Should America "rewrite" history to protect future generations from racism?

2017-09-12T23:03:09-04:00

An article posted in the Navy Times magazine dated "09.18.17". Personally, I thought it was the most ridiculous and ill-minded submission Navy Times has ever posted. I honestly have a hard time believing such a person would for one, believe what they were writing and two, submit it to a "military magazine." The fact Navy Times would even publish this non-sense is beyond me.

I'm under the impression that the person was "trolling" using 'advanced sarcasm', but many people are not so convinced. I'm sure there will be quite a few responses come next week's article.

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2017 11:04 PM

2017-09-12T23:04:38-04:00

Historically rewriting history is what causes an event again. A lack of understanding of the past breeds for the same mistakes tomorrow.

Response by ENS Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 12 at 2017 11:06 PM

2017-09-12T23:06:44-04:00

"Those who do not learn from history and doomed to repeat it."

Response by SSgt Christopher Brose made Sep 12 at 2017 11:28 PM

2017-09-12T23:28:55-04:00

We should be more like the Soviets. Riiiiiight.

In his rabid attack on Confederation-related names, he apparently forgot all about Russia being our biggest threat. (/sarcasm)

Response by SN Greg Wright made Sep 12 at 2017 11:57 PM

2017-09-12T23:57:08-04:00

Did he seriously just suggest that we become like the Soviets?! Good God. Apparently, he's never seen a Bear Bomber overflying his ship, escorted by Tomcats like i have.

LTC Orlando Illi I nominate this post, Colonel.

Response by PO2 Robert Aitchison made Sep 13 at 2017 12:00 AM

2017-09-13T00:00:25-04:00

The author is clearly trolling and not even remotely as clever as they think they are. I'm surprised that the Navy Times would publish such an obvious troll.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2017 12:08 AM

2017-09-13T00:08:12-04:00

Is this a real article? The ideas expressed have to be a joke. I find it extremely difficult to take it seriously.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2017 12:13 AM

2017-09-13T00:13:01-04:00

No.

Learn from it and all perspectives regarding it. You don't need to like it to learn form it.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Sep 13 at 2017 12:25 AM

2017-09-13T00:25:58-04:00

First, I don't believe that a ship named in honor of a famous battle of the American Civil War offends anyone's sensibilities. As to the destruction of memorials honoring rebels I don't believe that they are appropriate. They were erected for the explicit purpose of reestablishing dominance over recently freed black slaves, and they remain largely for that purpose. I would support keeping them only in cemeteries and battlefields where they serve an educational purpose. But remove them from civic centers and parks where they serve no other purpose than to venerate those who fought for slavery or secession.

Response by SFC Dave Beran made Sep 13 at 2017 2:09 AM

2017-09-13T02:09:00-04:00

No. Nuff said.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Sep 13 at 2017 3:24 AM

2017-09-13T03:24:09-04:00

The Russians had a saying - "There is nothing so difficult to predict as history".
Do we need that here?

Response by PO3 Phyllis Maynard made Sep 13 at 2017 3:54 AM

2017-09-13T03:54:44-04:00

We probably should not immulate the Soviet Union. Remember, former President Obama's (nearly all of them) proposals to make life better for citizens were compared to Socialism, Communism, and Marxism. He was accused of trying to run a dictatorship. (1) Unless we are changing our form of government, disregard the article. (2) No, we should not rewrite History. It is History because it happened. I am the descendant of a culture of people who were used to strengthen the strong arm of slavery; my dark skin has white blood flowing through it as a result of slavery. But it is what it is and now I exist. I cannot be erased. This is pulling at straws. America has become so "colored" with cultures that have a "story". But they have and still are overcoming their stigmas and being successful on American soil in the face of being openly humiliated and threatened with deportation. So, I don't think it helps "black children" to not know the fabric they have been cut from since the 1600s. So if other cultures are arriving in America and becoming prosperous, learning the English language, getting off of social programs, forgetting the race card and moving forward, why should rewriting the existence of slavery be a sensible solution to how "black children" thrive and build good lives?

