A Major Instigator of Modern Conflict
By: Edie Tuck
Tags: Society, Life, Conflict, History, Change

When my daughter was in high school, she constantly questioned why it was so important to learn about history. Why did she have to study what happened hundreds or thousands of years ago, and when would she ever need to use any of that knowledge throughout her life?

Although I often wondered the same, my automatic response would almost always be that it was important to know where we came from, and how the world got to be what it is today. And it’s true, we do! But what we choose to do with that information can be a little conflicting.

How much weight should we allow past history to have on shaping the present and the future? I’m not arguing the fact that it’s important to know about our ancestors — what has shaped the world we live in today. However, we need to learn where to draw a very real line between knowing about it and re-living it.

I’m going to start by saying that this is an opinion piece, and should only be taken as such.

History vs. Heritage.

There are many history buffs who feel it’s extremely important to know what happened before us. For example, did Christopher Colombus really discover America? History books say yes, but research tells us that he probably didn’t.

I personally love learning and hearing about things that happened throughout history, not only in my own country and culture but in every country and culture. The good, the bad, and the ugly. And there’s a whole lot of ugly, from every point of view. Humans have a history of doing really horrific things to one another.

That being said, I tend to question a lot of it and not just take everything at face value. History books were written and re-written, translated and updated. As we are mostly all writers here, I’m sure you can attest that most of what we write is tainted by our own often biassed opinions.

How one person perceives an event might not be how the next person sees it. And just like rumours tend to evolve over time, we should probably expect that some of what was written as history may not be exactly as it happened. Just as we should expect that some of what happened may never have been written at all, or that some of what was written may have never happened. The only true experts on history are those who lived it.

Why are so much time and energy spent (wasted?) on worrying about what has already happened? Heritage is one thing — but history is something entirely different, although it’s often mistaken for the same.

Should we not be less concerned with a past that cannot be changed, and more with making sure we don’t repeat it? Should we not be focused more on how we can live our lives to the best of our abilities today, in order to create a beautiful tomorrow?

We are currently writing the history books that will grace library shelves — or internet sites, or whatever technology will have overtaken the world — in another hundred years. What kind of legacy are we prepared to leave behind? What kind of ancestors do we want to portray?

Our heritage tells us where we came from — what our customs were, the kind of lives our ancestors lived. Heritage is where family and cultural traditions come from, as a people. History, on the other hand, recounts events, both traumatic and memorable, such as wars, conflicts, and victories. Do not mistake the two.

The Weight of History

History, because we allow it, has the undeserved power to create chaos by reminding us of all the horrible things that have happened in the past. And let’s face it, the human race has recorded many more horrific events than we have good ones. Many more, I’m sure, have gone unspoken. Unwritten. And even most of those things that we consider to be ‘good’ have emerged out of conflict and war.

Humans are a cruel, self-serving species. We’ve orchestrated horrifying events throughout the past centuries. We’ve gone to war more times than I can count, and continue to do so. We’ve enslaved or eradicated entire groups of people. We’ve traumatized, demoralized, dehumanized, and administered unspeakable torture.

And instead of choosing to heal from these hurts, we hang on for dear life. We feel sorry for ourselves and pick at the wounds, we let it fester. We refuse to let go of the things that were done by our ancestors — and to our ancestor. We cling to it with fierce determination, hell-bent on retribution. Validation and revenge. We rant and scream about hate when we should encourage love.

Who was right? Who was wrong? We endlessly debate this question with no right answer, instead of living in the present to create a peaceful future. Instead of making ‘now’ a good place to be, by our words and actions. We continue to revive and relive history, taking offence in the actions of our predecessors, and ultimately recreating them, taking vengeance on those who look the part. We bring history back to life and take our self-justified revenge on the people of this generation as if they were the ones who personally persecuted us.

I ask you: should we let events that happened hundreds of years ago dictate how we live our lives today?

People. We are not our ancestors. They were not us! Let us love, not hate!

Do we make a child pay for the sins of his father? Or do we teach that child a better way instead?

Live and Learn

To live is to learn. To learn, to live. We can usually learn from our own mistakes, but we should also take notes and learn from the mistakes of those before us. Learn what to do. What not to do. We can see — both first and second hand — by being the product of what was, what needs to change in order for us to ensure a better outcome for what will be.

This Woman’s [Unpopular] Opinion

My thoughts on this may not be shared by many, but it’s my hope that they are at least shared by some. In my mind, the concept is quite simple. Or at least, should be simple.

We are but one race: humankind.

We have but one home: planet earth.

A planet we did not create, therefore, do not own. We have ignorantly chosen, and continue to choose segregation. We have repeatedly chosen to divide. To conquer. To argue about who discovered what. To fight over land that we put our name on, to plant our flag in, but is not ours to fight over.

We mistreat our home, and each other, with disregard, arrogance, hatred, and unspeakable violence.

Where there should be unity, there is division. War, where there should be peace. We judge and hate those who appear different from us when we should accept, love, and embrace the undeniable beauty of diversity and individuality.

History has proven time and again that there are no real winners in war. And yet we choose to continue down the same destructive paths paved by those who came before us. We choose to expand the divide.

Real humanity knows no colour. Knows no language but love. It knows no judgement.

Humanity is inclusive, completely. Regardless of whether you believe in one God, or many. Whether you are far left, or far right. Whether your skin is made of light or dark pigments, or no pigments at all. Whether you love men or women, or both, or neither.

Where history has destroyed, humanity should rebuild.

It is our duty as humans to go forth in unity, with love for all as our one guide.

Because we all bleed red.

And because when you turn out the lights, we all look the same.