Letter: No magic switch on human evolution

It's hard for me to get in the minds of all the book banners, but one thought is that they want to erase history, not fearing it will be repeated by burying it but by somehow ignoring it lets magical thinking proclaim we humans have evolved. Like the humanity that perpetrated, tolerated and benefited from the centuries of enslavement miraculously disappeared from our gene inheritance so no worries.

But there is no magic switch. We are still the same. When Hitler was defeated genocide didn't disappear, nor antisemitism, nor fascism.

And that is why we need history shining a light on triumphs of the spirit but as well on all its depraved depths, because the only evolution we can count on to save us is our self-reflection and learning.

I started this rant by saying it's hard to get into the mind of another. True. But I don't want to "other" others lest I fall to the same trait I perceive in them. And maybe the book and poem banners aren't trying to get in my mind as much as find it hard, too. I also have fears. Perhaps that is the common ground though the nature of our fears are different.

No blame here, but shame on me if I didn't try to understand others' fear. Standing by is by far the most effective way to learn history as nothing beats witnessing it repeating first hand.

Vince Unger

Lake Zurich