There is No Right Side of the History

There is No Right Side of the History

You are standing on the right side of history, or the wrong side of history?

I hear this constantly, but it is a false choice because there is no right or wrong side of history.

History begins with a point of origin. The problem is that all points of origin are artificial (a point that Foucault explores in Archeology of Knowledge). 

If all history begins with an artificial point of origin, there can be no correct, true, genuine, or right side of history. History is all socially construct.

How do I know that history begins with artificial points of origin? Think briefly. 

When did America history begin? With Jamestown? The Pilgrims? The Declaration of Independence? The constitution?

You may say all of the above, but the truth is, America history began long before white people walked onto American soil. Then we constructed an entire history from our artificial origins – aka, we became who we became because of the stories that we told. We said God gave us the land. We decided that America began this way. And then we literally colonized America.

Our history was and is constructed.

History does not just happen.

Now, I believe some of this is inevitable. Historical narratives require that we speak in terms of time: beginnings, middles, and ends.  Narratives demand that we leave certain information out and include others. History forces us to select certain events to highlight. It demands us to select an origin.

I’m not a pessimist. In fact, I think historical knowledge is extremely valuable because the past has shaped our entire worldview. When someone says they can reject all history and tradition and think unbiasedly, they are speak nonsense. Thinking critically is important. Thinking ahistorically is impossible.

Therefore, we cannot stand on the right side of history because there is no right side. All sides are socially constructed. All sides are rooted in artificial points of origin.

Now does this excuse bigotry and racism? Of course not. Relativism is one of the myths of postmodernism. The myth says that postmodernists are relativists who believe people should do whatever they want, and that there is no wrong. That is nonsense.

All I am arguing is that when you reject bigotry, it does not somehow mean that you are standing on the right side of history. You just can’t stand on the right side of history.

In fact, not only can we not produce a right side, but also we should not want to produce a “right” side.

The idea that I do not want to produce a right side of history may sound startling and again, like a relativist. Do I really want to create a world where bigots are as right as those who are not?

Here is what I am arguing: it’s only by identifying that we are not on the “right” side that we will be able to overcome bigotry. The problem is not that there is a wrong side of history. The problem is that we are not allowing the other side to be a side. (In other words, why are bigots “wrong”? Let’s get to the root of the problem.)

The problem with bigots is they don’t want gay people to have a history. In fact, history is exactly what conservative Christians fear. Conservative Christians give gays a point of origin; we tell gays what their history is. These origins usually go like this:

God created Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were straight. Therefore, gays are straight too. Or: God turned them over to the lust of the flesh.

In fact, conservatives fear gay history so much that they do not want them to have parades or tell their stories. When I was anti-gay, for example, I believed that all gay people had been sexually abused. Their stories were not “real” stories. Their history was just that – not really history.

Are bigots wrong? Absolutely. But they could not be bigots for long if they were able to recognize that their history was socially constructed, and that everyone else has equally important stories to tell.

In essence, history is just stories. History is not a dual side, where one person stands on one side of history and another person another side. History is just 100s and 100s of stories. This is why there is no American Narrative. There is only narratives. This is why there is no Sexual Narrative. There is only sexual narratives.

I look forward to the day when history is no longer something that stands between us. The interesting part is that none of our stories are isolated stories. Christians can find gay people in their history too. Secular Europe can find superstition in their history too.

As I said, I do not stand on the right side of history. I’m just in it. For good or for bad, I was thrown into space and time, and I’m trying to make the most of it. I try to make the best of history by recognizing the narrative of others and listening to their stories. Then I try to create new history in the space between us.

It’s odd to think about, but we don’t need to be building separate histories. At this point, we need to be coming together, creating new space and history together.

So yes, I have a problem with the saying stand on the right side. How about just stand with them? or stand together?

Source : wideopenground