Back to the Future
Abolitio memoriae has been described as wiping out all existing memory of an individual from the public face. This process involved withdrawing any form of legacy, successes, and triumphs from the public for eternity. According to Victor Davis Hanson, Abolitio memoriae is the damnation of an individual’s memory (Hanson, 2017). As described in the text, Abolitio memoriae is also referred to as damnatio memoriae and thus the connotation of the damnation of an individual’s memory for eternity. An individual in power in history was highly regarded for their deeds and triumphs, however, following a damnation of their memory, any commemorations of their time in power would be wiped out from existence. This exercise, carried out self-proclaimed moralists, would involve the destruction of all inscriptions and statuary that was connected to the dead leader of whom they termed as bad or evil. According to Hanson, in the current day, the driving force of the concept of Abolitio memoriae is fueled by politics and self-proclamation of morality amongst the people or groups of people (Hanson, 2017). Perhaps more importantly, it worth to note that while the dead deemed as evil do not have a voice, today the revisionists that lead to the damnation of past rulers memories categorically enjoy moral high grounds without any objection.
A Scary History
While history shows the differences between the communists Russia and Roman history and the American political directions during the Confederacy and the reconstruction, Hanson correlates the different scenarios through viewing the past with the morality of the modern man and the current political atmosphere (Hanson, 2017). While there are visible differences between the past and the present, it does not necessarily signify that the modern citizen and leader is not at fault over the current social movements happening across different regions. Perhaps then, Hanson relates the different instances through viewing the past through the eyes of a modern man who considers himself as a more morally upright man. In fact, rather than viewing and crucifying the past leaders from an individual perspective, Hanson indicates that the modern person considers evil as evil without further research of the past realities. Consequently, Hanson indicates while these past leaders were outright evil, there should be a differentiation of each individual such as Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, or a differentiation between Stalin and Hitler. Hanson states that the differences between such individuals as General Wade Hampton and General John Mosby should be seen as they are and not under the same morality lens.
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Stone Throwers and Their Targets
Hanson opines that while some confederates may seem to deserve damnation, there is a thin line between condemning such people individually and as a group. In fact, through some revolutions such as Black Lives Matter, the same individuals fighting to change a wrong that has roots in the past, have been showcasing characteristics that would most definitely put them off their moral high ground. Condemning the past does not necessarily change it, in fact, it only goes to show that the present people are still resonating around past occurrences. A small percentage of the Confederates were outright evil and racists, however, the remaining individuals are victims of circumstances even though at such a particular time they chose to do nothing in regard to the slave trade and the related atrocities. In my opinion, not all the confederates deserve condemnation, not only because they were not physically liable for any atrocities committed against the slaves, but majorly because the modern man has his flows, one who tries to rectify the past through wiping out memories whilst at the same time destroying the present.
Correct and Incorrect Racists
Hanson questions the morality of groups that advocate for changes from a high moral ground such as Black Lives Matter. While the notion behind such a movement is built upon atrocities committed against a specific group of people dating back two centuries ago, the recent actions of these individuals show otherwise. While the police department was connected to murders that seemed rather targeting a specific group of people, such an evil should not be repaid through the conveyance of another evil. When such a revolution involves provoking states such as “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon,” the very notion of fighting for the rights goes with the wind (Hanson, 2017). In fact, then such a movement does not serve its purpose of fighting for the rights of the people. Such individuals then perhaps cannot proclaim to have higher moral standards than the police department they are essentially fighting against. In fact, the individuals should not have any rights in determining who gets damnation or not because they are also in the wrong.
The Arc of History
Modern man tends to have varying and differentiating ideas in regard to the past and the present. Hanson indicates that while the present may seem like a light year away from the past, the humankind has always been dictated by the moral compass determined by humanity itself. While technological advancements may have changed substantially over time, human advance and morality have not changed much. In fact, human beings judge the past from a moral perspective and not from a technological perspective. Individuals have thus turned on to judge the past from the current generation’s notion of morality, and as Hanson advice goes, just like the present human beings judge the past without necessarily understanding the times perspective, likely the future generations will do exactly the same. I agree with Hanson’s argument because while we judge the past from today’s moral standards perspective, through developments such as in technology, we possess similar characteristics only we perform the same deeds in a more acceptable manner.
References
Hanson, V. (2017). Our War against Memory . National Review . Retrieved 28 January 2018, from http://www.nationalreview.com/article/450689/erasing-history-censoring-confederate-past-rewriting-memory-mob-vengeance
