Everyone has a story to tell

When some historians noted that orthodox histories did not truly tell the stories of racial minorities, some set out to tell those stories.

And many whites reacted badly.

When some historians noted that orthodox histories did not truly tell the stories of women, some set out to tell those stories.

And many men reacted badly.

When some historians noted that orthodox histories did not truly tell the stories of indigenous peoples, some set out to tell those stories,

And many desdendants of colonizers reacted badly.

When some historians noted that orthodox histories did not truly tell the stories of religious minorities, some set out to tell those stories.

And many Christians reacted badly.

The leftist claims and reactionary counter-claims you experience on social media are nothing new. The heterodoxy has been trying to tell its stories for a long time -- not always perfectly, of course -- and the orthodoxy, fearful of claims of privilege or reparations, has long resisted giving oxygen to those stories.

And that is a terrible reality.

But all disagreements have not been acrimonious. For example, during the anti-war demonstrations at Columbia during Vietnam, Richard Hofstadter was against them while one of his prize doctoral students, Mike Wallace, supported them -- yet they remained lifelong friends.

The only thing new is that every Tom, Dick and Harry now has an opinion about it all. And more heat than light leaves little room for finding common ground. Of course, the stories of everyone must be told and heard respectfully, but the first stories must be respected, too.

We must be patient for everyone to tell his or her story, but we must also be firm in acknowledging that everyone has a story to tell.