History a blast from the past or a morbid concern with political correctness

In recent weeks I have been extremely interested in peoples wish to almost exterminate the past because it upsets current political agendas. Most people should know that history is written by the "winners", if we must label, not by those who "lost". This means that everything that is regarded as of importance from a historical point of view must be seen through the eyes of those who wrote it. The moment we start to tear down this monument or deface that one is the moment we re-write what we believe to be "history". This has very little to do with this person's rights or the other person's rights this is to do with peoples power and ability to write history in accordance with their viewpoint. The very act of saying we should re-name this or that is an act based on power and not necessary an act of "right".

John Dalberg writing about historical acts of power in a letter to Archbishop Creighton suggested that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" which is a well known saying but what is more interesting is that he immediately writes "Great men are almost always bad men". I suspect that he is ultimately correct and no matter how we would like to regard the people we celebrate from our histories many of them are probably bad, especially with regard to modern sensibilities. Does that mean that every era must re-arrange the sculptural and historical naming landscape of the country? Just because our modern sensibilities suggest that this person was a crook and should not be memorialised just because our generation does not like what they did or were? The sculptures and art works, the naming of parks and gardens were undertaken by a previous generation who felt the need to memorialise those people as a result of history's reflection of their contribution towards a country's development, not necessarily for who they were.

Is this righting wrongs or re-creating history for power's sake?

The foundations of many countries are based on the dark deeds of the past. Those deeds are written in the histories for the winners dragging up their tales does not negate their foundational stories in a country. If we have a power do do anything it is the power to admit the views of difference and listen with respect to those that have been harmed. No amount of restitution will dissolve the issues raised by past events but rather raise antagonisms and rifts within communities. Healing and forgiveness of the past is not undertaken by removing memorials that reflect different generations thinking. Most people would probably know that a person is celebrated from the past but not wish to delve into the minutiae of their lives to cast blame. The more dirt we dig up the more it casts a sallow light on our own activities reminding us that, ultimately, we are propounding our own history rather than that written elsewhere. Perhaps, we should expunge all reference to slavery or abuse or dictatorship from the records of a country just because we can. This does not mean that it did not occur but is that what we are celebrating when we erect a monument to someone or are we erecting the monument to celebrate an imperfect life that had meaning to the development of the country, however mean and bad by present day standards? Indeed, the French poet Jean Cocteau has written "What is history after all? History is facts that become lies in the end. Legends are lies which become history in the end."

Perhaps, we need a little more sensitivity about how we handle the monuments of the past and seek reconciliation with our own past as much as with those we offend. In moving forward into our future we need to remind ourselves of our past both smeared and bright for it is the past that brought us here today but it is how we hold ourselves going forward that heralds the future. Do we go forward seeking to build or seeking to destroy? If we seek to destroy, then we must take care, for then our future may not be as bright as we think as our own histories may also be expunged in a time to come. If we seek to build, then we need to acknowledge the wrongs of the past, as we look back, but reconcile ourselves to our fellow citizens whatever view they hold to build a better future.