A reckoning: Weight of history

Re: “On 9/11, it’s hard to see America’s nation building as a ‘force for good’ ” [Sept. 11, Opinion]:

Resat Kasaba is calling for the U.S. to own up to the mistakes of the past 20 years — a reckoning, as he refers to it. If the U.S. cannot own up to our history of enslaving people going back 400 years, how on Earth will the U.S. ever own up to the 20 years post-Sept. 11, 2001?

I’m not criticizing the idea of owning up as a means to being known as a “force for good” (and bringing about true healing), but if we can’t own up to one of our most egregious “stains” (or haven’t so far), how will any other “owning up” occur?

Pamela Clerico, Edmonds