Of course we all have parts of our past where we did awful things. The problem is our current culture dictates we drop it and forget about it, instead of actually owning up to our mistakes. I made a lot of awful “jokes” in high school, and when I look back now, I don’t think “eh, I was young. Everyone was doing it.” I think “I should have known better, and even if I couldn’t, I still hurt people.” I wish I could take those things back, and it’s that feeling I carry with me so I don’t do it again. We have to own up to our mistakes and act on them.
Sure, cancel culture might be extreme at times, but it seems like opposers like you just want to keep the quo. We need a compromise.