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Sep 13 at 2017 7:48 AM

2017-09-13T07:48:08-04:00

I don't think renaming items that serve as monuments to anyone or anything objectionable (per the letter to the Navy Times) is "rewriting history". I believe the phrase "rewriting history" is a politically charged phrase that is designed to invoke a specific guttural response from people who may be inclined to prevent those changes from occurring (and that attempt at prevention has many motivations). Nobody is demanding that historians go back and rewrite textbooks and to teach children an alternate form of historical reality. I believe the goal is to characterize history in a more informed light, and some items/monuments inappropriately glamorize historical figures in a way that has already altered the historical reality.

That letter appears to be using satire and hyperbole to make a point.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2017 9:21 AM

2017-09-13T09:21:37-04:00

1984 was written as a warning...not a how to manual.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2017 9:35 AM

2017-09-13T09:35:50-04:00

Racism/hate is an issue with the human heart. Rewriting history won't change that. Until you can change someone's heart, you will always have racism and hate. And unbeknownst to many Americans, these problems are not "American problems". Racism and hatred is evident everywhere on planet earth.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2017 9:43 AM

2017-09-13T09:43:05-04:00

I find it truly amazing and perplexing that society today wants to put blinders on, thinking this will solve problems.

Response by SSgt Ryan Sylvester made Sep 13 at 2017 9:47 AM

2017-09-13T09:47:32-04:00

You know, first blush and all, I'd think it's satire, intentionally embellished and over the top to draw light that the people who call for this historical rewrite are about the same as the Bolshevik autocracy that ruled Russia for so long. Then I remember that a person wrote this, and pretty much anything is possible up to and including total belief in what he's writing. Like we really ought to model ourselves after the Soviets.

Response by SSgt Dan Montague made Sep 13 at 2017 10:43 AM

2017-09-13T10:43:14-04:00

If anything we need to dedicate our society to understanding the TRUE facts of history. Both good and bad.

Response by 1stSgt Mack Housman made Sep 13 at 2017 10:47 AM

2017-09-13T10:47:34-04:00

When I read this, the only thing that kept running through my mind is that "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it". Why do you think military minds spend so much time reading and studying the positives and negatives of former leaders and what led to the "good" or "bad" outcome of an engagement. That pretty much sums it up in my mind on this one.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2017 11:08 AM

2017-09-13T11:08:41-04:00

If this is real, I cannot find it on NavyTimes.com to confirm it is, the reference to emulating the Soviets shows a complete lack of understanding of history and the person should either be ignored because of their ignorance or because of them trolling.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 13 at 2017 12:23 PM

2017-09-13T12:23:02-04:00

Response by Maj Robert Dudley made Sep 13 at 2017 2:08 PM

2017-09-13T14:08:19-04:00

I sure hope he was being sarcastic. Otherwise, wow, we are in trouble.

Response by Col Phil Yasuhara made Sep 13 at 2017 3:51 PM

2017-09-13T15:51:01-04:00

This is sarcasm, taking the Confederate statue uproar to its illogical extreme.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Sep 13 at 2017 4:48 PM

2017-09-13T16:48:21-04:00

Should, the easy answer is no. There will always be racism and bigotry. As long as there are differences, there will be prejudice. As long as we have Haves and Have-Nots, there will be prejudice. We can erase history. We can police free speech and thoughts. Despite it all, we will still have prejudices.

I'm sure you are correct that this person was indeed trolling for reactions. The problem with that is we do have legitimate people rallying behind similar causes because logic has been thrown out the window in this society.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Sep 13 at 2017 6:27 PM

2017-09-13T18:27:05-04:00

ENS Private RallyPoint Member to paraphrase my response to a similar story in another thread: History is filled with horrible tragedy and triumphant beauty. If it is to be sanitized, it loses all value. The only way to learn the lessons from both success and failure is to study both.
If we sanitize the parts we don't like leaving only the good, then we lose our identity as a nation. If we start with racism, then what is next? Where does it stop? Most importantly of all, who would be the ones deciding which part gets sterilized? Ask a Native American whose people live on reservations because the lands they once roamed freely had gold under them, and they are likely not to give an answer anyone wants to hear. Ask a Japanese American whose family was sent into internment camps in World War II and they also will likely not give a pleasing answer. The only way to make sure that an atrocity never happens again is to make sure that it is not forgotten. It doesn't matter how painful it is.

