Monday, September 29, 2014

White Washed Journey

History Erased

I come to all of those within Life’s Struggle with the nth amount of due respect & love for life. I would like to share my thoughts on a movement in this Nation by States & school boards to erase many chapters within the history of our Nation. Individuals who would like to portray our historic journey as a ‘cake walk’ & in a more positive light.

History is the Scientific Journey of man..it’s trials, failures & discoveries.

Being a history fanatic since my elementary years in school, I find this new ‘white wash’ concept as somewhat traitorous to those of my Nation who came before me & made insurmountable sacrifices. Sacrifices that those who wish to erase chapters within our history books would not have the strength to endure nor would they presently be able to enjoy their present positions or stature in life. Let us erase public dissent, Indian Wars, the American Revolution, Civil War, Slavery, Civil Rights, the 60’s, WWI & II & the Industrialization of America & the Reformation of Worker Rights. Let us forget the sacrifices & blood that fertilizes our soil from shore to shore & border to border. Let us forget the ‘horrific’ chapters & events within our borders that united its citizenry & Nation into a powerful nucleus to cope & overcome.

Let us forget the evolving nature of our people & Nation. How numerous times the citizenry & leaders fought to correct & amend the wrongs which were put in place before our own birth & arrival. How we humbled ourselves to the citizenry & the World by admitting our errant choices, events & ideologies. . Human Rights…this portrait was not created without struggle, sacrifice or compromise. It wasn’t always a pretty journey, but for the most part it works. Let us forget how millions of inhabitants around the World want to live & achieve their dreams within this Nation.

We often hear about the ‘lost generation’ in America today. We complain because they have no reason or purpose, no respect or desire to be rooted. Keep deleting the journey of our Nation, the chapters & events which give us roots, pride, respect & a sense of belonging…reason & purpose & you will see the future degradation within the characters & morals of future generations also. I am always amazed & appreciative of the earnest interest & respect shown by youth when I share historic events & chapters of our journey with them. Very few children & youth today can tell you about the journey & struggle of their family’s history…their nationality, immigration journey, struggles or enslavement, nor the heroes or sacrifices made by family members who walked before them. When I
attended elementary school it was a 1st grade assignment to know your nationality/ies. We are known as the ‘melting pot’ of the World…before you partake & enjoy a bowl of soup, do you not want to know the ingredients?,

Over the years I have been chided for sharing certain events on our historic journey, especially when it comes to government, slavery, massacres and Wars within & out of our Nation. ‘Lady, we want to forget that time in our Nation, our lives, we just want to live for the here & now.’ If we forget those struggles & events they will surely be repeated in the future, maybe not in our lifetime, but in a generation to come. Many Wars & Rebellions are repeated or continue because errant concepts & ideologies out of the past have not evolved & been amended.

I have always believed that in order to proceed on a journey or with an agenda, to see progress as a Nation, we must first know how far we’ve come so that we may also know how far we must journey to reach our destination & expectations. If you want to erase legs of our journey & chapters within our history books to resemble ‘Xanadu’ or a ‘Fantasy Nation’, then you’re in the wrong profession, you need to become an employee of an Attraction Park or a Fiction Author!! Growth & Advancement in life is not achieved unless we can learn from our past; both positive & negative…leave our history books alone. Do not White Wash the events & sacrifices of those who have journeyed before us.

History is doomed to repeat itself when man is not taught nor does he heed the lessons which are rooted there…

I leave you as I came with the nth amount of respect & love for life.

Lady Gray/Rosemarie P.

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