Sorry Isn't Good Enough

These days, it's become commonplace for heads of state to apologize for very serious crimes or transgressions committed by their people, at home or abroad. Obama has had to ask forgiveness, more than once, for the outrageous behavior of American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, it's Angela Merkel's turn to acknowledge that German authorities did not do enough in investigating the killing of ten Turkish immigrants by neo-Nazis, Turks being a sizable part of the German population. Lack of interest has been pointed out as the reason for those crimes having gone unsolved for a long time.

This is another example of something that I have pointed out before: when people are considered inferior, what happens to them is not taken seriously, even in a case that shows that the far right is gaining strength and becoming bolder in striking at groups that they hate. Turning a blind eye or downplaying these activities further encourages criminal behavior.

Germany, of all places, should know this and what it can lead to.

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