Slavery at the Smithsonian

On May 10th of 1933, the first book burning took place in Germany. The reason the books were burned was because the material in the books did not support the narrative of the German government, namely Adolf Hitler.

To fit the narrative of the present-day US administration, books need not be burnt. However, a Neo-revisionist narrative of American History that supports the current administration philosophy will have the same effect. The action of calling the Smithsonian not representative of our American heritage and culture and then ordering an investigation as well as changing some presentations of the Smithsonian is akin to burning books that are not aligned with the MAGA narrative.

Declaring an overemphasis on slavery in the Smithsonian reeks of racism and bigotry.

If slavery in the United States is to be "downplayed" by politicians, how then, would the reasons for the American Civil War be explained to people?  How would one explain to people why Gettysburg is such hallowed ground?   How would one describe the courage and valor both sides fought with for their own causes…the South for the economics of slavery; the North to protect and defend the Constitution?  What about the significance of the Civil War Amendments…the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments that have been so instrumental in the development of our country?  How would the need for those amendments be explained without recognizing the institution of slavery and how bad it was.

How then would the continuing fight for Civil Rights be explained to people? How would Plessy v. Ferguson, Topeka v. Brown, or the Civil Rights Act of 1964 be explained to people? Why would Jackie Robinson’s admission to Major League Baseball be so, so significant?  And just how would the Civil Rights movement to include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. be explained to people?  

And maybe this isn’t about Slavery at all…maybe it is just a person in a position to create a new litany of history in his own mind…just to Make America Great Again.

Has our great nation made mistakes?  Absolutely!  Have those mistakes allowed the nation to learn and grow into something better.  I would hope so.  In my mind, America has become a great nation because of the difficult times our nation has endured and grown into a better place to be.  From a fledging nation to the world power we now realize, our nation’s road to greatness has had pot holes to be navigated.
  
Who can argue that FDR’s speech to Congress of December 8th, 1941 to declare war …”a day that will live in infamy…” wasn’t America at one of its finest hours?  When JFK said in a speech delivered at Rice University on September 12, 1962, the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade…would anyone doubt it would happen?  Who would argue the picture of the entire Congress together, offering support as one group, following the attack of 9-11 wasn’t America at one of its finest hours?

And lest we not forget…President Bush and his actions following the attack of 9-11…throwing out a first pitch during the World Series in New York, just to show the nation and the world, the resolve of America was our country at its best. That was a very polite middle finger salute to those who caused the attack on the World Trade Centers.
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So, please tell me how our nation will be “greater” with a new narrative of history that fits the desired narrative of the current administration.  Help me understand…