The past

The past is a difficult topic for many people. Some have a glamorized view of it — turning it into something it never was. Some people do this because the past was very painful for them and so it’s their way of coping with that. And just as there are numerous people, they all have their reasons. Regardless of the reason, the past is a topic that touches a nerve for many people.

There are currently lots of debate about how to teach the past — especially in relation to race. Some argue that students should be a fuller view of history and teach about the impact of history on race, hear from different perspectives, etc. Others do not see it that way.

We have another debate going on in politics — how to talk about the recent past and what happened on Jan. 6 at the capitol. Some say we need a full investigation to know what happened, who was involved, and come up with recommendations to prevent it from happening. Others say we need to move on.

We have a debate about the last election — was their fraud or not and what counts for us to look at. What are the standards by which we look at a previous election — is it just the accusation of fraud without any evidence, or does there need to be more?

I remember when the Clinton impeachment was going on and how this same way of thinking was prevalent, just on different sides of the aisle — there were a group who wanted to investigate the past and see what happened, and others who wanted to move on. Looking at the past or avoiding it is obviously a bi-partisan thing — it just…