History is our story,
human-centric,
usually told with battles-leaders-milestones-of achievements
as the content of the story.
It is usually written,
but may be oral.
What gets told
is the choice and decision
of the writer-historian.
A lot of power and responsibility
is found in the writing hands or voice of this person,
in what they pass on to the future.
Because history is edited, by necessity of space and time,
the billions of humans and other life beings
and most of their histories
are left out of the history-story.
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| The earliest modern historical timeline, a scroll created by Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg (1709-1779) in 1753. This carte chronologique is a 54-foot scroll. |
The Right to History is supported by the Right to Knowledge.
The Right to History depends on the Right to Factual Media,
because how and which events get recounted and archived
determine the future history recorded.
It is what we value to know, to remember.
32 comments:
I agree with having the right to history. History was meant to be passed on to the people the writers knew would one day be reading it. Although in some cases, like the french revolution, and the volcanic eruption in Greece, we can not do anything. A piece of their history will forever be lost for us. I believe we have a right to know what the ancients did with their lives, how they lived them, how they communicated, how they survived, and most importantly what mistakes they made. They say history repeats itself, but exactly what parts? As descendants of great people, we deserve to know.
-L.A.R.
History is said to be told by the winners in battle, since war is not about who is right, but who is left. The way history is told reflects on the reaction people have towards it. If we say a man stole a bike we categorize him as a thief, but if we say he stole a bike because the one he had got stolen also and it was the only way for him to keep his job and sustain his family, I'm sure you will think of him differently. That is an example how history is told most of the time. Most of the facts get ommited to manipulate the populaiton.
Carlos G.
I think we should have the right to the correct history. As Carlos said, sometimes history is told differently and people don't see it as the situation actually happened. So maybe it's the right history, just with parts left out. So maybe the correct thing to say would to have the right to the whole history? -SJB
I believe we should have the right to history. I think that if we want to know every bit of history that it is our job to go out of our way to seek this information. Different historians have different perceptions of what happened so it is our job to obtain this information for ourselves.
P.Picone
I think that the right to history is very important to us because it is the opportunity to conserve our legacy and learn what happened before. This right could help the humanity to know a lot of facts, events like battles, and discoveries. We must be grateful to the historians who took the decision to write stories from the past to let us know about them.
-MSM15
I don't want to know every little detail that has happened in the past, but I do want to know the memorable events, the major events people valued. So, I do believe in the right to history but I also believed, it should be edited and made concise.
Shani A.
History is like the game telephone. We trust what someone else says and use it as memorable
moments in time or points of occured events. Although history repeats itself, it will always be recorded differently as time and generations grow. Now we have the ability to make history happen,unlike older times where we were forced to live through transitions with limited power.
-G.R.
The right to history is essential, because it is the very reason we are all here. You and I, are here because of HISTORY. We must understand the historical milestones and individuals before our time - to have a sense of where we came from, and where we are going. It allows us to broaden our horizons - to not only think about the past, but also about the present, and the future.
Right now, at this very moment, we are history in itself - leaving a piece of ourselves, our stories, and our past behind - for future generations. Therefore, we should be eternally thankful to all these extraordinary historians who have recorded such historical movements - passing it on to the future, to us, precisely.
I, for example, am living proof of this declaration, because it is the work of these great historians and their recorded stories that I know where I came from, and who I am today - a direct descendant to one the great forefathers and revolutionary leaders of the Independence of Colombia in the epitome of the 1800s. To this - I thank all the historians who diligently recorded history, because, I, too, am a part of that history, and because of this recorded history - I will be able to pass it on to my future generations. F.G.
The history of the world is but the biography of great men.
THOMAS CARLYLE, Heroes and Hero-Worship, The Hero as Divinity
I agree to the right to history as long as it is factual in its entirety. I for one, have had to re-learn history and have grown frustrated at the fact that I grew up learning only certain facts about events in the past leaving me to be biased. I believe it is not fair to us the "newer generation" to be taught history as a one sided story through rumors of certain historians who favor the side of the story they are speaking about.-D.E.C.
"History is the distillation of rumor"
Thomas Carlyle- Historian/Writer
I believe that there should be a right to general history as well as a right to personal history. History is edited because of limits of space and time, however the edited parts may not actually be edited rather not disclosed to the public. Maybe within the general history their is a personal one that is told within an immediate family or within the boundaries of an interpersonal relationship.
PoPcOrN
History is very important so we do not make the same mistakes today. However, we usually hear one perspective of the history being told. Even though these dates and stories are accurate it is important to understand the other point of view. Knowing the past is very significant for our future.
ACA
History is a good as the one who is telling the story. While historians have undertaken the task of recording history and making editorial judgment of what and how it should be told, individual groups such as Indians, Jews, African Americans and other ethnic groups can also write, describe and tell history the way their ancestors have experienced it. Everyone should have the right to history, but it is an individual choice to believe or reject what is being told. By: L.J.B.R.
