Wednesday, September 3, 2014

For all the late breaking news...wait 50 years!

I have always enjoyed learning about history, but it wasn't until I was older that I realized that history was written by the winners.  And it wasn't until recently that I realized how much history has been postponed and continues to be postponed.  Files are sealed and not to be opened for 50 years or more.  Personal histories can be rewritten by sealing and or destroying files.  And this is allowed.

Am I the only one that finds this interesting?  As a firm believer that we must know our history in order to learn from it, what does one do when history changes?  Isn't it challenging enough that the countries we learned in grade school don't even have the same names anymore?  Whatever happened to Yugoslavia?

When I was in junior high, every year we had the opportunity to participate in the "United Nations".  Before I go any further, for those of you who are not familiar with "junior high" (since it no longer exists), in the olden days,  that would be grades 7-9.  If you were selected, your delegation of about three students would choose a country, learn all about it; politically, culturally, and historically and represent this country when the "United Nations" met - usually a two-day period when many different schools would come together and convene.  It was very educational and fun.  I can't imagine doing that in today's world.  You would have to come prepared with different placards, in the event your country was seized during the course of the day, you could then change names, etc.

Let's talk a bit about sealing files.  We all are aware of the more famous cases.  FBI files on the late President John F. Kennedy have been sealed for 50 years as of 2013 and while some have been declassified, many remain sealed.  As new information comes to light, it changes information we have considered HISTORY.  Files on his brother Robert, which lend insight to information regarding his brother's assassination and the Warren Commission are still for the large part, unavailable. 

How about Martin Luther King, Jr.?  Fun fact, did you know his birth name was Michael?  As was his father's?  Okay - well, his files are sealed until 2027?  These men are important historical figures and what information is being withheld for such a long time that we can't be trusted with it? 

Or is our reality really one of a script that plays well for the current audience and when that audience changes....say in about 50 years or so....so will the script.  If the information is negative, why would we allow leaders to live out there legacy and only reveal same information after they are dead?  Or maybe the information about them isn't negative but people involved in their death?  They may have a powerful legacy?  Do we really not want to rock that boat, because the passengers on the ship can't handle it?  WE ARE THE PASSENGERS!!!

I was talking to a guy yesterday and he said "what does it really matter now anyway?".  Would we be so cavalier in our personal life?  What if we were married for 50 years and found out our mate was a serial killer?  (think BTK killer on this one).  It does matter. 

We will need to live long lives and keep our memories strong to sort out the different truths we are being told - not only by our historians/politicians today, but if we ever want to hear "the rest of the story" (as Paul Harvey would say).

Until next time,
#goodday

your pal,
Kari

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