History Should Make You Uncomfortable

Erasing history by banning aspects of it runs the risk of society repeating history. The quote, “history should make you uncomfortable“ describes how history has something to teach us. An effective tool of learning is discomfort. The amendment that I proposed here in the Senate would have excluded and protected genuine collectors from the prohibition provisions of this bill. Denying history cannot diminish the Holocaust horrors. There are many people in Australia interested in preserving items of significant historical interest. These genuine collectors of militaria and historical items are not extremists. They are parents, grandparents, even a great grandfather who called this office and explained how he started collecting items given to him by returning servicemen after World War 2. These are not people who wish to promote extremist or violent views. Their intent is to preserve items of historic military significance, artefacts that are of great value in some cases, and these genuine collectors and academic researchers and historians should have been excluded from the prohibition provisions. Transcript: