What do you suggest we do, Gray, to be accountable for something, in the case of slavery, modern Americans weren't themselves responsible for? I agree that our doctrines and policies were no doubt built on all sorts of arrogant and bigoted notions. And certainly history has proven us to be wanton destroyers of native lands and culture. We're clearly wanton destroyers of Iraqi lands and culture right now.

But I'm curious what you'd have us do in this particular case. I'm not sure we can assuage our collective guilt (I'm being facetious here because most folks probably don't feel much, if any, collective guilt, which is part of your point.) for these other matters by making reparations for this matter of slavery.