History Repeats Itself: Whitney Houston & America

What social events, tragedies, or accomplishments impact society enough to stay with us for years or centuries after they have occurred? Is it something that has occurred globally or nationally? Who decides what is important enough to be placed in history books? Edward Said believes that all Arabs are being mistreated by Americans even more so now than ever before in our generation since the terrorism of 9/11 and the war. Edward Said further explains how these individuals are constantly being looked down upon and blamed because of the negative factors associated with their attire, actions, and culture from the terrorism against the United States in 2011. Just 11 days ago a renowned vocalist and pop culture icon Whitney Houston died. Media outlets have covered this story since her death, incorporating new elements to the cause of her death. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to speak with friends who adored and admired the singer. On YouTube we watched the singer Whitney Houston take center stage as she belted out a mind-blowing rendition of the 'Star Spangled Banner,' bringing fans to their feet and tears to the eyes of many watching at home. Before Whitney the general public never paid much attention to national anthem, but every since “Whitney” sang it… well it has been a sought after spot for many vocalist. Many have attempted to sing it like Whitney, trying to hit those incredible high notes and many have failed. Her singing was perhaps even more memorable than the Giants 20-19 win over the Bills that year. The song and the way it was sung stirred such strong patriotism that it's released as a single and went gold in 1991. It is almost like America watches now the anthem to be sung to see when the next “Whitney” will give us all chills and have has in utter shock saying, “Damn, their good!” My friend turned to me after watching the YouTube video and said, “Not in this life time.” It made me stop and think. Are these events generational? Are there biases on particular events, tragedies, or accomplishments based on our generation? Do some events mean more to us because we were alive during them? Which brings me to my final thought regarding history; is this why history seems to repeat itself?  It is almost as if we truly don’t learn from our mistakes and need to have it happen in our lifetime in order to conceptualize the consequences.