Before I decided on a career in journalism and writing, I was very sure that I wanted to explore history, either as an educator or an archeologist.
When I found out that archeology wasn’t exactly as it was depicted in “Indiana Jones” and that teachers’ salaries were depressing, I shifted gears and set my sights on journalism. Never mind that the pay for most journalists is just as dismal.
Despite that change in career, I never lost my love of history. Throughout this seemingly never-ending quarantine, I’ve found myself reading more historical articles and perspectives that prove to me that history really does repeat itself.
This notion, of course, isn’t anything new. In his philosophical book “Reason in Common Sense” published way back in 1905, George Santayana printed the phrase that, ironically, shows up in pop culture references all the time. He said, of course, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Side note: I didn’t know who Santayana was until a college assignment my freshman year had us dissect Billy Joel’s song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” There’s a lot to learn from that catchy pop tune.
We are all stuck in a pandemic that seems to be never-ending and our current state is constantly compared to the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. I’m always fascinated by the black and white photos of masked people in public just trying to go about their business. Those could be dated 2020 or 2021 if not for the lack of color and the period dress.
But what really strikes me are the black and white photos of “anti-mask” signage and rallies, with people citing their personal freedoms over the safety of their fellow citizens.
I can’t think of a better Santayana example. The Spanish Flu pandemic impacted lives for nearly 15 months, disrupting all aspects of life. Variants influenced a second wave and nearly 675,000 Americans died.
Here we are 103 years later experiencing the same thing, but with an updated virus. While the disease is different, the human condition has remained the same.
The similarities with those who lived a century before us is fascinating and eerie. And while Santayana’s famous quote was meant as a warning, it can also provide hope.
The LGBTQ community has seen its fair share of negative history repeating itself. Same-sex relationships have been outlawed and celebrated over the centuries. It’s believed that the Ancient Greeks celebrated same-sex intimacy. But in more modern times, sodomy laws originally derived from the church (shocker) targeted the private intimacy of everyone, gay or straight.
In the 70s the laws were weaponized at the LGBTQ community. This focus only helped fuel the gay rights movement, which eventually resulted in the marriage equality we celebrate today.
The new focus is on our transgender and non-binary friends and family. Just like in the past, certain groups of people are so obsessed with other’s private lives that they feel a need for ridiculous laws that inhibit personal freedoms.
As the world is burning to the ground around us, lawmakers are focused on transgender athletes, a subset of students who simply want to participate in sports with their friends.
Arguments supporting the trans-athlete bans are unsurprisingly similar to arguments we heard against marriage equality. During the thick of the marriage fight it was common to hear that gay and lesbian people were free to marry – any person of the opposite sex. Today’s argument concerning the trans-athlete ban? These athletes are free to play sports – as long as it’s with the gender they were assigned at birth.
Some states want to go even further and prevent parents from providing the appropriate medical treatment to their trans youth! It’s the same tired argument directed at a new population.
We’ve taken on this fight before – and we won. Marriage equality is not the same as trans rights, but the path of history shows what we can accomplish. Progress is possible.
Santayana’s quote essentially argues that if our world is ever going to make progress, it must remember lessons learned from its past. Change can be good, but it can also be bad. Progress comes when we build upon what we’ve accomplished.
While refreshing my memory on this distant college lesson, I found a website that explained this in the simplest of terms. Imagine constructing the fifth floor of an office building without completing the first four floors before it. If you want success, you must start at the bottom and continuously build to reach the height of your experience.
This reminds me of another popular saying credited to the late Yankee baseball legend Yogi Berra.
“It’s déjà vu all over again!”
Using our collective knowledge of the past has helped us accomplish great things. Today, that means gays and lesbians must now stand with our transgender friends and family to ensure that the next chapter in history is another victory for equality.
Steve Blanchard is a former editor of Watermark and currently works in Public Relations. He is a native of St. Louis, Mo. but has lived in Tampa Bay for two decades.
