“History is Written by Victors.” (was it Churchill who said this, or not?) – re: Trucker rally in Canada

There is a real caveat when studying history. It’s important to remember how often in time empires have gone thru areas and how often extremists burn books. And to remember that entire groups of people have been wiped off the face of the earth, and with them their stories, languages and cultures.

Then we have the boards, funders and teachers who edit what is left. And nation/states that write laws that exclude the voices of the disenfranchised, extremists, and minorities. And white wash the language and artists’ list to represent their own view.

So are kids actually learning history?

Even though I had a pretty good HS (award winning school) in a democratic nation, it was a rural/ish school of predominantly WASPs with a few ‘others’. Our school pop was @ 1500 students. A very conservative area (I don’t mean the political party either).

So what did I learn? Mostly about North American, west Eurocentric, colonial views. I wasn’t taught about things like conflicts and their reasons in other parts of the world, not even really in east Europe. We were taught about the world wars, but not all of the victims of the Reich. Or how the west were so slow in helping people who were fleeing to safety. Or why they delayed.

Were they doing this to protect our innocent minds from the human horrors? Were they trying to white wash what our group had done so we would still feel good about ourselves/us? Have racial and national pride?

We also learned about the US civil war. We fought on the side of the British BTW. We learned that Canada took in British loyalists and runaway slaves from the US. And we learned we won. (Not that the US agrees with that….)

How is this relevant today? History is an underfunded field. Why should we care if they tell the whole story?

Because it still applies to today’s actions. It’s not just about learning the lessons so we don’t repeat them either. It’s about sensitivity when travelling in other countries, dealing with their people. It’s about coming into Canada this week as US citizens, carrying flags that represent the 13 colonies (Confederate flag, the Gadsden flag) and sounding off like we’re the ones who don’t get what our own country needs. It’s about holding the Canadian flag upside down. Rabble rousing in our political issues. During a pandemic. Threatening our sitting Prime Minister’s life. And saying it’s about your freedom. Well not in our country it’s not. March on your White House!

Do you have any clue how many ways or why this is offensive to us here in Canada? Yeah I think you skipped history class, cuzz even edited you should have been told Canada wasn’t on the side of the 13 colonies, or even the side of the USA as a country.

And BTW US is not America. It is from America.

God save the Queen.
O Canada.

We are your trading partner, allies, not your territory or occupied land. We are an independent nation, whatever your POTUS thinks. Behave like it or go back home.