Truth Does Not Blink

     I just finished watching a documentary on the bombing of Hiroshima during World War 2. As I watched it, one thought continued to repeat itself in my mind. This was something that we should never forget. Just as the tragic events of September 11, 2001 should not be forgotten, neither should other horrific events that occur around the world, like the ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Darfur or the current unrest in Iran. It is possible to say that these events are important because they shape the world we live in, but this is not why I was so profoundly struck my the necessity to never forget these things.

     There are atrocities committed in the world for the sake of various things. Generally, it is greed or envy. This may be a simple desire to own more material goods, more property, or prestige that has conflated into a violent urge. It may be a more complex desire that has various ethical concerns attached to it, such as one nation invading another for the sake of acquiring more resources to be able to feed their people. It is important not to allow the feelings that are provoked by the presumed motivations of an act, especially on a scale so large as international affairs, to color how the event is recorded and preserved for future generations. When we allow bias to enter into our reporting of information, we taint it and remove what we present away from the truth.

     It is not an easy thing to look at historical events with an unbiased eye, especially when they occurr within a few generations of your own life and involve your nation. It is incredibly difficult to present events of the past that stretch farther back with an unbiased method in the face of a possible tradition of doing so. Especially when that tradition becomes very tightly interwoven with the cultural identity of a people. This, however, does not change the importance of doing so.

     My Grandfather’s generation grew up in the Great Depression and fought in World War 2. I have heard several stories about how the war affected them. I have seen the scars that it has left on both body and soul, and the echo of those more subtle spiritual wounds surrounds even my own generation. It is comforting to say that all that we did was right, no matter what side one is on in a conflict. It is especially comforting to teach the younger generations such a perspective, for they will (in theory) never challenge it. Doing so, however, does them a great disservice and places a dangerous potential for repetition of the more tragic elements of history in the hands of the future generations.