The Inevitability of History



I recently heard a talk on the Breakpoint radio program about how the advocates of same-sex marriage keep saying they are on the right side of history, as if history had sides.  What they mean is that same-sex marriage legalization is inevitable, so people like me should just give up and stop expending energy on the fight (not that I am, other than an occasional blog). 

The Franky planner quote for the day is this one, equally stupid, even if JFK said it (I’m sure he said a number of stupid things):  “History is a relentless master.  It has no present, only the past rushing into the future.  To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.” 

Is history inevitable?  What in the world do people mean by history?  History is neither a force, nor a person.  What are inevitable are ideas and their consequences, and also inevitable is the gullibility of people who think they have to change because the talking head on television says they should, or must.

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