7-21-06

Dear Editor,

This ongoing discussion in the Farmville Herald about apologies for other’s past sins is serving to make a point. It illustrates the error of attempting to apologize for others. The forum of discussion has spanned slavery to taking land from the Indians. Yet nothing is being solved, but the stirring up of more bad feelings on the matter. How does apologizing for what others did change anything? Perhaps, a rational detailing of the wrongness of past actions might be beneficial if it helps us make correct choices in the present. Yet, apologizing usually avoids that subject, in favor of the search of good feelings, which do not materialize anyway.

Many years ago while on a Mennonite disaster building project, I worked on the home of an older gentleman outside of St. Louis. The Mississippi river had overflowed its banks and flooded his home. During the several days there we struck up a conversation and the gentleman spoke of his strong Catholic faith. In a non-confrontational manner I mentioned the irony that Catholic’s of the sixteenth century had once burned people of my faith at the stake. The old fellow expressed complete astonishment at this information and began to profusely apologize. The feelings invoked were not positive at all. It did nothing to draw the group together or to promote any sense of brotherhood. It rather divided us from him, were before we had been united in one purpose, that of building his home. Much preferable would have been a response of strong condemnation from him about the actions of his church, and with that an implied intention that it never happen again. This would have united us in a present common cause.

The dictionary says that apology means: “an expression of regret for having insulted or wronged another”. This is clearly in the first person context. It is saying sorry for my actions or for the actions of others in which I am involved. Remove apology from its present context and it becomes meaningless. In fact it may be more than meaningless. It may in fact be harmful. That happens when the apology becomes a substitute for what I could or should be doing.

In the on-going discussion about Indian Affairs this very thing is playing out. There is no unity being provoked to deal with either the extensive problems on the Indian reservations in America, or the vast problem of present day slavery in much of the world. Slavery is just as evil today as it was longer ago, and the state of the Indian reservations is a disgrace to a civilized society. We can talk about stolen land, who was here first, scalpings, roasting live captives over open fires, gauntlets, burning settlers alive in their cabins, plantation life, ‘Gone With The Wind’, or all trade apologies and still have accomplished nothing.

The question is will we act today? Do we care about the wrongs being done on our watch? That is much harder than apologizing for the past, because the present involves us. Yet today is were grace is given to overcome, and whose efforts the Almighty will bless.

Jerry Eicher , Farmville