Name change: This is stuff of dystopian fiction

Re: “Franklin Pierce unworthy of our county name,” (TNT editorial, 6/19).

Regarding the current destruction of our history (changing names, toppling statues, ignoring facts and events), have you not read George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “1984”?

Do you remember Winston Smith’s job in the totalitarian country of Oceania? He worked in the so-called Ministry of Truth, revising history to comply with the government’s version of the past.

That’s what totalitarian governments do. They attempt to control the past to control the future. Modern examples include the Soviet Union, Communist China and Nazi Germany. (In German, Nazi is short for National Socialism.)

Perhaps it’s time we all reread “1984,” “Brave New World,” “Animal Farm,” or “The Giver,” which are about totalitarian dystopias, the opposite of utopias. There are some good movie versions, too.

This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 8:42 AM with the headline "Name change: This is stuff of dystopian fiction."