Don't know much about history ... but I do know that I love you

image from

The below from yours truly's two Facebook entries, preceded by the lyrics of that great all-American song, "Don't Know Much about History"

"Wonderful World"

Don't know much about history

Don't know much biology

Don't know much about a science book

Don't know much about the French I took

But I do know that I love you

And I know that if you love me, too

What a wonderful world this would be

Don't know much about geography

Don't know much trigonometry

Don't know much about algebra

Don't know what a slide rule is for

But I do know one and one is two

And if this one could be with you

What a wonderful world this would be

Now, I don't claim to be an A student

But I'm trying to be

For maybe by being an A student, baby

I can win your love for me

Don't know much about history

Don't know much biology

Don't know much about a science book

Don't know much about the French I took

But I do know that I love you

And I know that if you love me, too

What a wonderful world this would be

La ta ta ta ta ta ta (History)

Hmm-mm-mm (Biology)

La ta ta ta ta ta ta (Science book)

Hmm-mm-mm (French I took)

Yeah, but I do know that I love you

And I know that if you love me, too

What a wonderful world this would be

John Brown As a historian, what has struck me most after some ten years of "higher-education" teaching in the USA is some students' ignorance of the past -- and by knowing "the past" I mean an awareness that TODAY was not always TODAY.

When some (but of course not all) among the younger generation attending overpriced American colleges today encounter -- in a history-related (or should I say, to be politically correct, "historically-challenged") class -- events that happened before it (the younger generation) existed, quite a few of its members are quite omg'ed by the past's brutal revelations.

As one very bright student (perhaps he was -- I hope -- being ironic, or simply honest) put it, "I don't know anything before 9/11." ...

*** 

John Brown  What strikes me the most about young American students (if I may repeat myself) is not so much a lack of knowledge about historical "facts" as ignorance that "something did in fact happen" before they (that is,themselves) appeared on Mother Earth. 

Blame this ahistorical mentality on the "non-stop present" provided by modern means of communications (or the American obsession with the "now" -- e.g., "history is bunk.") Of course, too "easy" an explanation. ... 

***

May I suggest at the risk of sounding pretentious: The past should be remembered (not vaporized) with all its horrors (from a present-day perspective) -- so that, let us hope, these horrors will not be repeated.