Letter: Hold tight to history and not forget
The Richland High School Bomber cloud mascot was again maligned (TCH, May 28). There is no denying the horrific loss of innocent lives during the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; but in trying to erase the icons of those tragic events we risk denying any memory of them.
Each person has their opinion regarding offensive images — whether Holocaust artifacts, Confederate flags, artwork or religious objects — but each one is a necessary and constant historical reminder. I am frustrated by people who want to eradicate any history they find personally offensive. History teaches us lessons, good and bad, so hopefully future generations will not repeat the same mistakes.
By removing these symbols or events from our lives that we individually view as offensive — to make the world “acceptable or palatable to all” — we become insensitive and intolerant to the values placed on these symbols by other people. We are here because of our history; heroic or regretful, horrendous or inspirational. Let’s hold tight to our history and not forget.
Pat Lyons, Richland
This story was originally published June 6, 2017 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Letter: Hold tight to history and not forget."