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<\/a><\/p>\nOf course, this is but one example of many that can be found in the history of the USSR.\u00a0 This, however, is a little different from what is usually labelled as “historical revisionism.” What many call historical revisionism today is usually nothing more than placing a different emphasis on the same event in order to advance an agenda, usually politcal.\u00a0 An example of this is commonly found in regards to President George Washington.\u00a0 While many aspects of the Washington’s history are played up, such as his battlefield leadership and how he was less than desirous of political power, the fact that he was an aristocrat and a slave owner goes virtually unmentioned in some history texts.\u00a0 Many agenda-driven groups strive to downplay Washington’s military and political achievements and focus on his wealth and status as a slave owner in pre- and post-Revolution America.<\/p>\n
On a more personal level, we often run into events (and often it will be just one single event) that cause us to re-evaluate the validity of our memories and will change our point-of-view on a given person or subject.\u00a0 I have even had this happen to me personally.\u00a0 Often times the one singular event will negate any perceived validity that previous memories held.\u00a0 This, in essence, rewrites our own personal history.<\/p>\n
As an artist, when I’m faced with conflicting, yet valid, memories of something, I strive to find what is the more important within me.\u00a0 While many of the residents of my hometown see it as a nice, quiet place to live with good values, I don’t quite see it as such.\u00a0 Yes – the town is quiet and the landscape is something you might find in a decorative photograph.\u00a0 For me, however, there also exist memories of negative attitudes toward outsiders and even those within that were just plain different.\u00a0 While the latter takes precedence in my mind, I acknowledge both sets of memories as equally valid.\u00a0 For many, however, a single strong negative or a strong positive memory will often blind them to the opposite valid memories.<\/p>\n
Finally, to the point – whether you agree or disagree with the rewriting of PSU football history by the NCAA, it is important to keep in mind the larger narrative of how memory manipulation has been used through history and the importance of truth in history.\u00a0\u00a0 The memories we have control our future actions, and it is important that we go forward (both as individuals and a species) with all the valid memories contained within our conscience.<\/p>\n
After reading these words, I am starting to see how this ties in with some aspects of semiotics.\u00a0 Isn’t it strange how sometimes the lines begin to blur when you scratch the surface?\u00a0 With this, I will leave you with a relic of my childhood, one that contains both negative and positive memories, all of which are valid.\u00a0 You can decide which one takes precedence when viewing this photo.<\/p>\n