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89.        The speaker suggests that studying history is a waste of time because it distracts
us from current challenges. Posed this way, the question carries the assumption that the
study of history has no bearing on present problems or their possible solutions. On the
contrary, history can provide examples, perspectives and insights that are directly
relevant to contemporary challenges.
      One way that studying history can help us face new challenges is by showing us
inspirational examples of success. For instance, we can learn from the experience of the
great inventor Thomas Edison that sometimes a series of apparent failures is really a
precursor to success. Also consider the journey of Lewis and dark into the Northwest
Territory. Understanding the motivations needed to overcome adversities they faced can
help to inspire modern-day explorers and scientists.
      Studying history can also help us avoid repeating mistakes. For instance, we can
learn from the failure of Prohibition during the 1930s that it can be a mistake to legislate
morality. And future generations might learn from the 1997 indictment of the tobacco
industry that it is bad policy to trade off the well-being of consumers in order to secure
profits.
      Finally, the study of history is important because we cannot fully appreciate our
present challenges without understanding their historical antecedents. Consider the issue
of whether California should be officially bilingual. The treaty that transferred
California from Mexico to the United States stipulated that California must embrace
both Spanish and English as official languages. Those who view the current bilingual
debate as purely a contemporary issue might bring to the debate a more enlightened
viewpoint by appreciating this historical fact and the events that led to the treaty.
      In sum, though the past might seem distant, it is far from irrelevant. Studying
history can inspire us to achievement, help us avoid costly mistakes, and help us simply
appreciate that in most cases we've been down this road before.