The Use of First Person Pronouns in the Discussion of History

During the last graded discussion, we were reminded that it is not appropriate to use the pronoun “we” in relation to slavery, as we ourselves were not slaves and did not own slaves. However, while I agree with this in the sense that it is inappropriate to claim to have been or sold slaves, there are certain topics where first person is appropriate, and actually necessary for full discussion. One such topic, and a major part of the aforementioned graded discussion is the subject of making up for the horror of slavery. Removing one’s self from an event can allow for a broader and less biased view. However, when ideas of current action which is applicable to everyone, such as the removal of racism and discrimination, it is imperative that we take notice of our involvement so as to understand that it is our responsibility as well. First person pronouns must also be used when discussing the government so as to solidify our involvement in it. Even when speaking of the government during the eighteen and nineteen hundreds first person pronouns are applicable, as we must take responsibility for the actions of our government, and cannot shirk our duty to repay simply because it wasn’t us. If we remove ourselves from our government and our history’s application to today, then we significantly limit the amount we can heal the wounds of our past.

In connection to the idea of learning from the past, the use of first person pronouns is necessary because it forces us to apply the history to today.  Thus helping us to learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating the terrible parts of our past while improving upon the good parts. Overall, first person pronouns, while not appropriate in some cases, are most definitely  acceptable and even necessary in others, as they allow us to become an active part in our history and the repairs of the not-so-glamorous parts of our past, take responsibility for our government, and learn effectively from the past.