History is filled with examples of a wronged man who tried to avenge
himself, not only on the person who has wronged him, but on other
members of the wrongdoer’s family, ethnic group, religion, nation,
tribe, or military.
the question is whether the whole community—or large parts of it—can be held responsible for the harms produced by particular group members in cases where not all group members caused the harm directly.
Is it appropriate to hold all Germans responsible for the deaths of extermination camp victims during WWII?
Is it appropriate to hold all Americans for the atrocities of the Viet Nam War?
Is it appropriate to hold all Shi’a Musliums s for the atrocities of the IRI regime?
Can we legitimately blame all men for the gender-based oppression and sexual violence that women experience in all societies?
Can we blame all whites for the racist treatment of blacks in the U.S.?
What about members of these groups who go out of their way to stop the harm?
Are they excused from blame because they tried to reform their
communities or are they, too, responsible for the harm in question
by virtue of their group membership?
