CARBUCKLE@UMKCVAX1 (Valentine M. Smith) (01/17/90)
From: BITNET%"UCS_KAS@SHSU.BITNET" "Excess in moderation" 15-JAN-1990 21:
10:57.88
To: Charlie Dell <CARBUCKLE@UMKCVAX1.BITNET>
CC:
Subj: History is a waste of time
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Date: Mon, 15 Jan 90 20:51:00 CST
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From: Excess in moderation <UCS_KAS@SHSU.BITNET>
Subject: History is a waste of time
To: Charlie Dell <CARBUCKLE@UMKCVAX1.BITNET>
Since we are tired of religion, I offer my opinion of history.
No doubt a lot of you will find this even more offensive than religion.
I believe that the teaching of history to our youth is a waste of time
and effort. I believe history for histories sake has no practical value. I
have heard: "History repeats itself, and to predict and anticipate the
future one must know the past." I think that's a crock. In a few years the
average person will be able to sit down at a home terminal and search for
cross-referenced lists of everything ever written about MacArthur, for
example. Why anyone would care in the first place is a mystery, but why
educators would think they had to learn and memorize it from grade school
is even more baffling. How many people voted in podunk county in 1902?
Who cares?? When I flip through an old history book I see 10,000 things
that I once was required to study and memorize but I don't see anything
worth knowing.
The only history worth knowing is the history of ones own life, loves,
grief, hopes, and happiness. To read the papers and watch the news about
Romania, East Germany, and the beginning of the end of communism is a great
thing now because it is an experience being shared right now with millions
of people. But it is also another chapter in the next history book and
students who have not lived through it will be required to learn dates and
names by rote. Then they will know who to praise and honor, who to
condemn, (even though the people may be long dead). They will be required
to analyze political and economic events responsible for a change in
government and society. They will become history professors.
Real life. Accept no substitutes.
Regards, Ken
P.S. Unlike my belief in God, I'm quite willing to let someone change my
mind about this.
P.P.S. How many of us know why we should boycot Dominos Pizza?
A. They use paper from lumber taken from Ancient Forest.
B. It's owned by methodists.
C. It's not owned by methodists.
D. They use dolphin meat in thier pizza.
E. Your delivery girl is an old man.
I wrote to this young man, and he gave me permission to cross-post this
missive, I thought it might provoke a comment or two. He only asks that you
send him copies of replies, as he is not a subscriber to HISTORY, for obvious
reasons. VMS