We forget about the issues of homeless people of all types such as women, men, teenage girls & boys and others living out in the cold or extreme heat. And yet our community and churches are overwhelmed. I could assist these people to get the right resources with volunteering my RN and Paralegal services to organize building new shelters to get these homeless people the resources to find shelter for themselves and their families. Also, with my psychology, student, nursing, and military background, I could help the homeless veterans to students who have no place to live as well as directing them to get the proper counseling (regardless if it is faith-based or not to help these homeless people to get emergency housing they need).

America is made up of people. People range in personality from the very good to the most heinous. There is probably not a geographic location on the Earth that the people living there havent engaged in something that would be considered grevious to most of us. Many of those were perpetrated by the people in power. The US is not exception. Most know what the media tells us, but that is generally only half the story. The US has many sins in its history, just ask Native Americans. If you want some insight into what the non-whitewashed history of the US really is, read Howard Zinn. To believe we are innocent is to either be terribly naive or have your head buried in the sand. Ssying this does not dimenish the incredible experiment that America is.

well the only thing that guilt should be a part of is how the native people were and still are treated well not the only thing but jeez

Thanks to everyone who answered this sensitive post with honest and fair input. When I talk to Germans who were born after the second world war they wish the whole Nazi ear had not happened and that there we not part of it so the don't feel guilty. Ashamed like so of you have written - yes.

Someone responded to slavery. It is sad that we have to recognize that is something that happend all over the world so as some of you have mentioned looks to be part of human nature. I read an interesting statistic that about 300,000 native Africans were transported to North America to be slaves. About 5 million were transported to South America. I've not experienced much literature, reporting or and other kind of media about this but was quite shocked when I saw the movie Apocalypto - not sure how accurately it presents the truth.

Thanks for being good discussion partners.

1. the u.s. can be blamed for slavery? we can be blamed for participating but we sure didn't invent it.

2. i am not trying to justify our bad behavior by pointing out that others have behaved as badly or worse and that we have set no precedents for such behavior. it is still worth pointing out when it is suggested that we are the only ones, or the first ones. credit and discredit where it's due, and not where it's not, right?

3. i do not feel guilty. i feel outraged. i want to change things. should i feel guilty by virtue of what piece of geography my mom was gracing when i popped out five weeks early? and if i did feel guilty, whom would that help?

g

Guilty? No. Ashamed? Yes, very much so. We are a young species and have lashed out at one another everywhere and in all presently conceivable ways. We've come a ways from that point but still have a long way to go.

Well, those of us who are self-aware tend to be seriously concerned about the past and present (oh and the future) of our country.
We are still climbing out of the legacy of slavery and racism. POC to this day are disproportionately more likely to be murdered by the people who are charged with protecting us, to be caught up in an unjust “justice” system and to be stuck in a cycle of poverty. We are in the midst of a reckoning related to sexual abuse.
There are a wealthy people who have more money than they could spend in 10 lifetimes, while 1 in 4 children lives with food insecurity and we have a vast homeless population.
These are just a few serious concerns we could address if we truly wanted to “make America great.”

Guilty? Eh. No more than any other empire. Sure the US treated many people shitty. The U.S. inherited religious fanatics; the idea of white supremacy - slavery and decimation of Native Americans and the idea of Manifest destiny. That said, we are no worse than numerous kings and world leaders who over the centuries have raped and pillaged the Earth and its population and resources.

I am more afraid of our failing state and how we cling to be number one while so many suffer here and around the world. We are officially 27th in education and lower in health care. For a supposed great nation we just aren't. And a growing gap in wealth disproportion will only make things worse.

Things here are worsening because we no longer want to admit our past failures and mistakes which is a dangerous road to go down.

So, just what am I Saying? I believe that humanity in general has a lot to feel guilty for. War; atrocities; disproportionate rights and freedoms; mistreatment of others; lack of basic necessities; etc. And, yes, religion has played a paramount role throughout time.

Yes!

YES!!!!

i cannot speak for all citizens, but do believe a good majority still believe (without justification) that the United States is the greatest in the world. Certainly opportunities abound, freedoms are taken for granted, but the issues of health care, education, environmental blindness, military expenditure, and many others have eroded my view of my country. And now with the political tragedy playing out in Washington, I am concerned that we are loosing any opportunity to go forward.

I'm sure there is a full spectrum of responses for this question. based on my observations, most are painfully oblivious. Many are too busy trying to live then devote any meaning to history. Others, like myself are aware of, what I consider to be worse historical nasties including Native American genocide including 4000 dead on the trail of tears event alone/forced indoctrination into Christianity - - the list goes on.

As for feeling guilty, No! I wasn't there. This assertion that we should feel guilty for the "sins" of our ancestors is equal to the Christians "Original sin". Lame.

Do I feel outraged about the badness of the past and current. Yes. Utterly disgusted.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights ratified as law would be a start. Full transparency in government removal of money from politics and guaranteed health care, housing and basic needs for all citizens. Requiring the draft for any military action outside the US. Requiring as a price for full citizenship two years of public service directly after graduating high school too be served outside their home state which may be military service or some civilian trade. Which would be paid for by the government in relation to housing food etc. We can be better but it would require hard choices the comfortable and rich among us see no need for and the masses are too distracted by cheap entertainment and partisanship to work towards.

The United States has done well but in my opinion they could have done better. In the Declaration of Independence it says.." ALL MEN ARE EQUAL." But African Americans were not equal ...they were slaves. It took a bloody war to fix this problem. The Civil Rights Act was not written until 1964 as AA were treated as second class citizens. Women did not get the right to vote until 1920. President Wilson, an Internationalist, got us involved in the European war, World War I to help the international bankers and this led us into WW II .. the Korean War, Viet Nam. Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Then there's the slaughter of an indigenous people..