The Difference Between History and a News Item.....


What makes the difference between a major historical event and just a news item? What turns a news item into a major historical event? Maybe it's just luck. Fate. Who knows. That sounds like a question for Forrest Gump to ponder.

Bomb for Joe Biden
We have had a heck of a week in the news. Republican terrorist Cesar Sayoc was arrested for mailing 13 letter bombs to opponents of President Trump. The list included 2 former Presidents, a former Secretary of State, members of Congress, and a millionaire trying to lead an effort to impeach the President.

First, imagine the time and effort it takes to make 13 bombs. He acquired all the material needed. He found the addresses to mail them to, applied postage and sent them off. But he just wasn't a very good bomb maker. They didn't work. They had all the right components. They just weren't assembled correctly.

But what if he did? The bombs might have gone off anywhere. In a post office, in a crowd, or they might have killed who they were supposed to. That's a longshot, but possible. That would have shaken the country. Who knows what history that would've led to? The end of the US Postal Service?

In the past, many things might have changed from history to a news item, and vice versa.

Lucky shot?

  • What if Lee Harvey Oswald had missed? Experts say that was a pinpoint shot that killed JFK. That would've changed from history to a news item.


  • What if John Hinckley's assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan was successful? That changes from a news item to history.


  • What if Neil Armstrong ran out of fuel trying to land the lunar lander? Triumphant history becomes tragic history.


  • What if the D-Day invasion in World War II had failed. The Allies still would have eventually won the war. But it would have taken years longer, and cost more lives.


Some history might have changed from tragedy to a deeper disaster. People forget, but the Lincoln assassination was only partly successful. In addition to Lincoln, the plot was to assassinate the Vice President, the Secretary of State, and Ulysses Grant. The rest of the plot failed. If successful, it might have brought down the whole government.

9/11 Memorial. What if it wasn't needed?
What if we had been more vigilant before 9/11? There were plenty of clues. But nobody put it all together. What if we had been able to prevent those hijackings? What if we were able to prevent the war? How many lives would have been saved? How would our lives be different today?

Changing history into a news item. That's the work of the FBI and Law Enforcement. Sometimes it's hard to watch the news. But it's better to watch news than history.

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