To the editor:
I love living in Marblehead and being part of it. I appreciate its beauty and its history. And history is on my mind a lot these days as there is a call in Washington D.C. to modify some of our understanding of historical facts.
I think when we remember the past, we can build upon our successes and learn from our mistakes. But we need to know about it if we have any chance at all to make our lives better. In Donald J. Trump’s first administration, Kellyanne Conway used the phrase “alternative facts” which could be used to put a positive spin on data. During this second time around we are getting an “alternative look at history” that erases people, culture and events from history and museums, especially that of Black American people. Slavery was about owning people as property; we fought a Civil War about slavery. Marblehead men fought and died in that war with profound effects on the town and Marblehead families. This is not pleasant, but it happened and we need to remember. With an “alternative look at history” that smooths over some rough parts so that no one is upset, we are told to look at the past, present and future only with rose colored glasses. Let us be clear, this is not history. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.
Lee Mondale
Guernsey Street
