As reluctant as we are to spill too much ink reacting to President Donald Trump’s culture war bombshells — like boobytraps carefully positioned on the political battlefield, they are clearly designed to lure enemies in, distract and frustrate them — one of the latest requires disarming. In a recent social media post, the current Oval Office occupant claimed that the Smithsonian Institution’s museums are too focused on “how bad slavery was” and “Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future” of the United States.
Now, let’s take a moment to digest that claim. The Smithsonian, which runs the world’s largest complex of museums and education and research facilities and whose founding purpose is the “increase and diffusion of knowledge,” devotes too much attention — at least in President Trump’s eyes — to one of the worst failings of this country, one that led to a bloody civil war that left 620,000 soldiers dead and, at least to some extent, continues to loom over modern life like original sin. So places like the National Museum of American History or the National Museum of African American History and Culture ought to pack up those displays?
So it would be better if slavery weren’t mentioned so much? Or maybe if tourists weren’t given an opportunity to see leg irons too closely? Or see how slaves were packed in ships? Or told how millions of Africans were stolen from their homeland by Europeans? Would it be better if the next generation of Americans simply weren’t told about these past events? If they never had to consider slavery’s legacy and how it continues to impact people today?
The president appears to harbor the mistaken belief that glossing over the past — if not outright ignoring it, at least not paying much attention to the gruesome details — would make the United States a better, prouder place to live. But would it? There is an old saying that bears repeating: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Philosopher George Santayana wrote that in 1905. We know that because that exact quote is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
The truth is that nations are imperfect just as people are imperfect. And the genius of our founders was in recognizing that reality and providing the mechanisms for us to learn and grow and better govern ourselves. But this predates Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. The most instructive lessons of the Bible aren’t about glorifying men and women but about detailing their missteps from our sinful nature revealed in the disobedience of Adam and Eve to Peter’s denial of Jesus, a tale that pops up in all four Gospels. Or does the New Testament spend too much time on the shameful stuff?
Do academic institutions sometimes wander off into areas that some people — Trump supporters among them — find “woke” or too fixated on social injustice? Perhaps. Again, people are imperfect. Views can differ. But surely the cure isn’t for career politicians to come clamoring for their heads and to replace educators, researchers and historians with political true-believers with a suspect, at best, understanding of history. That’s the sort of behavior that leads to more culture wars, not fewer. The next administration will then feel obligated to similarly assert its political views. And on and on.
This isn’t the first time that scholars have been targeted. It is, alas, standard procedure in authoritarian regimes from Iran to China to Europe in the Dark Ages and often leads to punishment and persecution, to an erosion of trust in institutions, to a loss of freedom of expression. And how outright bonkers is it to embrace these perils and force your views on the Smithsonian or similar cultural institution because you think slavery — one of the worst human pursuits of all — is getting rough mention?
To quote Santayana again: “The wisest mind has something yet to learn.”
Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.