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Along Life’s Way
Is History—History? A Fable
© 2019 Lois E. Wilson
The Editorial Board of the publication, “History Goes Forward” believes
the past informs and inspires the present; history can change the
destination of the next generation.
It met to select and honor people from the past that had influenced the
future of the country in a positive manner. They always nominated two
individuals for each of the categories: Arts, Education, Science,
Military, Sports and Miscellaneous.
At the meeting to choose those for 2019, Fred in charge of the process
vented his frustration, “I don’t know what to do this year. It has
become an increasingly difficult chore to compile the list of
candidates. In each category, I proposed a woman and a man for the
honor. I thought that would please the women’s rights organizations.
“Somehow my preliminary list was leaked to the media who shared it with
others in the six categories. They in turn shared it with different
entities which have been contacting me with their detailed complaints.
“We are being threatened by the GRINCH as Dr. Seuss called the nemesis.
I call them Groups Rewriting, Ignoring, Negating, or Changing History.
“No matter whom I proposed, they objected to them. For example, Annie
Oakley and Daniel Boone are opposed by the anti-gun and anti-hunting
groups, Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers by the green,
anti-pollution and energy groups. It is completely bizarre and makes no
sense. One group or another wanted every name on my list removed;
therefore, I have no list for this year.”
Fred’s editor asked, “Do you have a solution?”
“I thought I had come up with an answer—such as have only one category.
I believed if we nominated two fictional characters loved for decades
by everyone, they could find no cause to oppose
them.
“I wrote each group I had heard from and proposed to honor Mickey and
Minnie Mouse. The animal rights groups went berserk. They said that
those two characters had been exploited for years to earn huge profits
for human beings. So I suggest we abandon the project this year.”
Moral: Adlai Stevenson observed: “We can chart our future clearly and
wisely only when we know the path which led to the present.” Fred
warns: “History holds a treasure of people and events. Those who
rewrite it, discount it, or deny it risk being left with nothing.”
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