True Fact: The American Historical Association has joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that the White House is failing to comply with the Presidential Records Act and is denying historians access to “records documenting a critical part of our nation’s history.”
However, not every scholar is on board with the lawsuit. A splinter group, the Positive Past Coalition (PPC), has filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, arguing that all records documenting the Trump administration’s actions should be destroyed. Here’s an excerpt from the PPC’s brief:
“Our society would best be served if all reminders of the uncapped, chunk-filled septic tank known as the Trump administration were expunged. The stench inside the Beltway since 2017 has been overpowering, devastating both flora and fauna, and no beneficial purpose is accomplished by having a clown car filled with academics diving into this muck in the name of discovering ‘the facts’.
“Let’s be honest. Does it really matter if one determines that a particular pile of steaming poop in the meadow was deposited by a horse, a cow, or the President’s Chief of Staff? It’s ALL poop.
“Nothing good comes from dredging up, and rubbing one’s nose in, a sordid past. Think of how much better off everyone would be if we could simply forget that slavery existed in the United States. Recalling that noxious chapter in our history only puts people in a bad mood, and — more importantly — makes white folks uncomfortable whenever they just want to relax on their couch on a Friday night and watch Gone with the Wind on Turner Classic Movies without feeling guilty. Is that too much to ask?
“The historian’s responsibility is NOT to remind people of their unpleasant encounters with food poisoning, but to help them recall the flavor of all those delicious burgers and curly fries they consumed as they strolled down life’s boardwalk. C’mon, professors, let’s do our job!”
Would someone please pass the ketchup?