Forgetting the Past Is a Crucial Mistake Essay

Submitted By tayylor77
Words: 616
Pages: 3

Writing: Words in Action #2 Spanish philosopher George Santayana once said that people who forget the past repeat mistakes they made in the past. We live in a world that would leave even the most blithe citizens in a crestfallen state of mind. In just the past six months there have been several incredibly tragic and horrific events that have taken place here in the United States, including the Sandy Hook tragedy in Newtown Connecticut, and this past Monday in Boston, Massachusetts, at the annual Boston marathon. Once again being repeated there was the Newtown tragedy where a potentially lamentable young man entered a school full of young children and proceeded to fire the weapon he was carrying killing 26 total, mostly children. One of the fallouts from this has been the contentious battles between the people who believe in the right to bear arms, such as the NRA (National Rifle Association) and those that are fighting for more strict gun control laws. Then this past Monday in Boston, on Patriots Day, a misnomer of a name this year, as runners were crossing the finish line looking for respite, and others were in the crowd cheering the runners on, two successive explosions went off, killing at least three and causing over one hundred injuries with many ending in various limb amputations. The people that are involved in these tragedies are severely sick and disturbed and/or looking to profess some sect or terrorist group demented beliefs. We are living in very dangerous times with psychos that continue to repeat past similar horrors. We must never forget our past and by recognizing and remembering these unfortunate and heartbreaking events, government officials and citizens can take extra precautions to help prevent these things from happening again. It is imperative that horrific events such as the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis, and mass murders be remembered. I one hundred percent agree with Santayana’s philosophy because it is factual. If people do not try to recognize mistakes and fix and avoid them, then the mistakes will keep reoccurring. Including the present ongoing issue on gun control in the United States, murders and such unfortunately will not cease unless guns are prohibited for the common man. In personal opinion, no person