An Open Letter to Today in History

Dear Today in History,

If you've been reading this blog consistently, you've probably noticed that I occasionally like to turn back to history. For me personally, I think doing this every once in a while 1) gives us a break from the present, and 2) reminds us of where we came from. In some ways, too, history can lift our spirits when the present feels insufferable.

I am biased in saying this, but history is by far one of the most important academic subjects that we can study. Not because of common colloquiums such as "History is doomed to repeat itself," but rather because history rationalizes the present. For example, when Trump was elected, many Clinton supporters were caught totally off-guard. However, if one was to study the recent history leading up to the 2016 election, it becomes easier to understand why Trump inevitably beat Clinton.

I'm not saying that Trump's victory was right, of course, but rather that it was written on the wall. Things like the rise of the Tea Party, the economic crisis of 2008, and the election of the United States' first black president are just some of the reasons that provide justification for Trump's election.

Even if you aren't interested in history and thought that it was boring in high school, I urge you to not turn your head to it. History tells us a lot about ourselves as human beings, and about our country.

So, without further ado, I'd like to talk about today in history.

On October 19th, 1781, the British surrendered in Yorktown. This moment was perhaps one of the most iconic in U.S. history, and secured our future as a democratic nation.

Many Americans rally around the victory in Yorktown as a symbol of the greatness of the United States. The American Revolution has been construed into a 'fun' time in our history. With all of the revolutionaries, secret meetings, brave battles, and brilliant ideology, how could we not love this period? The Revolution has inspired various works, from Hamilton to tourist attractions like Colonial Williamsburg.

Without question, we are drawn to this era.

I have to agree that the victory of the revolutionary Americans is perhaps one of the best underdog stories of all time. We love to cheer for someone when the odds are stacked against them - it only makes their ultimate triumph sweeter. Personally, I love to study the Revolutionary War. There's just something about it that is stirring, almost exhilarating.

Since the explosion of political debate in 2016, I've noticed that this revolutionary rhetoric has appeared more often on both sides of the aisle. Democrats encourage the young people to rise up, as the Founding Fathers did, to fight for what we believe in. Republicans praise the wisdom and tenacity of the Founding Fathers in effort to 'preserve' the sanctity of the United States.

Although Republicans and Democrats are more polarized than ever, I believe that each's interest in the Revolutionary War is caused by the same feeling.

Hope.

The United States in 1781 had lots and lots of flaws: slavery, gender inequality, mistreatment of the Native peoples, an unstable financial situation, fires, famine, poverty, a lack of indoor plumbing...

But (and I don't mean to romanticize the past here, because I really would not want to live in a United States without indoor plumbing or deodorant), despite these flaws, there was something invigorating in the air. Here we were - this brand new country (which, arguably, didn't really belong to us) - with endless possibilities. Because of the Founding Fathers, we could shape an entire nation to be something brand new. For this reason, the United States was initially nicknamed the "Great American Experiment." They didn't know it was going to work. They didn't know where this country would be in the future. And, yet, they built us from the ground up.

I think both Republicans and Democrats look back on our victory at Yorktown because that was really the event that put the future in our own hands. So much has happened since then to lead us to where we are now, but then, at that moment, the future was ours for the taking.

This week's letter isn't some gushy plea for us all to love each other and put aside our differences for the greatness of America. I don't believe that. I think we should fight tooth and nail for what we want this country to be.

Because, in a way, every moment is the moment in which the future is put into our hands, not just the victory at Yorktown.

I've had people accuse me of hating my country in various debates over the years. Taken, I never like it when people tell me that 'America is the greatest country in the world.' It dabbles too much in American exceptionalism for me, but that's not to say I don't love this country. But, just because I don't believe that we're the best doesn't mean that I hate America.

America, as a concept, is something that I really love. It's what we are right now which concerns me. I know that we have the capacity to be better, to adapt to modern times, and to improve life for all people living here.

This is still a great experiment, is it not?

Yours truly,

P.S. Also today in history, the first Blockbuster store opened in 1985. That aged well...