Rosalyn, I don't get it either. Remember in our country (South Africa) we forgave white people for the atrocities they committed under Apartheid. De Klerk, who was vile and evil even got a seat at the table of the new Black Government until he retired.
Sometimes our empathy runs too deep for the wrong people, and it's generally people who are not humble and have never admitted to the harm they caused.
Sometimes, we are in fact, the gatekeepers to oppression by having empathy based on the person's age. Old people can also be evil