The Destruction Of US History — At What Price?

Socialyte On Ryte
Aug 23, 2017 · 3 min read

Watching the violence at Charlottesville was awful. I don’t know anyone that does not agree.

Later, watching the destruction of the Robert E. Lee monument in Raleigh, North Carolina was alarming. What happened there: Destruction of public property, reaction to incorrect historic narrative, and the deletion of the teaching lesson — Which, for me, is the most concerning crime.

In the mid-1990s I worked with a group of students from the former Soviet Union. When we asked them what they did regarding history after the wall fell and the countries became independent, the students said:

“The next day we did not have history books. They just did not teach this subject anymore.”

I was taken aback — wide-eyed. What do you mean, you don’t learn about history? (Eventually the students had history classes about their own individual countries. But they lost learning in the interim).

While it may be that some of our monuments might be better re-located to museums, the total tearing down without lawful process erases our history, and the availability to it.

That’s just unacceptable!

Those actions strip future generations of learning how we got to where we are today as a nation. What it means to be an American. Why we do not do certain things anymore, or behave in certain ways. And it weakens our American Spirit.

This angers me — As an American, but also as someone who visited many of the historic battlefields and historic sites with my parents growing up for the very purpose of education. Learning I would not have been privy to any other way. I’ve taken my daughter too. The same goes for her — She recalls these as some of her most profound lessons. Logic dictates it would also be true for generations to follow.

If we destroy our monuments, and thus, erase US history, it will be as if none of it ever happened. Every bit of struggle and countless sacrifices would be in vain. We’re certainly doomed to repeat.

It appears there are those — US citizens and others — that would like to see our history stamped out.

We must teach our youth now so they can foster safe, lawful, and healthy-minded citizens of the future. We must maintain the access to history to learn from it in order not to repeat it. That is almost even a golden rule, isn’t it

Final thoughts:

Total destruction of historical monuments is a price too high when the opportunity to teach already exists here. In addition, fighting among groups is a stress on our nation and a nightmare for any warm blooded American that still cares.

This is my first article on Medium. I plan to share it on Twitter. Please feel free to follow me there: @SocialyteOnRyte. From here, I promise to offer articles with thought and care.

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Socialyte On Ryte

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Moderate conservative, internationally aware online media professional here incognito. We’re past round & square pegs — Current answers are hexagonal.

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