As I was driving from my office to my daughter's Little League game this evening, I heard a radio talk show host who really got on my nerves. His inane position on the issue that he was raving about (immigration), bothered me less than the way that he kept saying that "history proves" his point.
History is important. I think we can learn a lot about today's issues from looking at issues in the past. I even once took a very enjoyable graduate course on the uses of history for analysis and managment. Can we really say that history proves anything, except maybe that things happen, and if you give enough people a chance, someone will do something strange? If you are a radio host, and you are going to shout about what history "proves," then I am going to tune my radio to a Washington Nationals game, which is what I'll probably do anyway. And don't come to my house, either.
By the way, my daughter went 1-for-1, was hit by a pitch (bravely) and scored two runs as her Cubs lost to the Angels.