Your points about connecting the past to the present are explained very well. Certainly the skills of critical thinking are useful for connecting the Red Scare to current paranoia about CRT, for example. It is important to fully understand where there are similarities and differences. The same applies to connecting the present to the past, and critical thinking becomes even more essential. Contemporary journalism sometimes forgets that we can't layer a set of 2022 values on decisions and practices made 50, 100, or 200 years ago. As you say, we can make connections based on categories, but we have to resist judging the past based on our current standards and cultural characteristics.
Your points about connecting the past to the present are explained very well. Certainly the skills of critical thinking are useful for connecting the Red Scare to current paranoia about CRT, for example. It is important to fully understand where there are similarities and differences. The same applies to connecting the present to the past, and critical thinking becomes even more essential. Contemporary journalism sometimes forgets that we can't layer a set of 2022 values on decisions and practices made 50, 100, or 200 years ago. As you say, we can make connections based on categories, but we have to resist judging the past based on our current standards and cultural characteristics.