Understanding the past is important in order to
create the future. The past can reveal an aspect of what it is to be human.It is by past mistakes that lessons are learned. The present is always implicated in the study of the past.
-Ana DM
We must know are past if we are to create a better future! It is imperative that the past be recorded accurately, because if it is not it’s just another story.
J.M.
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it” -Winston Churchill
Monica C.
History is all about perception. Perception is biased. Therefore, how do we know that everything we think is history, is actually a fallacy? It's hard to tell, because the line dividing truth and false is so thin. Word of mouth is a double edged sword. You will never get an exact telling of an event.
J.F.
History is a one of the most important subjects in the world. Without history we would not be able to learn and make the necessary changes in order to become better. Without history our future is empty. MV
I believe it is important to know what happened in the past. History is important in explaining and understanding changes in human behavior and how this society came to be. But let's take a look at the definition of the word history: 1. A continuous, systematic narrative of past events as relating to a particular people, country, period, person, etc., usually written as a chronological account. 2. The discipline of recording and interpreting past events involving human beings.
So who is the narrator? Is the written story the "real" one?
MVHT.
We have to be careful with this one. History is important to many people. Many of us depend on it to make very difficult decisions. The mistake I see being made is taking everything at face value. We do not know what happened so long ago. We only know what is written down. We are not even able to prove or disprove many things that are considered important in history. We must be careful with "history", because for all we know, every written word could be false.
Sheeda M.
I agree to the right to history. If you ignore history you are condemned to repeat it, history allows us to learn from the world’s mistakes and achievements so knowing our past will empower us in our present and future. It also gives us an insight into how history helped develop the world that we live in now. Technology has given us the opportunity to document the events that have happen all around the world so generations to come will have more options then ever before to learn about our history. (LCL)
We all are a constant part of history. Humanity is rapidly changing and making history. Additionally, any historical events are available to us in minutes via internet. History is a solid privilege we all have.A.L.
Who determines what information should be recorded as history? Throughout the course of our education we are given social studies, civics, and history as part of our learning curriculum, but who wrote these books? Have you ever wondered how accurate is this information? Although I believe that we should all have the right to history, how much of what we’ve learned and are told is part of what truly happened? Information has made it way into many different individuals and as humans we tend to either exaggerate or reduce the effect of what the truth is.
It’s unfortunate that the history we learn comes from a person’s point of view. But is there any other way to learn it? We all should have the right to factual history but will probably never get it unless we live through it.
Yes, definitely history is a way to go right, there should not be anything or anyone who opposes this right. History is what keeps the human society alive it is what every single soul looks forward to understanding and becoming a part of. History is our only way to coexist with the future and past. We learn so much from history and we implement many ways of teachings and such into our everyday lives from historical events. History is what keeps the human soul pure and unique. - J.J.V.
Because one person at a time writes history, it is always biased by their language and what they decided was important enough to include. Different historians value different things, so it is our job to expose ourselves to many sources to get a more complete view of history.
-A.B.
We have to know where we come from, to know where we're going. Our history has shaped all of us into the way we now are. As author David C. McCullough once said, "History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are." Etel
I completely agree with Carlos G. Take a look at one of the most well-known events in history, the Boston Massacre. American History categorizes this fateful event under the term "massacre", while The British name it the "Boston Riot". We are all familiar with what occurred that day. Five people died that day when the Redcoats were threatened, which eventually resulted in the American Revolutionary War. Yet American History names it The Boston Massacre, while the British imply that it was simply a riot gone wrong. It's important that we know what exactly happened but the truth is that unfortunately the facts are skewed towards the opinion of who exactly is telling the story.
"The past is always a rebuke of the present"- Robert Penn Warren
CR
I agree with the right to history. Everyone should have the right to history; whether people want to learn about their families’ generation or about the big bang theory, it shouldn’t matter as long as people do not use history in a greedy way or make it false.
Chelsea M.
If we didn't have history we wouldn't know where we came from and what had to happen to cause humanity to evolve in the way we have. History, allows us to learn from our mistakes and give us the necessary wisdom to understand our past. I only wish history would not be so dependent on the perception and opinions of humans, seeing that we sometimes tend to forget to be subjective and like to talk about what we believe is right. D.C.R.
The right to know what happened before we were born is just truly incredible because if we would not have this information about things that were build, stuff that was said, items that were invented, etc… they would not have an answer or meaning to it. Of course all the information has not been recorded but we have enough to realize that everything has a story behind it. O.V.
Without history we may never learn from our mistakes. Mistakes are done and become our past and from our past mistakes is how we learn to do better. History is what helps us create the future. -ABL
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