An apology can make the difference

Noblesse Oblige
    By Jay Munir

Saying you're sorry is never an easy task. While our parents attempt to teach us the importance of apologizing for our misdeeds as youngsters, few of us heed this lesson during our adult lives. The most recent manifestation of this inability came on President Bill Clinton's, LAW '73, recent trip to Africa. Rather than presenting the African people, and their African American counterparts, with a clear apology for the role of the United States in the global slave trade, Clinton simply admitted that the U.S. had made mistakes in its African foreign policy, focusing on our support of pro-Western dictators during the Cold War.

Back in the United States, erstwhile Clinton ally Jesse Jackson defended Clinton's action, saying that nothing more needs to be said on the matter of slavery, and that the country should instead focus on the racial issues currently facing us. But although dwelling on the past may not help anyone, policymakers consistently underestimate the importance of atoning for past mistakes in attempting to address today's issues. Like most pressing issues, the problem of race in America has deep historical roots. Like it or not, we are all burdened by the decisions our ancestors made decades and centuries earlier, and we cannot divorce ourselves from society's past errors.

The consequences of failing to clearly apologize for historical wrongs pervade world history. Lingering anger generated during the Napoleonic Wars was vented during the First World War in many European countries. In Rwanda, ethnic groups with grievances dating back decades avenged the deaths of fathers and uncles by slaughtering members of rival tribes. Islamic fundamentalists still stew over injustices associated with the Crusades, and Serbian nationalists continue to label Sarajevo's Bosnian Muslims as "Turkish occupiers" even though the Ottoman occupation of Bosnia is ancient history.

Given the continuous manifestation of historical grievances in the crisis affecting global society today, it would seem that more leaders would attempt to sincerely apologize to former rivals rather than allow residual anger to continue haunting modern relationships between nations. Will the Turkish government, for example, apologize to the people of the Balkans for crimes committed during the Ottoman occupation of southeastern Europe? As in innumerable similar situations, the reason that the answer to this question is "no" lies in basic human pride. Pride often interferes when apologies are considered, especially when the offenses were committed by their fathers and grandfathers. In too many instances, national leaders demand reciprocal apologies, insist that they are not responsible for past wrongs, or claim that alleged mistakes never occurred. Unfortunately, the result of this intransigence is continued bloodshed and the repetition of historical mistakes in a vicious cycle for which no one at the United Nations has yet found a solution.

Why would the president fail to apologize for slavery, when even the most conservative among us recognize the institution as one of our country's greatest historical evils? The Clinton administration insists that the decision has nothing to do with foolish pride. It claims that it doesn't want its current efforts to combat racism sidetracked by historical emotion. In addition, no one is interested in opening a potential Pandora's box that compels the United States to apologize for all of the mistakes made by our government and society since independence.

While an apology for slavery will probably not solve America's race problems, it will go a long way in proving that the establishment is ready to face a dark time in the country's history. Only after recognizing this injustice can our diverse society begin the new, fresh start on tackling racial grievances proposed by the Clinton administration. Many of us may be tired of this recurring issue, but it certainly won't go away if minority groups feel as if they must continually call for historical wrongs to be righted.

An apology can go a long way in breaking down distrust and hostility. As any guy who's recently apologized to his girlfriend can tell you, that first step of saying you're sorry can serve to defuse potential crises. During Clinton's first inauguration in 1992, the poet Maya Angelou said that "history, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage need not be lived again." By apologizing for the injustices of slavery, Clinton would have made clear his intention to face this issue with courage, and made a step towards the day when Americans no longer have to live with the anger and resentment that the problem of race generates in this country. More of our leaders need to remember one of the first lessons that their parents most probably taught them: It's never too late to say you're sorry.

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