New Reply

Post a Reply

Thread: Drawing lessons from the past.

Title: (100 characters at most)

Content: ( 3,000 characters at most, please )

You can add emoticons below to your post by clicking them.

[quote=TOMSPENCER,258299]I certainly agree that history is very important. People often like to present a picture of a place that seems to be pure, innocent and welcoming, by covering-up some hideous event in the past.

Different people may have different reasons for doing this, and some are no doubt quite honourable intentions. I recall in the UK not too long ago, a certain local council wanted to re-name some streets because they were origninally named after slave traders. The council felt that it was wrong to continue to honour slave traders like this, but actually the move caused great up-roar amongst those who said that the council was trying to cover-up the past and pretend that the city played no part in the slave trade. People argued that the street names should remain and that children should be taught the history of the area and everyone should learn a lesson from the past.

I further recall when I first came to China as an English teacher and all the new teachers were called to a meeting and advised that there are certain aspects of China's history that children are not taught in school - certain wars that they are not aware that China was involved in - certain events of world-wide infamy that the very mention of which is strictly prohibited. We were advised that should any student ever bring up any such topic, we must not under any circumstances allow it to be discussed in class.

I know Japanese people who had never been taught about what their country did in WWII, and who have come to learn of it when they moved overseas for study or work.

I know of Chinese people who have had certain facts kept from them until they, too searched for hidden truths.

I also know British people, who to this very day remain ignorant of the atrocities committed in the name of the Empire.

Yes, history is very important. So, too, is how we choose to deal with it.[/quote]

characters left

Name:

Get a new code