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Living in 1984 -- Joyce Vance
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/living-in-1984The headline tonight reads, “White House to Vet Smithsonian Museums to Fit Trump’s Historical Vision.” It’s in The Wall Street Journal, not exactly a bastion of liberal views. “Top White House officials will scrutinize exhibitions, internal processes, collections and artist grants ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.”
. . .
Law firms. Universities. Government agencies. Scientists. Student activists. Inspectors General. The media. Political opponents. Prosecutors.
Now we can add museum curators to the list of people Trump is trying to crush into submission and force into alignment with his worldview. But this one is uniquely dangerous. These are the people who are entrusted with telling the story of our nation’s history and sharing it with future generations.
. . .
Our museums tell the story of who we are, all of us, through many different lenses. That’s how it should be. Without knowledge of our past, we would be unaware of the balance the Founding Fathers struck in the Constitution to ensure no man could be a king. We would also lack the evidence that great men—even presidents—can fail, as shown by history, including impeachments, two of which bear Donald Trump’s name. We must be able to trust the retelling of our history, because the truth matters and should never be feared. The story of America is our story, not just Donald Trump’s, and maybe his version, least of all.
. . .
. . .
Law firms. Universities. Government agencies. Scientists. Student activists. Inspectors General. The media. Political opponents. Prosecutors.
Now we can add museum curators to the list of people Trump is trying to crush into submission and force into alignment with his worldview. But this one is uniquely dangerous. These are the people who are entrusted with telling the story of our nation’s history and sharing it with future generations.
. . .
Our museums tell the story of who we are, all of us, through many different lenses. That’s how it should be. Without knowledge of our past, we would be unaware of the balance the Founding Fathers struck in the Constitution to ensure no man could be a king. We would also lack the evidence that great men—even presidents—can fail, as shown by history, including impeachments, two of which bear Donald Trump’s name. We must be able to trust the retelling of our history, because the truth matters and should never be feared. The story of America is our story, not just Donald Trump’s, and maybe his version, least of all.
. . .
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