The value of history

This column is dedicated to Mark Dragoni, Lissa Isenberg, Steve Ray, Frank Nickell and all those who keep our history alive and pass it on to our youth.

Many believe that technology has lessened the importance of an education in history, but watching and listening to our politicians has shown what can happen when decisions are made without understanding the history of other nations as well as our own.

History is being written every day and the consequences of those events will affect our economy, our security, our future, and our freedoms. An important thing to consider when selecting our leaders is whether they can react in the nation's best interests in international relations. When I hear some of the dumbest election promises and statements made by politicians it is obvious they have no knowledge of U.S. or world history. It is easy for politicians to lead our nation astray if we know so little about history that we cannot tell when they misrepresent world events.

A recent historical event that continues to affect our nation began in 2003. Attacking Al Qaeda in Afghanistan could be rationalized because of their attacks on 9/11, but why did we attack Iraq who, as admitted by President Bush, had nothing to do with the attacks? It is easy for politicians to lead our nation astray if we know so little about history that we cannot tell when they misrepresent world events. Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein had a history where they were enemies and not allies. When we crushed the government of Iraq we opened the door for Al Qaeda to move into Iraq and allowed the very old hate between Islamic sects to erupt.

Those who teach history not only tell us about the past. They give us the tools to understand how and why the past affects the world and how we should react to those events. As Edmund Burke is alleged to have said, "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." History teachers may be our best hope for avoiding the repetition of mistakes.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.