I want to try something new with this blog. The tl;dr version of this post is that Letters From a Future is not going away, but rather, will be supplemented by new Thursday posts. If you don’t want to see the new posts, just look for the categories, I always try to categorize my posts. Or just don’t look at the blog on Thursdays. You do you.
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I am someone who spends a fair deal of time in science fiction and fantasy spaces. I also live in the northeastern United States. That is to say, a lot of people in my social circle are white men.
Something I’ve noticed in my conversations with these friends and loved ones over the years is a certain discomfort when talking about history.
Yes, there’s the Roman Empire meme, the historical reenactors, and a whole sub-industry dedicated to making WWII documentaries to air in marathons on Memorial Day–I don’t want to discount any of that.
What I’m talking about here is the messaging in school boards around the U.S.–that talking about slavery, suffrage, Japanese internment, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Civil Rights Movement, manifest destiny, wars (and war crimes) against Indigenous nations, etc., etc. makes white children uncomfortable.
People can argue in good or bad faith. People can have their own agendas or be swayed by others’ agendas. A lot of kids react based on how the people around them react.
Personally, I think kids are pretty resilient and all history should be taught before it’s forgotten. And still–
I have met too many younger-ish adult men in my life who grapple with anxiety over being perceived as the bad guy because of their race and gender. Who step back from volunteer work or politics because they internalize a message that white men have ruined history, and therefore they should shut up and get out of the way. Who martyr and self-flagellate themselves in conversations with mixed company, in order to maintain a sense of being a good guy who doesn’t get in the way of [INSERT NAME OF IDENTITY HERE].
I wonder how many young boys look at these men and picture a tortuous future for themselves if they want to be perceived as “good.”
I think most folks (me included) really want to feel like good people deep down. And there are plenty of influencers who promise young boys a bright future, one where they don’t have to contort themselves into moral pretzels see themselves as strong, good guys. The thing is that a lot of influencers aren’t exactly great role models.
The internet is not real life. Most men I know distance themselves from the people advocating for violence or supremacy. They believe in the inherent worth, value, and freedoms for all people, and try to live that in their day to day.
I want to celebrate the men throughout American history who acted not for clout, but for their own values. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. Whose actions haven’t been as recognized in the popular imagination of history as I think they should be. Who took risks, and even were rewarded for those risks sometimes. So I’m starting this series of posts — Honoring Our Heroes — to spotlight these men.
A few notes on this project.
- Even though this series will be highlighting mostly white American men, there are so many other people across genders, races, nationalities, etc. that have been left behind by history that I think should be celebrated. There are only so many hours in a day though, and I want to do something specific with these posts. There are lots of good historians and writers who highlight others though, I always will encourage people to read more and do more research!
- No ‘great man’ is alone. I don’t subscribe to the ‘great man’ theory of history. I believe there’s lots of great people who work together to make things happen. Some of these people happen to get biopics and posts on tiny WordPress blogs. That just means we get to hear their story, and there are so many stories that should be told. See #1. And just because I’m highlight someone for an action I think is heroic, doesn’t mean that I think they’re better than anyone else. See #3.
- Just because someone is highlighted, it does not mean I condone every single word and action they ever said or did in their life. People are complicated. I am most definitely not a historian, I’m getting most of my research from Wikipedia, and I cannot fact check every facet of someone’s life. ‘Hero’ is going to have to be very loosely defined and confined to someone’s specific actions in a specific period of time here.
- Affiliations are complicated. Religions, military branches, and criminal justice organizations have hurt people in the past, continue to hurt people in the present, and will probably hurt people in the future. That is true of any grouping of people, because we’re human. There is a spectrum of harm and oppression that I don’t want to ignore with particularly powerful institutions. And at the same time, so many white families have a grandfather, uncle, father, brother, friend, etc. who is affiliated with these groups and viewed their affiliation as a form of service to a greater good. So many of these men tried to use their service to protect or advance the rights and dignity of those around them. Sharing their stories does not mean duplicating the systems and harms of the past. But perhaps we can take inspiration from the individuals within these institutions for the future.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how the past can influence the future. While I plan to do more work on this blog in regards to speculative fiction (more news on that to come soon!) and a focus on our collective future, I hope folks enjoy these stories from our history. It’s been giving me hope to learn about them. And if any of these stories resonate with you, please share them with whoever in your life could benefit from them!
Best wishes and regards!
Meg A. Mars
With all of that said, below, let’s welcome our first hero — Hugh Thompson
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Thompson_Jr.
Meg A. Mars 
