Life is brutal. You either learn that early on or you look for others to make it bearable for you. I guess my point is simply that collective responsibility is never ending and there is no point in which all will be forgiven. That may seem harsh, but so be it. Platitudes don't count.
Action speaks louder than words.
This in response to Susan's posting on slavery. I see nothing in the idea of collective responsibility that would insist on atonement, especially not individual atonement.