Destroying History and Monuments Does Not Change The Past
It’s been painful and shocking to watch the destruction that our “fellow Americans” are causing on monuments, historical sites and businesses around the country. It’s as if they think that vandalism and destruction will change the course of history. It does not.
In fact, it only creates anger and more controversy that is contrary to our beliefs and values as Americans.
To hear that there are people in our country that want to eliminate the history and monuments of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other presidents and contributors to our country, including our forefathers, leads me to ponder and ask, “What will that do?”
If you attempt to delete history, it still exists.
And, there are those eager to forget our past because it’s too painful to accept, including the Civil War, the Holocaust, World War I and II, the Vietnam War. They happened; denying their existence doesn’t make them go away. Instead we need to learn from these events and teach our children their relevance. We can learn from our past mistakes and accomplishments.
We all know that this year’s Fourth of July will be celebrated differently than in the past. It may be the perfect time to reflect on what Independence Day means to our nation. To help mark the holiday, I look to President Abraham Lincoln, my favorite president, and his deeply held beliefs on the Declaration of Independence, our first national statement of beliefs and principles:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
As Americans we can practice freely our religious beliefs. We can build our fortunes with the use of our talents and skills. And, we have the right to our political beliefs without restriction.
At the same time, we are reminded to respect the life and property of others, including businesses, monuments and historical sites. Otherwise, we face the reality of losing our right to liberty and freedom.
For those of us who are proud to be Americans and value our freedom, we can say firmly, “God Bless America and all of those before us who gave us the opportunity to live with our unalienable rights!”
Category: Education, feature, Government, Local News, National News
