About deleting history

If we remove hateful symbols, we become historical revisionists like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, China during its Cultural Revolution, and the Islamic State.  We become destined to repeat the sins of the past, because we deprived ourselves of the ability to remember them.  Steve Postal*

A Story About Deleting History  "My guess is that most of the people bringing down monuments are caught up in a rage and have not thought through just exactly what they are doing.   

"After all, why would anyone bring down a statue that honors the Confederate soldier as just happened in Durham, North Carolina?   

"We can disagree about the war, but can't we honor the men who were drafted or volunteered to fight?  Isn't that what The Vietnam Memorial is about?     

"Speaking of deleting history, Cubans have a lot of experience on the topic. The entire story of Castro's Cuba has been one chapter after another about the elimination of names, photos, or even monuments.     

"Let me tell you the story of Carlos Franqui, who passed away in 2010:

. . . 

"Franqui could not take it anymore. He eventually parted ways when Fidel Castro was forced to support the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia to maintain his annual subsidy. So Franqui managed to get out and spent the rest of his life as an enemy of the regime.

"And then Franqui was deleted from Cuban history and photos. His image was erased in various photos with Castro, as we can see in this example. First, there is Franqui in the back and then there is no Franqui in the photo.

"His role in the "revolution" was deleted and there was no more Carlos Franqui as far as the regime was concerned.  

"And that's what happens when you delete history. You deny future generations the whole story."Silvio Canto, Jr.

*Those who try to erase history  . . . "In August 2015, ISIS destroyed the Temple of Baalshamin (Ba’al, for short) in Palmyra, Syria.  From ISIS’ perspective, the Temple was a pagan symbol of hate and an affront to Islam.  The Temple dates back over 2,000 years, dedicated to the Canaanite god Ba’al.

"If anything, it would have been more fitting if the Jews, not ISIS, decided the Temple of Ba’al’s fate.  Well before the advent of Islam, Canaanites were archenemies of the Hebrews.  But if the Temple of Ba’al still stood today, the Jews would likely have favored its preservation, much like they painstakingly excavate Canaanite artifacts and structures across Israel (see here here here andhere for some examples).  The Temple of Ba’al was a priceless and unique window into the past, a glimpse into the early influences on Western civilization.  Now the world can’t see it.  ISIS took that possibility away from us." . . .