Write what you know while you can

Write it down.

It is at once a self-admonition and gentle suggestion. For now. In time it may become a frantic plea.

With each passing day the act of memorializing the mundane and significant moments of our lives becomes not just a collection of remembrances but, to a degree, an act of rebellion against those who would erase and later distort the reality of our times.

This country has been through periods in which government has exerted pressure on news and entertainment outlets to tamp down criticism of policy. There also have been efforts to drum up support. In both instances wars and military incursions come immediately to mind.

On a micro-local level, a Southwestern College professor has written a play about his experience with censorship. It will be performed during the Bonitafest Melodrama later this month.
But the pressure then has never been as heavy-handed and deleterious as it is today.

President Donald Trump is suing newspapers for billions of dollars for what he believes has been unfavorable news coverage.

This week Vice-President JD Vance told people to call the employers of people they thought were being disrespectful to the memory of a slain podcaster famous for being a Trump supporter.

This year we have seen monolithic media companies silence late night TV hosts who have been critical of Trump and company in an effort to stay in the good graces of the Federal Communications Commission during future business dealings.

Aside from the pressure on the media, the current Administration is also threatening to whitewash and sanitize this country’s messy, troubled history. Anything considered anti-American or negative to its reputation is subject to archiving, mothballing or deletion from museums, libraries and other public institutions.

The administration and its supporters appear intent on having today’s Americans—the world, frankly—see and live in the world as they do.

While newspapers, especially local, physical ones, record and preserve history for future generations to learn from, there is no guarantee this administration will honor the spirit of this country’s Constitution and First Amendment.

Write down what is happening in your life and the world around you today. Tomorrow’s readers may benefit from the lessons you pass along.