A Wasted Time?

 Greetings,

Supposedly I wasted years of my life doing a History degree and Honours because it is useless in today's society. It is not worth anything because we have too many historians out there already. The fact that I finished my Degree and Honours in 2002 is beside the point.

First, I could've studied something more suited to "the market" but I decided to study something which aligned with my passion. Something that was my goal in life, rather than something that was "fiscally sensible". Can you claim to have done the same?

Secondly, there is a quote from Winston Churchill and it is certainly as relevant today as it was when it was first said, "Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." I would prefer to learn from history than repeat it, or at least point it out to people so they understand that we have been here before and we still have not learnt our lesson.

Thirdly, to all the historical reenactors and budding historians, I simply ask you, where do you think all that wonderful information that you are using as "evidence" for your "arguments" came from in the first place? It did not simply pop out of the ground, it was discovered, researched and interrogated by trained historians for its veracity before being placed in the same sources that you use. 

Fourthly, "History offers the best training for those who are to take part in public affairs" from Polybius in his Histories. Evidence can be found for this in many a statesman who studied history, including John F. Kennedy, Joe Biden, and Winston Churchill. I would never put myself among those people, but maybe if more leaders had studied history then they would know where they are going and where not to go.

Fifthly, only through a study of history do you have the tools to interrogate history, to discover what is hidden behind the history, to discover the what, the wherefore, the true meaning of the events. Such can not only be applied to events of the past, but can also be applied to events of the present, with a knowledge of the past. "Not to know what happened before one was born is to remain a child." Cicero: De Oratore XXXIV

With these five points in mind, and likely more that I could raise, no I don't think I did waste my time studying history, and I don't think I waste my time studying history. I believe it gives me a better understanding of the world around me, a better understanding than those who have not studied history, or those who have given it a cursory glance. I believe that my years of training in history puts me ahead of those amateurs who study history, for I already know how to interrogate sources, I already know how to write an argument, I already know how to sort the relevant from the irrelevant when examining my sources, because I was trained to do so.

Cheers,

Henry.

My Safe Place is Gone...

Greetings,

They took away my social safe place, the place where I was safer from the virus. It was washed away by bureaucracy and a lack of thought for those less fortunate than others, once again; a misinterpretation of the statistics could be claimed, but still there was no thought. 

Like many other things in this "brave, new world" we live in those with disabilities and illnesses are left behind.  Like the policies of those who think that "trickle down economics" work for the people of a lower socio-economic level. People with disabilities, including those with chronic illnesses are the forgotten victims of progress, forgotten because they are an inconvenient truth that presents their hypocrisy.  I would claim on this basis that statements about "inclusivity" are window-dressing and nothing more.

The rights have been torn from those with no choice, those with chronic illnesses and who are immunocompromised and given to those who made one i.e., not to vaccinate.

In line with its policies, the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) in Australia reviewed its "SCA Lochac COVID Response Plan" and turned it into little response at all. They removed the requirement that attendees were vaccinated removing that shield that was in place, that safe place to go while all the world is insane. They have removed the last barrier to assist in the prevention of these people who are especially vulnerable from contracting COVID-19 at one of their events. 

There are those who cannot have the vaccine. So other people vaccinate as a barrier around them, so they do not pass the virus on to them. There are those who have tried to vaccinate, but cannot vaccinate. So other people vaccinate as a barrier around them, so they do not pass the virus on to them. These are the people who have medical exemptions, they have had medical advice that says that they cannot vaccinate. They could go to events and be shielded, because people at events were vaccinated.

There are those who are especially vulnerable. Here I speak about those who are immunocompromised, and this can occur for many different reasons. On the same list of vulnerable individuals I place those who have chronic health issues, I place myself here as well. The vaccine helps these individuals to protect them and assist them so they are not affected as much by the virus, some fall into the category above. These people could go to events because others formed that shield to protect them.

The shield that I speak of is vaccination. It does a far better job of preventing people from contracting COVID-19 than the human immune system alone. This has been proven again and again. It has also been proven that the vaccine also reduces the effects of COVID-19 if it is contracted. 

Speaking of the human immune system, those who are especially vulnerable will suffer a lot more than the average person who contracts COVID-19 and this is the reason it is so important that the shield of vaccination is in place. The removal of this shield, requiring attendees to be vaccinated, means that it is now dangerous for people who are vulnerable to attend events.

The COVID Response Plan has turned into a shadow of its former self. It looks like the minimal community standards. This is the claim that is made by some, that it is now "in line with community standards."

Look out into the community, check the numbers of people being infected per day (if you can find it) and tell me how well their "plan" is working. The government's plan is all about ensuring that the economy keeps moving along, is this all we are worried about now the almighty dollar? Don't people's lives matter anymore? Have they not realised that people cause the economy to work? Have they not realised that the economy is in bad shape because people are sick, because people don't want to go out because of COVID? Nope, the mighty dollar must roll regardless of what it does to the people.

While this plan is in effect, you will see people choosing to stay away, because it is to dangerous for their health. Such mass gatherings without the protection in place are tantamount to not having a plan at all. What it will result in is having fewer of these vulnerable individuals at events. If that doesn't matter, well, it shows exactly how well the organisation thinks of its members, and how much the word, "inclusivity" really means.

To be "inclusive" you need to include and give access and opportunity to all those who might  otherwise be marginalised, this includes people with disabilities, and those who are medically vulnerable. This policy, this sham plan, is a disgrace and flies in the face of such a concept. By the allowing of some you exclude others for reasons not of their choosing.

People who have such medical issues would not choose to have them, but they had no choice. People who chose not to vaccinate chose not to vaccinate. This policy takes away the rights of those with no choice and gives it to those who made one and denied access to medically-confirmed, scientifically-tested vaccines. This is what it does. I am disappointed that such a decision could be made of such an organisation with such ideals as it claims.

Regretfully,

Henry. 

P.S. This problem with inclusivity is not restricted to the SCA, it is a much broader problem than that. I have previously spoken about the problems with inclusivity in previous posts.