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Tommy Druen: Fighting the same old battles Previous Column: Judge Emberton was a great mentor By Tommy Druen I recognize that I am biased. For the full extent of my memory, I've been a lover of history. My major at Centre College was history. History books are my pleasure reading. I collect historical political memorabilia. While I like to keep an eye on the future, I'm a firm believer that our history shapes who we are, even more than we care to admit. I come by it honestly, though. My dad is a retired history teacher. Perhaps our dinner conversations weren't typical. I now realize that our vacations were not. If there was a battlefield or fort on our route, you can guarantee there was a stop... and likely a detour even if it wasn't. All of this is to say I have a deep love and respect for history. The bright spots, the dark stains, the trials, tribulations and accomplishments... they all need to be studied, though much does not deserve reverence. This is why it pains me to see what appears to be more than just a misunderstanding, but a disdain for historical accuracy. And it seems to grow more egregious each and every day. Last week I did the unthinkable. I read the comments section of a public post on Facebook. Nothing good ever comes of that. You never come away feeling better about the state of humanity. But I did it anyway. It was a post from an organization that I follow that is dedicated to historical study of American presidents. Two comments stood out to me. The first was someone who wanted to see the first Catholic elected to the nation's highest office. I assume it was really a wish for a time machine, since that happened over sixty years ago when John F. Kennedy became president. The fact that he was Catholic was well known and not something from which he shied away. The second was even more baffling. The person argued that George Washington was actually a black man and Huguenot. They also stated that Huguenots were the lost tribe of Israel and actually Jews. While it is true Washington descended from Huguenot immigrants, I'm pretty confident that he was neither black nor a Jew. It would not change my respect for him one iota if it turned out that either or both of those assertions were true, but they just aren't. We live in a society where historical literacy deteriorates each year. But, even worse, is the apparent confusion of history and creative writing. Facts don't matter. If they don't fit your worldview, just make up some new ones! Nobody will know different anyway. And that's where we find ourselves. It becomes difficult to refute the lies when less people recognize them for what they are. And when genuine experts are dismissed as being "ivory tower" academics, it gets even worse. How do you combat lies when people ignore those know the truth? Studies from policy organizations from every corner of the political spectrum tend to show the same results. Whether it be the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, the National Association of Scholars, etc., all show that Americans understanding of history is rapidly getting worse. It's not that people cannot understand the nuances and how they apply to modern life. No, that is impossible because they don't know simple facts. A recent study by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni showed that only 27% or less of seniors at some of our nation's most prestigious universities could correctly describe James Madison's contributions to the country, the length of congressional terms or how to amend the Constitution. Heck, 10% thought Judge Judy was on the Supreme Court! With that in mind, it becomes obvious how people believe elections are stolen, politicians promote nullification and there is a reemergence of young people advocating for a socialist state. Sadly, history does often repeat itself because clearly we weren't paying attention when it spoke the first time! Robert Penn Warren, one of my favorite authors and distinguished Kentuckian, once said, "History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future." Something has to give. We have to put an increased importance on the facts and truth of history if we are to ever progress further than where we are today. Otherwise, we'll simply fight the same old battles over and again. Tommy Druen is a native of Metcalfe County, with roots in Adair County going back to the 18th century. He presently lives in Georgetown, Kentucky and can be reached at tommydruen@gmail.com. This story was posted on 2022-12-03 11:00:39
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Transfer Station closed today Adair Co. Schools dismissing early on Friday Christmas in Columbia kicks off this weekend Student essay contest encourages poll worker recruitment Kid's Christmas Craft Party at ACPL on Saturday T.J. Community Mission Foundation's New Year's Eve Bash Love Lights the Tree fundraiser for Metcalfe Co. Relay 7-County Area Courts for Fri 2 Dec 2022 Boil Water Advisory issued after moving water line Unemployment up slightly in Adair and Russell Counties View even more articles in topic News |
 
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