What is History?

                The only way to solve current political issues is to avoid them, not by placing blame. Beliefs were different in the past, and most descendants regret their ancestor’s injustices. In regards to WWII, many Canadians of Japanese descent were laboured during the war and had their properties taken away. The government issued compensation in the 1980s and an official apology. Surely, compensation is offered as a way of saying sorry, but where does it end? The government cannot keep giving compensation for all the generations to come. Many Ukrainian immigrants from areas under the control of Austro-Hungarian Empire were forced to work in camps as aliens. Few of the workers are alive still today. Yet, demands of compensation have been made by some present-day Ukrainian Canadians. No matter how much cash is offered, the past cannot be changed. The only way to atone for past injustices is to make sure they are never repeated.

                With new evidence being discovered, the course of history is fluid. An interpretation of the past can be disproved by newly found information. For example, fifty years after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the Japanese speak out about the initial plans of warning the Americans. Before then, people have always assumed it was meant to be a surprise attack. There is no guarantee that the recorded history is correct, since it is impossible to travel back in time to get the truth.

On the whole, history is a selective interpretation/perspective of past events. The worth of history is that people can learn from past mistakes, and it also makes up one’s identity. Instead of assigning blame for past problems, we should learn from history to avoid these situations from happening again. Historical facts can change when new information is found. I think history is an important subject that must be taught in school and at home. Knowing about the past gives an individual the idea of self-importance. Also, learning from history will remind future generations of what is right and what is wrong. The ideal outcome of learning history is to minimize conflicts for the future.