That is not what the OP argues.
I really just see some parallels between Germany dealing with the sins of the Holocaust and the US dealing with the sins of Slavery.
As a result of reconstruction failing, we, as a country (not race/ethnicity) never had that reckoning. Never truly healed those wounds.
100 years after slavery ended the United States did end segregation and enforcement Civil Rights for all Americans. However, that 100 years included celebrating the Confederacy and its leaders. The very people that fought to maintain slavery and fought against the US.
In Germany, the opposite happened. Partially because of pressure by the US. They actually have laws against celebrating Nazis or creating memorials for Nazi leaders.
This isn't about race it is about how a country failed to reckon with the sins of slavery for 100 years. Then, when the reckoning happened, statues remained and the argument quickly becomes "I am not guilty".
True, I am not guilty, but this country is/was. If the country struggles to denounce those who fought to maintain slavery how can the ancestors of those who were enslaved feel?
Again, maybe none of it matters. I just found it an interesting comparison. I don't think politics plays a role.
The story of Germany the leader breaking down was powerful. He wasn't guilty but felt guilty for Germany, not because of race or ethnicity.
If we can celebrate the glories of the past that we didn't contribute to why can't we have guilt about the failures? It doesn't have to be about race,it can be about being an American.
No???
Sorry for the long response. This is really difficult to explain on this forum. Especially with the assumptions about me based on previous posts. Yes, I am more liberal than conservative. I don't believe that had anything to do with my thoughts after reading the story.