnishings, and art when they had to flee the Nazi takeover of Hungary. The descendents have successfully sued to get their family’s art back from the museums that held the art since after WW II. It’s a shame that those museums are financially hurt by that loss but the art never belonged to them in the first place.

Naive or not, my hope is that all the effort that current generations have to put into correcting the wrongs of the past–whether it be adhering to the original treaties with Native Americans, celebrating Black History Month, or funding the Holocaust Museum–will hopefully prevent a repeat of racism/prejudice/genocide in the future.