This is still racism. Except it is racism against white people. I am part white and part Lakota. I was born long after the perpetrators. I feel no responsibility toward the injustices brought upon the blacks and the Native American Indians. Though, I am angry about what the Europeans did to my ancestors and my people, we are in a different world now. The aggressors are now long dead. We cannot punish the youth for the follies of their ancestors. Though we can certainly educate them so that it does not happen again. We need to remember, but we also need to forgive, just like the truth and reconciliation commission dealt with offenders after apartheid... "There is no future without forgiveness."

 I think it is wrong to hold descendents responsible for what their ancestors might have done unless they are perpetuating the actions of those ancestors. If I were to hold you responsible for something your great, great, great, great grandfather did, would that not bring me down to the level of that ancestor? And how long must a grudge be held?

As a Jew it would be easy for me to hate all Russians for what the pogroms did to my ancestors. I could hate all Germans for the torture and murder of six million of my people who were slaughtered in response to the "Jewish Question" during WW II? And what of the Arabs who want to destroy Israel and wipe every Jew from the face of the earth?

Racism still exists, but blacks are not the only targets. The KKK and the Aryan Brotherhood hate Jews as well. The behavior of groups like these is appalling, but I don't blame their children (although they are being taught the same behavior) unless they grow to propagate to violence and hatred.

It's time for blacks (not all of them consider themselves African Americans), to let it go. What makes them think they have cornered the market on racism and hatred? Just because I am caucasian does not mean I should be held responsible for those who kept slaves and have treated blacks as less than human. I am ashamed of whites who have done those things, but not of their descendents.

 Absolutely not. I have never been a racist nor have I owned slaves. Why is it that for the most part slavery and racism is brought up by the very ones calling others racist, in all cultures, and not the ones who are supposively racist. People need to revist history and come to terms with the truth behind it.

 No, the sins of the father should not be visited upon the son. But we all must learn from our mistakes of the past and share a common will not to permit them to happen again. There will always be racists, and sectarian views , because it is in the nature of man to be greedy and these can be useful tools in the hands of politicians. So we must keep this in mind when we vote or choose not to vote, for giving power to someone who is racist can cause it to spread like a cancer.

 Good heavens!!!! We all have so dadgum much to amend for in our current day. What in the world would it benefit to go back and deliberately dig up problems. Now, if we know of a living "ancestor" (some of you will understand what I mean by that) who has committed a murder, it is the law and our moral duty to make them accountable. I personally hang my head in shame when I hear any family member make a racist remark, but the only domain I can control is my property and home, and every one who enters my domain knows not to sound ignorant unless they want a lecture, or at the very least be chastised in front of everyone.

 You have to be kidding! If anything, I think people should apologize to the American Indian for coming in here and taking all the land, and being put into reservations to starve and be 'managed' by the government. Harumph!

 I guess. Not really because one should be known only for what he/she had done whether good or bad

 My ancestors has been traced back to the year 1250. I can tell you that here in the states, i know i have past relatives that owned slaves, i have some too that fought for the north, i have record of what they got paid to fight and die for the north. I owe nothing to no one!! I will not have white guilt thrown on me! My ancestors arrived here as indenturedu servants and were treated like hell. They were treated worse than livestock. You know what? They got over it and through generations made something of themselves. Living in the past is detrimental. "evolve" if you will.

 NO. Absolutely not! We have no control over what happen many years ago, so why should that be held
against us.

 No not a chance, that is why the whole reparations thing just makes me so ......MAD......ahhhh, If i was not a slave owner and you were not a slave then leave me alone.

 No. We shouldn't feel guilty for being white.

 We might not do what our grandaddy did some 50 yrs ago.

 As a black person I'm telling you honey, it wasn't your fault and you don't owe me anymore respect than the next guy trust me. Slavery is the fault of Africans just as much as whites because Africa was in so much divide they allowed a handful of outsiders to capture them and enemy tribes even helped the white man capture one other so they could have each others land. Yes it was black men who ran after, captured, and delivered their brothers into the hand of strangers for a price...but that wasn't my fault and slavery wasn't your fault.

 Each person is morally responsible for the actions he/she supported themselves.

Every race has been slaves and slavers at some point in their history, and in fact slavery is still practiced by African peoples in the Sudan.

Blaming someone who was not alive centuries ago for something they did to me when I was not alive then either, is ludicrous, and only serves to perpetuate the Us versus Them mentality. One has to look no further than the Middle East to see what that sort of B.S. Leads to. They are still fighting over wrongs committed 2000 years ago or more.

 WE HAVEN'T did anything but what our lives permits us to.

 NO, we had nothing to do with what people in the past did, we are accountable only for what we do.

 No, they did what they did just as we are doing our own thing now,

 No. We are not in any way responsible for what we did. Their shame is not ours.

 I hate this whole if you're white and you don't bow down to an African american you're racist thing. Its probably not like that in a lot of place but where i live it is. Everytime a white person does something in my school to a black person (something as harmless as simply correcting their spelling) they freak out and start screaming how they're racist and how the white person held their ancestors as slaves. 1. Not all white people had slaves. 2. Even if they did the one you're yelling at wasn't one of them.
I'm not saying get over it but chill the hell out. It was in the past. You don't see Jewish people running around yelling at Germans.
So no i don't think people should be held responsible for what their ancestors did. Learn from it but don't bow down to someone because of something that happened long before you were ever born.

 No. I don't think we should be looked down upon for what our ancestors did. For one thing we aren't them and for another that is just accusing us of something that we didn't even do.

 No we sholudnt be looked down on because of what our ancesters did unless we are acting like them .

 I agree whole heartedly with padraig and robbier44. It is a backward view to blame someone not present and unable to stop an act themselves (please note the difference between being truly unable to stop something and unwilling to become involved to stop something). However, not being held in contempt fot the act of our ancestors does not lessen our responsibility to do our part to make the world a better place for all. All, meaning not one race or religeon in particular! I strive to make this world a little better for mankind through simple acts of kindness for my community and neighbors, which I hope spreads the world over.

 I vote no-padraig pretty well covered my reasons-no point in repeating.

 What color are the clouds on your planet?

 No one should be looked down upon or given more respect than others. I hate it when I hear people say that kind of thing. It's kind of like racism in another form