Looking back

When President Obama visited Japan and when Prime Minister Abe visited Pearl Harbor they both emphasized the importance of looking forward and not dwelling on the mistakes of the past. This is a good strategy and helps to heal and to bring people together with common goals. Most Americans would like to see our country have better race relations but when the subject comes up the conversation always seems to look back at what went wrong. Everyone is aware that the Japanese strike on Pearl was a knife in the heart of America and the use of nukes pierced the hearts of the Japanese but rehashing these events does not help going forward. Everyone is aware that the mistreatment of blacks from slavery including the hundred years after the civil war is a dark spot in American history but it behooves us to put the past behind us and try and create a brighter future for all of our citizens. It works on a personal basis as well. If you keep reminding yourself of some past hurt it makes it all the more difficult to get over. It breeds resentment and being resentful is like taking poison and expecting someone else to get sick.