Is it OK to benefit from a genocide done a long time ago?

Question

I benefit from the genocide of the American Indians centuries ago. Is that just? Why or why not.

Answer 1

Well, I'm a Caucasian American, so I'm aware that I've benefited from some of the negative things my ancestors have done.

Hearing about some of what happened (such as purposefully infecting Indians with smallbox and measles, for example, to wipe them out), I've been sickened. If I had been in their situation, a century, two centuries, four centuries ago, I would like to believe that I would not have participated in such atrocity and even fought against it.

Same thing with the black slave trade. While my ancestors did not participate, I can sympathize with descendents of the slaves who are still in dire economic straits, partly due to circumstances beyond their control.

That all being said, however, when does the moral "statute of limitations" ever end? While I do not want to trivialize any of the suffering/disadvantages caused by these ancient indignities, at the same time I (and my generation) was not the one(s) who chose to do these horrible things.

And I have no doubt that every one of our ancestral lines was at some point hurt or inconvenienced by someone else's ancestors. Are their current descendents culpable for where I am at today? Does it make any sense for me to dredge up something that someone else's ancestor did a few centuries back, so that I might somehow benefit from it?

[It doesn't help that things aren't as clear-cut as we have heard. I was reading a book sympathetic to the slaves, and it described how there were a few ways that Africans were captured to be transported to the US as slave labor. One of those ways was by members of an opposing tribe: Two tribes would go to war, and the winners would sell the losers to the Europeans, partly to get European goods and partly to get rid of their enemies. Insane, isn't it? At least we were foreigners and strangers; these guys were rival kinsmen. It's never as simple as the "white people subjected the black people as slaves" -- in many cases, brother turned against brother. Who is to blame, ultimately? Everyone was culpable to some degree.]

In any case, what I think needs to happen right now is not people demanding compensation from each other for harms long past, but for those who happen to have more being willing to give and help those who are without. Our generation is responsible for what happens NOW -- and it is for the ways we ignore current deprivation and inequities that we can be held accountable for.

Answer 2

Well being a Sioux Indian myself Im inclined to say no its not wrong. If there are still scholorships that only blacks can get, just for being the descendant of a slave, then we should get compensation for being the descendants of a lost race. Not to mention the status of most of our reservations. The only ones not below poverty level are the ones designed for tourists, the ones with casinos. The genocide of the Native people is still going on.

Answer 3

That would depend on your values, morals, beliefs, and/or religion. Some things are clear: do not murder, steal, cheat, and so on. Others not so clear. Many historical spiritual leaders such as Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, etc believe that if you have a clear mind and heart about whatever it is, then you are not sinning,(missing the mark). If your conscience condemns you then there is your answer. Also, what do you mean by benefit? Is it monetary? Spiritual? Social?

Answer 4

There is such as thing as being over-scrupulous. What happened to the Native Americans was, in my opinion, unjust. History, however, is replete with similar examples. You can't take on the blame/responsibility for the actions of others, committed hundreds or thousands of years ago.
If the plight of the Native American disturbs you, there are many ways you can help their descendants today.
Instead of feeling guilty about what others did, do good yourself.

Answer 5

Who did the American indians benefit from when they moved into the area they lived in when the white people moved in.
The is ample evidence of genocide in all areas of the indian world before the white man moved in.
What about genocide of the Irish during the great potato blight in which over a million Irish died because the British refused to allow them to plant anything but potatoes which would not grow. and refused to allow them to hunt and fish, or work?
What about the genocide caused by the Albanians who crossed over in to Bosnia attempting to over run the area with muslims and forced christians out of their homelands.
It all goes around. most of the one you are referring to was religious related or caused by religion. same as in middle east when muslim hoards crossed into other countries creating slave states (such as Iran, which stands today) and killing millions in the process..

Answer 6

I'm tired of hating myself because i'm white and I'm VERY tired of others demanding handouts.

I should clarify that. It's usually white people demanding handouts for others so that the same white people can establish a beuracracy and gather power from other's misfortune.

Also it doesn't help anyone to feel bad about benefiting from something you can do absolutely nothing to change.

Answer 7

Fortunato has a very well-thought out, well-written response. I couldn't have said it better myself. We can't change the past, but we can make a difference by doing right in our current age.

"Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." Let us never forget.

Answer 8

There is nothing you can do about it. man was more barbaric even 50 years ago compared to now.... not to mention 200 years ago, or a thousand. all you can affect is the future, not the past.

Answer 9

No that makes you just as bad as the ones who started it all.

Answer 10

that would depend on how you benefit, now wouldn't it?