Making History

[rayheinrich]

Kids grow up fast.

This is one of those "You can interpret this 25 ways to Sunday" metaphors. Must keep reflecting...

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Hey Ray-

Do you think writing a poem about it is taking advantage of it?  no
Knowing that people -- well, at least those over 25 -- will be more likely to read it?   Depends upon the content.  Still no.  The insight of a competent poet is sometimes the best insight.

Considering the evil of the act has been outstripped by the opportunists, I've come to
think -- as terrible as it might sound -- that it is best to let it pass into history.
I can certainly understand that opinion Ray. The simple saying, "never forget" is valuable, I believe.  It's what some folks add to that saying that makes it distasteful.

I don't "regret" observing that as more time passes, the more the actual events slide into history.  And history is chock full of horrific events, and the power, terror, and immediacy of those events can not be truly authentic in their re-construction (which is why I think history tends to repeat itself.  We humans begin to romanticize these events: American civil war re-enactments, as an example.  

Once all of those who were directly affected are no longer around (ie dead) the precise, wrenching effect of those events becomes murky.  Those voices, then, only exist in history, or I should say, as history.

The events becomes points of reference, excuses, as you say, in the evolution of the next atrocity...  Human beings, being human, seem to be trapped in a never ending cycle of self destructive behavior.  It's a wonder that we're still around...

Yes, these must be good comments as a agree with them.

... American civil war re-enactments, as an example.
The slaughter recedes, the recruiting posters advance.

... Human beings, being human, seem to be trapped in a never ending cycle of self destructive behavior.
It's a wonder that we're still around...
Because nuclear weapons -- though not for much longer -- are really difficult to make.

Another possible self-destruction: Antibiotic-resistant microbes are proliferating and drug companies
consider the development of new antibiotics unprofitable.

The list goes on and on... So, yes, it truly IS a wonder that we're still around*.


*An optimistic thought just popped up in my head: Maybe we're not that self-destructive after all.
Then my wisdom kicked in -- some say I'm overly cynical, but I tell them it seems that way because my
wisdom just happens to correlate with reality -- and I realized that we're just inept.