!
Destroying these things out of justified disgust and outrage.
Because in a modern context and to modern sensibilities they are both grotesque and offensive.
A way of saying “NO” to bigotry!
.
But should we?
If we cover history are we not disrespecting the victims and sanctifying the crimes?
.
Why?
.
So, certain modern people don't have to feel embarrassed, uncomfortable and socially awkward?
.
Isn't a coat of paint over a controversial mural the very literal definition of “Whitewashing Over a subject”?
.
In the light of current events,
Maybe, instead, we should not only leave such things where they are but actively preserve them.
Keep them on constant public view,
Letting the offensive images be a constant testament and reminder to keep people guarded and mad enough to keep resisting such attitudes from ever becoming an accepted social norm again.
.
But some may say.
.
“But it’s a school// Library or Public space.”
“It's distasteful!”
“People don’t need constant reminders like this!”
.
Are you sure they don’t need such constant distasteful reminders?
Really?
.
Have you not watched and fully understood the news lately?
.
.
.
Orphans prefered!
.
Under 18 years old only!
.
To be fair, to give context
(correct me if I am wrong)
.
But we are talking about an era and environment where you were unlikely to see your 60th birthday,
.
A boy was seen as a man as soon as they could hold a pistol with one hand,
.
.
.
Without being viewed as paedophilia, girls might get married at 14 and give birth at 15,
.
These were social norms!
(Again correct me if I am wrong).
.
We cannot really pass judgement on people, who were a perceptual prisoner of their time,
.
That could not possibly comprehend our modern world view and philosophies!
.
What we constantly take for granted as common decency today, were once alien weird concepts that our descendants found hard to grasp!
.
.
EXAMPLE 1
.
A good example of this might be Doris Day singing the song titled “No” which although meant as a pretty romantic ditty within her own historical time might be seen as quite dodgy in light or our modern “Me Too” revelations!
.
It includes the last one of the last lyric lines being,
.
“Don’t you understand that a girl means 'Yes' when she says 'No'!”
.
And that was just from the ’60s! Only a mere 60 years ago rather than up to 200 years ago!
.
.
SEED OF HOPE!
.
BUT this same fact gives huge extra kudos and make extra inspirational the stories of those of that time that had such radical "thinking around corners" ideas, such as the emancipation of slaves.
.
.
NOTE: I am not being an “apologist” or in any way claiming that the suffering of social injustice victims was anyway less then than they would be now!
.
.
BUT you can not learn from a lesson or remember a lesson from history if it does not happen first!
.
.
As truly terrible as the Holocaust was,
There is an argument that the horror of it forever changed the public social norms.
That the events threw light on the ultimate end road and moral compass direction of all social injustice.
.
Without it ever having happened we may well live in a far more racist society today, and many of the civil rights we now take for granted might never have emerged!
.
I hope it is a memory that is forever scared into our consciousness as a species for the rest of our collective existence!
.
As much as I hate the Holocaust and Nazis,
.
If I was given the power of time travel I would have to very carefully consider the future cost to humanity if I used that ability to stop the Holocaust from ever having of happened!
.
Yes millions died in horrific ways (Many of them children,)
.
But this would be weighed against the cost,
Of the hundreds of Billions of humans that will not only live,
But live a much better quality of life in more tolerant societies out in the stars, from then until the end of time!
.
That was only made possible,
.
Because they had this historical lesson about unchecked human nature to learn from and guard against!
.
.
.
EXAMPLE 2
.
Another good example is the biblical saying
.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”
.
Which on the surface seems to be about hate and revenge,
.
But in the context of its own time, it is actually preaching a radical level of mercy and even an early type of proto pacifism!
.
Because of people of that time and place, the “Normal” response to someone taking your eye or even a tooth meant you would kill them, their family, and maybe even slaughtered the men of their tribe and enslaved all their females!
.
“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”
.
Was seen as a very strange new idea!
.
An Idea of a proportional response rather than totally destroying an enemy!
.
A wishy-washy hippy style ideal that only a true weirdo would consider!
.
.
HISTORIANS BEWARE!
.
Those interested in history should be a little wary of polluting historical context with our 20/20 hindsight, from a vantage point more than an entire generation or more away from the events!
.
.
CONCLUSION!
.
Despite all the issues in this World,
Despite all this the Hate and Tommy Robinson's of this world.
.
Despite all the recent evidence,
.
In a more general sense over a much longer period, (By this I mean all of recorded human history) The moral graph of the human race is trending upwards, fairly sharply.
.
As long as all historical events are accurately recorded and questioned as responsibly as possible,
.
THEN THERE IS STILL
HOPE
FOR US ALL!
.
!
Judging historical figures,
Cutting our ancestors a little slack!
.
.
READ THIS
AND
BE HORRIFIED!!
AND
BE HORRIFIED!!
.
Orphans prefered!
.
Under 18 years old only!
.
To be fair, to give context
(correct me if I am wrong)
.
But we are talking about an era and environment where you were unlikely to see your 60th birthday,
.
A boy was seen as a man as soon as they could hold a pistol with one hand,
.
.
Judging historical figures,
Cutting our ancestors a little slack!
.
Back in history....
Without being viewed as paedophilia, girls might get married at 14 and give birth at 15,
.
These were social norms!
(Again correct me if I am wrong).
.
We cannot really pass judgement on people, who were a perceptual prisoner of their time,
.
