Ivory
Let's Player
Ysgramor didn't murder an entire race. Your grossly overestimating the numbers he himself murdered, truth be told nobody knows. Secondly, he forced them into hiding rather, and the Dwemer pretty much did the rest. Ysgramor seems to be held totally responsible by a lot of people I've noticed. He certainly played a part, no doubting that but the genocide continued long after he was gone and yet somehow manages to tarnish his memory, understandable, although, unfair in opinion.
While I fully understand where you are coming from, you're being hypocritical. Yes, the Falmer slaughtering men, women and children in Saarthal was a screwed up event. It was obvious retribution would be at hand once Ysgramor had survived, however that still does not change that the actions he took were wrong as well. He caused what is called "The Snowball Effect." By setting the seeds of hatred in the hearts of men, allowing his Atmorans to become as savage as the Falmer had feared, not only did he plant the seeds of thousands upon thousands of years of unending hatred, but left the impression of savagery on his human brothers after his death. Nords even abandoned Magic for idiotic reasons, "because elves use magic, we won't" mentality seems to be what we find in Skyrim.
You defend Ysgramor's actions, and I 100% get that, but to say that they deserved extinction is being the exact reason why the elves see themselves as superior. This is why imperials, Bretons and other human races aren't seen as savage as the Nordic people. Even their own human kind aren't always treated with respect by the Nords.
The comparison of human to elven death is so far apart, its no competition. Ysgramor is 100% at fault for allowing his generations to be fueled by hatred for his lifetime and not working towards peace. He did not teach his people to turn off the hate switch and let it burn within his kinds hearts for so long that even today it burns and scars not just Skyrim, but all of Tamriel.
War is cruel, and savage yes. The Selected Falmer that took action against the Humans in Skyrim at the time were lowering themselves to what they feared. This was their mistake. However it was Ysgramor's actions from the time of his death, that has led to the hatred born in every Nords heart for the elven population over Tamriel. While I respect the Nords for being a somewhat honorable people today, their lack of control for their hatred and passion blinds them to be easily manipulated by others. (Example: The civil war and how the stormcloak army is stopping progress for their own Past Nordic Emperor Tiber Septim and God of Man from rebuilding itself.)
Talos/Tiber Septim was truly a Hero. He did savage things, caused pain, but never in hatred. He thrived and struck a blow to the 2nd Era by bringing full scale peace between Men, Mer and beastial races. He didnt let hatred full his heart, He let himself be motivated by the desire to bring Peace to Tamriel under the rule of his bloodline. It took a damn Daedric lord to change that, and that is far more progress than anything Ysgramor did.