George Santayana

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

This quote, attributed to philosopher George Santayana, speaks volumes when looking at a variety of recent events - the international terrorist attack in Paris; the domestic terrorist attacks in San Bernadino and Colorado Springs; the in-store shopper-on-shopper attacks on Black Friday. We, as a nation have lost our compass; we, as a nation, seem not to remember the past.

Given not only these stories, but the fact that today is the 74th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, I am hopeful maybe we, as a nation, can get our collective act together.

December 7, 1941, is indeed a day which has lived in infamy, as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt informed a stunned nation after the incident that dragged the United States into World War II. The men and women who fought that war were later dubbed “The Greatest Generation” - a moniker which is both accurate and seemingly shy of the mark simultaneously. Those brave individuals helped the Allied forces win that war, save the world from tyranny, and build an economic powerhouse that helped fulfill the American dream for millions.

Our WWII veterans are passing into history, and we would do well to learn from them, to heed the lessons they learned in such dire circumstances. After all, the youngest of the survivors are in their early 90s now. Our direct connection to that day will soon flicker out. Yet we will still remember, to pay respect to sacrifice, to honor bravery, to note the dear price of peace.

“Remember Pearl Harbor” was a ringing call to battle that emanated across the United States shortly after the surprise attack in the Pacific. The rallying cry helped keep fresh the nation’s shock and rage, and summoned the unity needed to win a long, exhausting war. And we are forever proud of the work they did in both Europe and the Pacific Theater.

But sadly, we must remember Pearl Harbor for another reason.

Shortly after the attack, the United States scapegoated more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans in an emotionally-based example of racial profiling, targeting patriotic Americans because of the way they looked. Removed from their homes, these citizens were placed in relocation camps for the duration of the war.

It was a time when emotions trumped Constitutional rights, when America’s commitment to human rights was tested, and when the country failed. And it was a mistake that - in the aftermath - we swore we would never make again.

Today, Japan is a democracy and a close ally, proof that extremism and historic grievances can be overcome. But the nation’s current swell of anti-Muslim dialogue has me wondering if we really have learned. And the continued mass shootings by unhinged Americans on a seemingly daily basis also have me questioning what, if anything, we have learned from the past.

Historically, there is no such thing as a recurring drama. But it is also a fact that Santayana’s words ring true: history repeats similar mistakes. This is because humans are often incapable of controlling their desires, political ambitions and technology. Hopefully, we as a people can do better, starting with today's anniversary.