As a last minute contributor, and someone on the remembering side, I want to address these new questions.

Is remembering a virtue or a choice? Remembering occurs naturally and passively on the individual level, as does forgetting. However, in the context of this discussion "forgetting” (history) suggests an active repression of information. A lack ofacknowledgmentt on behalf of a state or society does not translate to forgetting for victims, those who witnessed the events, or even those who chose to “forget”. Forgetting as a form of silencing is extremely active. It is rewriting and revising history in a purposefully deceptive manner. While remembering is perhaps not virtuous or morally superior to genuine forgetting over the passage of time, I do believe that remembering is morally superior to the repression of information and misinformation. Labeling an active process of revising history as forgetting is deeply flawed and misleading. It begs the question, why? Who is benefitting from this forgetting and who is getting hurt? While there may be many truths in this post modern world, isn’t a concerted effort to hide “the truth” still wrong?

More generally speaking, a common argument on the remember side is, broadly speaking, remembering could help us not repeat mistakes from the past. Of course, many factors, can contribute to similar events repeating themselves, even if a society remembers their history. Remembering alone cannot make up for all current factors informing a society’s movement and choices, but it is a powerful tool. We can recognize patterns, analyze risk, and make choices to improve current conditions using what we know of the past. This does not guarantee success, but the alternative is bleak. Imagine trying to make choices in a society where you had little to no knowledge of your history or events elsewhere. How do you begin making choices? The accumulative knowledge and lessons learned through trial and error are lost.

However, I recognize a powerful argument on the forgetting side when we consider cases where deep intergenerational memories have lead to seemingly unending conflict. I could see, in specific cases, true forgetting as an understandable response to this type of situation. However, how do you truly create forgetting? Even if it may theoretically aid reconciliation, is it possible? When memory is so engrained in the culture and history, what does a policy of forgetfulness look like? Could this process look ethical, protect free speech, and acknowledge victims’ rights?