What is past is prologue

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
—Eccl 1:9

You will find these words, "What is past is prologue," carved into the facade of the National Archives building in Washington DC. The place where our history is sheltered, studied, and restudied. A quotation from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, this phrase has been interpreted by some to mean: “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

A more scholarly reflection describes it this way: Before archivists as a profession can write their prologue for the next century, they need to understand better their own past. What is Past is Prologue: A History of Archival Ideas Since 1898, and the Future Paradigm Shift by Terry Cook http://www.mybestdocs.com/cookt-pastprologue-ar43fnl.htm

I grew up in Canada, and almost four years ago had, with my wife, the honour of becoming American citizens. In reflecting on the upcoming 4th of July celebrations, we recalled the trials of our country as we saw them from north of the border in the early 70’s. Times then were challenging: wars, economic struggles, an energy crisis; all kinds of challenges faced these United States then as they do today.

I remember hearing the broadcast in 1973 by Gordon Sinclair, a Canadian radio journalist, entitled simply The Americans. I have copied it below as the past was indeed prologue in many instances. Equally, the hope and the character of the people of this land is prologue to the way in which we will meet the challenges of the future.

The words of this brief commentary went across the nation! President Ronald Reagan had this to say: "I know I speak for all Americans in saying the radio editorial Gordon wrote in 1973 praising the accomplishments of the United States was a wonderful inspiration. It was not only critics abroad who forgot this nation's many great achievements, but even critics here at home. Gordon Sinclair reminded us to take pride in our nation's fundamental values."

"We need to be reminded that we have nothing to fear except we forget how God has blessed us in the past. Where there has been hope and the evidence of blessings, you and I can have confidence that the same God will bless in the future! I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope."  —Ps 130:5

Listen to a voice from the past, and find again the courage and perspective that hope can make all things new.

"LET'S BE PERSONAL"
Broadcast June 5, 1973 CFRB, Toronto, Ontario
Topic: "The Americans"

The United States dollar took another pounding on German, French, and British exchanges this morning, hitting the lowest point ever known in West Germany. It has declined there by 41% since 1971 and this Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least-appreciated people in all the world.

As long as sixty years ago, when I first started to read newspapers, I read of floods on the Yellow River and the Yangtze. Well, Who rushed in with men and money to help? The Americans did, that's who. They have helped control floods on the Nile, the Amazon, the Ganges and the Niger. Today, the rich bottom land of the Mississippi is under water and no foreign land has sent a dollar to help. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy, were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of those countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. And I was there. I saw that.

When distant cities are hit by earthquake, it is the United States that hurries into help... Managua, Nicaragua, is one of the most recent examples. So far this spring, 59 American communities have been flattened by tornadoes. Nobody has helped.

The Marshall Plan... the Truman Policy... all pumped billions upon billions of dollars into discouraged countries. And now, newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent war-mongering Americans.

Now, I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplanes. Come on... let's hear it! Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tristar or the Douglas 10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all international lines except Russia fly American planes? Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or a woman on the moon?

You talk about Japanese technocracy and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times ... and safely home again. You talk about scandals and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even the draft dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are right here on our streets in Toronto, most of them... unless they are breaking Canadian laws... are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here.

When the Americans get out of this bind... as they will... who could blame them if they said 'the hell with the rest of the world'. Let someone else buy the bonds, let someone else build or repair foreign dams or design foreign buildings that won't shake apart in earthquakes.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose. Both of them are still broke. I can name to you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble.

Can you name to me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbors have faced it alone and I am one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their noses at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles.

I hope Canada is not one of these. But there are many smug, self-righteous Canadians. And finally, the American Red Cross was told at its 48th Annual meeting in New Orleans this morning that it was broke.

This year's disasters... with the year less than half-over... has taken it all and nobody... but nobody... has helped.

ORIGINAL SCRIPT COURTESY STANDARD BROADCASTING CORPORATION LTD. (c) 1973 BY GORDON SINCLAIR

A remarkable reminder of what makes this nation special! Let’s remember as we celebrate the 4th!!!