Quote about History

[bsbaker]

I heard an excellent quote a while back and I can't remember exactly how it goes or who said it. It goes something to the effect of:

History does not belong to us. It belongs partly to those who made it, and partly to those who come after us.

For some reason I want to say it was said in the colonial/revolutionary period if that helps any.

Any guesses would be greatly welcome!

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

"History does not belong to us; we belong to it". - Hans-Georg Gadamer

[bsbaker]

"History does not belong to us; we belong to it". - Hans-Georg Gadamer

Close, but no cigar. The quote I'm thinking about was in reference to the preservation of historical sites. This is really killing me.....

Thanks for the shot Ross!

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Thats the closest I've found in my limited few minutes of on-line research. I'll keep looking too..

[hanktrent]

History does not belong to us. It belongs partly to those who made it, and partly to those who come after us.


Don't know the origin, but I'm curious what you interpret it to mean? I can't get beyond the ironic, internal joke. Or maybe the joke is what's supposed to give it meaning? It's a great quote that makes you think, though.

It's the same paradox as "jam today." (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/211400.html)



'You couldn't have it if you DID want it,' the Queen said. 'The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday - but never jam to-day.'

'It MUST come sometimes to "jam to-day,"' Alice objected.

'No, it can't,' said the Queen. 'It's jam every OTHER day: to-day isn't any OTHER day, you know.'

'I don't understand you,' said Alice. 'It's dreadfully confusing!'


If the rule is that history belongs to those who made it and to those in the future, but not to us today, well, what about those people in the future? In their day, they'll still be told that history doesn't belong to them. Preservation of history therefore becomes an endless, infinitely long task with no goal, but I think maybe that's the deeper meaning.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Private Daggett]

Could the following be what be you are looking for? This is one of my favorite quotes. It was written by Bruce Catton.
“We are people to whom the past is forever speaking. We listen to it because we cannot help ourselves. For the past speaks with many voices. Far out of that nowhere which is the time before we were born, men who were flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone, went through a fire and a storm to break a path for our future. We are a part of the future they died for; they are a part of the past, which brought the future. What they did – the stories they told and the songs they sang, and finally the deaths they died make up a path of our experience. We cannot cut ourselves from it. It is as real to us as something that happened last week. It is a basic part of our heritage as Americans.

Richard O'Flaherty

[sbl]

"(I) learned to dream the American dream -- of the beautiful future, the glorious past, and the crummy now."

Phantom Of The Open Hearth by Jean Shepherd

[flattop32355]

History does not belong to us. It belongs partly to those who made it, and partly to those who come after us.


I wonder if the word "only" should be inserted after the first "belong"......



"(I) learned to dream the American dream -- of the beautiful future, the glorious past, and the crummy now."

Phantom Of The Open Hearth by Jean Shepherd

What a horribly sad, cynical and pitiable way of looking at things.

[sbl]

.......


What a horribly sad, cynical and pitiable way of looking at things.

Remember that this is from Jean Shepard, the American Humorist the gave us the movie A Christmas Story.

[Union Navy]

Remember that this is from Jean Shepard, the American Humorist the gave us the movie A Christmas Story.
I positively LOATHE that story/movie. I've got plenty of my own youthful angst to dredge up if wanted - I don't need to borrow anybody elses.

[sbl]

Yes, my father-in-law gets warm and fuzzy about it while a co-worker from that same age bracket hated it.

My own father used to pull out one last special gift like the dad in movie. He had the "crummy now" in his childhood and tried to make sure we didn't.

Shepherd had a great radio voice and did TV shows about Americana and was suspected of changing his own childhood for his stories..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Shepherd#Fact_and_fiction

..a number of the movies based on his stories had his childhood in the 30's and even the 50s.
I wish they'd do movies of his adventures in WW II.

Some think anything by Mark Twain would be all folksy and witty, but could he ever be bitter.