Atonement Largely Achieved

Even though I don't always agree with him, I do very much like reading Robert Samuelson. So, it pains me to read something like this:

Start with Barack Obama. Even those who disagree with him ought to feel pride in his impending nomination, because it continues America's racial reconciliation and atonement for slavery.

This nation ran its rivers red with the blood of its sons, brothers, and fathers for over four years in the 1860s. In the end, over 600,000 Americans died, more than all of our other war casualties combined. I'm not so sure there's much atonement left to be done.