That could not possibly comprehend our modern world view and philosophies!
.
What we constantly take for granted as common decency today, were once alien weird concepts that our descendants found hard to grasp!
.
.
EXAMPLE 1
.
A good example of this might be Doris Day singing the song titled “No” which although meant as a pretty romantic ditty within her own historical time might be seen as quite dodgy in light or our modern “Me Too” revelations!
.
It includes the last one of the last lyric lines being,
.
“Don’t you understand that a girl means 'Yes' when she says 'No'!”
.
And that was just from the ’60s! Only a mere 60 years ago rather than up to 200 years ago!
.
.
SEED OF HOPE!
.
BUT this same fact gives huge extra kudos and make extra inspirational the stories of those of that time that had such radical "thinking around corners" ideas, such as the emancipation of slaves.
.
.
NOTE: I am not being an “apologist” or in any way claiming that the suffering of social injustice victims was anyway less then than they would be now!
.
.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
.
George Santayana
(16 December 1863 in Madrid, Spain – 26 September 1952 in Rome, Italy)
Philosopher, Essayist, Poet and Novelist.
.BUT you can not learn from a lesson or remember a lesson from history if it does not happen first!
.
.
As truly terrible as the Holocaust was,
There is an argument that the horror of it forever changed the public social norms.
That the events threw light on the ultimate end road and moral compass direction of all social injustice.
.
Without it ever having happened we may well live in a far more racist society today, and many of the civil rights we now take for granted might never have emerged!
.
I hope it is a memory that is forever scared into our consciousness as a species for the rest of our collective existence!
.
As much as I hate the Holocaust and Nazis,
.
If I was given the power of time travel I would have to very carefully consider the future cost to humanity if I used that ability to stop the Holocaust from ever having of happened!
.
Yes millions died in horrific ways (Many of them children,)
.
But this would be weighed against the cost,
Of the hundreds of Billions of humans that will not only live,
But live a much better quality of life in more tolerant societies out in the stars, from then until the end of time!
.
That was only made possible,
.
Because they had this historical lesson about unchecked human nature to learn from and guard against!
.
"Smart people may well learn from their mistakes,"
"But..."
"Really smart people learn from other peoples!"
Attributed to Shmoo!
.
.
EXAMPLE 2
.
Another good example is the biblical saying
.
“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”
.
Which on the surface seems to be about hate and revenge,
.
But in the context of its own time, it is actually preaching a radical level of mercy and even an early type of proto pacifism!
.
Because of people of that time and place, the “Normal” response to someone taking your eye or even a tooth meant you would kill them, their family, and maybe even slaughtered the men of their tribe and enslaved all their females!
.
“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”
.
Was seen as a very strange new idea!
.
An Idea of a proportional response rather than totally destroying an enemy!
.
A wishy-washy hippy style ideal that only a true weirdo would consider!
.
.
HISTORIANS BEWARE!
.
Those interested in history should be a little wary of polluting historical context with our 20/20 hindsight, from a vantage point more than an entire generation or more away from the events!
.
.
CONCLUSION!
.
Despite all the issues in this World,
(Such as the Israeli Government acting in a similar fashion in Palestine to Palestinians as the Nazis that persecuted them only a few decades ago,)
.Despite all this the Hate and Tommy Robinson's of this world.
.
Despite all the recent evidence,
.
In a more general sense over a much longer period, (By this I mean all of recorded human history) The moral graph of the human race is trending upwards, fairly sharply.
.
As long as all historical events are accurately recorded and questioned as responsibly as possible,
.
THEN THERE IS STILL
HOPE
FOR US ALL!
.
!
!
.
.
Some public areas are destroying historic racist monuments and murals.
.
Some public areas are destroying historic racist monuments and murals.Destroying these things out of justified disgust and outrage.
Because in a modern context and to modern sensibilities they are both grotesque and offensive.
A way of saying “NO” to bigotry!
.
But should we?
If we cover history are we not disrespecting the victims and sanctifying the crimes?
.
Why?
.
So, certain modern people don't have to feel embarrassed, uncomfortable and socially awkward?
.
Isn't a coat of paint over a controversial mural the very literal definition of “Whitewashing Over a subject”?
.
In the light of current events,
Maybe, instead, we should not only leave such things where they are but actively preserve them.
Keep them on constant public view,
Letting the offensive images be a constant testament and reminder to keep people guarded and mad enough to keep resisting such attitudes from ever becoming an accepted social norm again.
.
But some may say.
.
“But it’s a school// Library or Public space.”
“It's distasteful!”
“People don’t need constant reminders like this!”
.
Are you sure they don’t need such constant distasteful reminders?
Really?
.
Have you not watched and fully understood the news lately?
.
.
DO NOT BURY OUR SHAMEFUL PAST!
OR WE WILL BE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT!
YET AGAIN!
.
Instead,
Constantly roll in its filth!
Let its stink permeate, mark and forever change you!
Never wash it clean!
.
Let us All keep being Forever Reminded!
Lets Those Reminders Be Constant!
Let the Complacent become Angry!
Let the Complicit become Watchful!
.
Let the Justifiably angry stay Enraged
.
Let those who preach Hate learn what it means to be Hated!
.
Let those who would rule by fear learn what fear feels like!
.
Let
"Never Again"
Really mean
"Never Again, Forever!"
.
!
Posts
Comments
Post a Comment