Am I Responsible For My Ancestor's Actions? | Q+A

Tim Watts says that the Voice "is going to have a legacy for our descendants" much like learning about his own family's "confronting" history had for him.

This episode was broadcast on Monday, 29 May 2023.

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[LeGronk]

the main responsibility on the descendants is to understand and acknowledge history, and act in accordance with that knowledge. with humanity and compassion, not with dumb apathy and secret denial as this nation collectively does.

[milamber]

You are not responsible for your ancestors acrions...but its YOUR choice to maintain or change the status quo they forged.

So if your excuse for not making things better now is that you were not to blame for the past... Well then you are not guilty on behalf of your ancestors, you are guilty on your own.

[davidwilkie]

This is what a reasonable conscious awareness is, where-when the individual is mature enough to compete against excesses, in moral moderation and participate in the orchestration of civilization. Play the part.

There's only one combined ancestry. Excellent presentation.

[DaKingisDead]

YES...when you're actively working to carry on that legacy in order to maintain the status quo.

[ShelliBelliWF]

He should come speak to some folks in the US... except some of them would choose to admire his ancestor.😢

[mahcooharper]

It's awful but nobody is responsible for their ancestors and this is not happening anymore.

[morganoox]

Most 'aboriginal' people have mostly non aboriginal ancestors. Therefore they are also responsible for what their ancestors did.

[paintthesky]

Youre not responsible, but you sure are benefitting from it 😂

[Kathdath]

My great-grandfather was part of the QLD native police when younger, he then went on to become a pillar of the local community and marry an indigenous woman.

[vannersp]

It seems obvious now, but we're in a different time. Try as you might, you have no idea what you say or do will cause your progeny to be ashamed.

[linggazzard]

If we read the bible, Jesus had his disciples asking him who sinned? He or his parents? Jesus said neither. But he said this is for the glory of God so that in becoming healed of his blindness, people can Eto know Jesus.
We shouldn't be too fast to blame our ancestors or anybody. We alone are responsible.for what we do and our actions will speak either for or against.
We need to show godly wisdom and godly live towards others in our life and in government t, policies that are fair and equal to all.

[Davechappelle]

What about the millions of migrants. We don’t even have ancestors that committed these things

[AnarchyEnsues]

I doubt the claims made against my ancestors...

[cusmosakua-dubia]

These barbaric attacked and slaughtered the aborigines of Australia as if they are animals and still are killing them with myriad diseases and economic losses.

[graemestewart]

The ABC is no longer a public broadcaster and you should be ashamed of claiming to be so. You are so biased these days and the Australian public deserve better. I used to love the ABC, I grew up only knowing two channels ABC and RTN 8. It was once a great media source which gave a very balanced non biased report. So sad.

[MrMattias]

You're not responsible for your ancestor....enough of the presentism.

[bernie]

No unless 1. you believe in reincarnation or 2. You feel in your conscience you’d like to make reparations. You didn’t do it. It also didn’t happen to the descendants of those it happened to either.
You can make it painful for yourself if you want to, but why wallow in hurt?
Let it go.

[anthonybenton]

Stop defining us by race and stop laying guilt on people for something they didnt do.

[greentree]

What about alot of rehashed rubbish. Rember everyone, the sorry moment. It will never be enough.

[pepesilvia]

Unfortunately, history did not start 200 years ago. Thousands of years of ancestry, the world has been an ugly place. It’s getting better, it’s called progress, why are we so fixated on the past?