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The Next Millenium (r)

(written by iearn@iearn.org, 03/22/1996)

/* Written  9:54 AM  Nov  7, 1995 by coldspring in igc:iearn.tc */
From: coldspring@igc.apc.org
To: peg:sthildas
Subject: response to millenium

Dear Chantal,

I agree with many of your thoughts about the next millenium.
I think that peace in the next millenium will be virtually
impossible if the many nations of the world continue to
repeat the mistakes that past generations made.  The
Holocaust is a good example of a mistake that some nations
have not learned from.  Sadly enough, there are nations that
are practicing genocide in the world today.  I don't think
there is any way to teach all humans not to repeat mistakes.
From the beginning of time, humans have had some sort of
conflict with each other.  How can we get past this point in
our development?

I can understand why your friend was upset when you asked her
about how Hitler's reign has affected modern day Germans, but
I can also see how you would be curious to find out how she
felt.  It is unfortunate that the generation living in
Germany at the present time is in some ways "paying" for what
their ancestors did.  I think that this happens often in
history.  A similar situation would be my generation and past
generations having to deal with the mistakes our ancestors
made with slavery in the South.  It is unfair that my
generation and past generations are being blamed for
something that happened long before we were born, and this
kind of blame hurts race relations in America today.  But I
think the idea of collective guilt is one way history works
itself out.  I mean the memory of past wrongs forces the
present generation to recognize and understand them and,
hopefully, learn from the mistakes in ways that will lead to
the improvement of society.  Sometimes I think issues will
never be solved, but over the long run (centuries perhaps)
things may well work out.  My worry is it seems we are never
without problems, just when one is solved, another arises.

Do you think there are any mistakes that our generation is
may be blamed for?

If you have the time, your response would be greatly
appreciated.

Thank you,
Jen Barrese - grade 11