November 08, 2006
The National Coalition for History Reacts to the Recent Election
By Elisabeth Grant
Bruce Craig, Director of the National Coalition for History, forecasts the effects of a Democrat controlled House of Representatives on history and archives in his most recent NCH Washington Update. In tabulating the losses and gains among those who promote the humanities and the history profession, Craig notes the loss of Jim Leach (R-IA) “a staunch advocate for funding for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).” However, Craig says historians and advocates of the “Teaching American History” initiative can be pleased at the reelection of Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV).
In addition to hosting Bruce Craig’s weekly columns, the History News Network also offers a number of interesting articles that place the midterm elections in historical context at http://hnn.us/articles/31423.html.
Historians are concerned that the records of the Bush administration, detailing what they said in public as opposed to what was actually going on behind closed doors, will somehow be lost or destroyed in the shuffle. The Bush administration has been the most secretive and non-transparent in history, assisted by Republican committee chairs. Basically, I urge you to fight this with all of your might.
The AHA Research Division must urge congressional committees during the normal course of oversight hearings always to be sure to include a historical overview or backgrounder. With just a few questions and a few witnesses focused on who did what, when and where during the last six years much could be accomplished in clearing up the obfuscation and cover-ups employed by the Bush administration. The path could be cleared for follow-up questions and perhaps tailored subcommittee investigations based on this historical overview.
Historians and political scientists could offer valuable insights and perspectives to such committees. This is a call save the historical record from erasure, deletion, and shredding.
— Make a Difference Nov 10, 10:13 AM