In Holy Scripture we read "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" (Matthew 18:7). So too, this scripture passage was utilized by President Lincoln in his 2nd Inauguration Speech, at a time in which, the Civil war was within just a few weeks of coming to its successful conclusion, but not before this nation had suffered through a truly terrible cost of death and destruction; yet, within that civil war tragedy, this also became the means to birth forth a new era of liberty and justice for all, which was something initially promised within America's most precious founding documents.
It should be of real compelling interest to all Americans, that Lincoln drew upon this particular scriptural passage; for far too many Presidents in our more modern era, are seemingly reluctant to call the very people that they are supposed to represent, to account for their actions; yet, ultimately isn't this what justice and good governance is supposed to be about? That is to say, what we do, say, and become most definitely has a material impact upon the country that we are denizens of. Therefore, offences so done, most definitely have consequences; and further to the point, it is only right that when such offences, though not desired, should come, that justice must have its day, for every action so taken, right or wrong, must and will have a corresponding reaction. Truthfully, each of us has a responsibility to own up to our actions, good or bad, and those that bring forth offence and the believers to such, must be the ones that have the ultimate responsibility to answer fully for that offence.
In fact, there isn't any good point in believing that there is fair justice if our sins, mistakes, and regrets can simply be swept under the rug; for that which is wrong must eventually be rectified by that which is right, and it will be not be well within our soul, until this has been successfully and meaningfully accomplished. While an apology has its place, as well as an admission of fault having its purpose, these in and of themselves, do not positively correct that which has already occurred, of which other people have correspondingly suffered from.
None of us can ever escape nor should we sincerely hope to unfairly escape, our responsibilities from the adverse and uncaring actions and deeds that we have done. While it is true, that in this world, we can often circumvent such, through our influence, our corruption, our good fortune, and so forth; that which has been done in darkness and deceit, will in the skeins of time, inevitably be fully exposed to the truth and the light. So then, those that temporarily escape their moral battles of character that they need to face, today; must understand that this battle will ultimately be faced, sooner or later, of which, the suffering of such will be solely borne by those that were the instigators of those bad actions, for that which is just, is ever triumphant over that which is unjust, which is why those woes that come from our offence, have their needful place.