https://www.rallypoint.com/shared-links/black-lives-matter-targets-jefferson-monument-in-charlottesville?urlhash=2915644

Black Lives Matter targets Jefferson monument in Charlottesville | RallyPoint

Response by SSG David Andrews made Sep 15 at 2017 1:45 PM

2017-09-15T13:45:00-04:00

NO! History should be factual and everyon needs to study history and learn the factual reasons behind it. If we do not study and understand history we will repeat it!

Response by SSG David Andrews made Sep 15 at 2017 7:51 PM

2017-09-15T19:51:43-04:00

The article appears to me as the product of a "Troll" seeking firery responses.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Sep 15 at 2017 8:10 PM

2017-09-15T20:10:59-04:00

This fixation with traitors who took pup arms against America has to stop. It is about intimidation, nothing less

Response by SGT Vealthia Demeritte made Sep 16 at 2017 1:34 PM

2017-09-16T13:34:02-04:00

History must never be erased, we learn from our past so that the wrongs that were committed can never be repeated. We must understand we did not live the History of our past, decisions were made by the people according to their way of life not our modern ways and beliefs. When the colonies decided to break away from the British rule they also had to rebuild their own economy the only way they new how, one must remember nothing in this world is perfect and will never be.

Response by AA Joseph Moody made Sep 16 at 2017 4:46 PM

2017-09-16T16:46:26-04:00

....I had a boss guy with schizophrenia once who thought he could change the past by remembering it differently...And as far as him keeping his personal narrative working that actually kinda worked out for him, and to an extend this is something that everyone does to a degree. But at the end of the day this caused problems with the others who had to interact with him, because quite frankly reality don't change just because someone wills it, no matter how hard you wish today you can't undo all the cheeseburgers you ate over the last 40 years. And what we ended up with was one class of people in that workplace who supported his narrative, one class who cleaned up the fall out of his mental instabilities, and one class who was the scapegoats he needed so that he could use them to scapegoat as needed to justify his actions to himself....
You know this looks kinda like politics today.

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Sep 16 at 2017 4:47 PM

2017-09-16T16:47:29-04:00

I didn't look at 1984 as a "how to" book,
I thought he was a ok author but was kind of a whack job with a bent imagination and kind of fits other authors whose books I pu viewed..

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Sep 16 at 2017 4:48 PM

2017-09-16T16:48:10-04:00

Purviewed

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 29 at 2017 2:35 AM

2017-09-29T02:35:17-04:00

This has become one of my absolute favorite memes to share when this topic or anything similar comes up.

First, it's crafted to illicit an emotional response from the leftists because it shows a picture of Robert E. Lee - the Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. Second, the quote applies directly to the idiocy of burying our heads in the sand and working to erase history in order to prevent 'hurt feelings.' All-around good meme - 10/10 will use again.

But seriously.

The deaths committed in the USSR and other communist nations, when tallied, make Hilter look like a petulant child who threw a temper tantrum in a sandbox and accidentally hit someone in the eye.

20 million under Stalin alone.

Do we erase that from history?

No.

When we venture into the realm of erasing our own history, we fall into the dangerous situation of also forgetting that history repeats itself. Should we celebrate past atrocities? No. But we sure as to hell shouldn't EVER forget them or pretend they didn't happen.

It's called being 'mature,' 'learning from mistakes,' and working to not repeat what we screwed up before.

Response by SFC Dennis A. made Oct 17 at 2017 5:13 PM

2017-10-17T17:13:19-04:00

Well let me ponder this for a moment - NO.

Response by SSG Jeremy Sharp made Oct 17 at 2017 6:49 PM

2017-10-17T18:49:39-04:00

Correct me if I am wrong, didn't some of the most ill fated attempts to govern sheeple come after governments "cleansed" their histories to be more palatable to the populace?