In our American Studies class we have been discussing the whitewashed history of our country. Talking about what information or events that will or wont be discussed in the future. While searching online for certain examples I came across an unbelievable case.
In 1988, the US air force shot down Iran Air Flight 655. This was a commercial plane with traveling passengers. All 290 people, including 66 children, were killed. The jet flew its usual path from Tehran to Dubai and was mistaken as a military jet. The plane was in Iranian airspace when it was shot down. I couldn't believe that something like this happened. The fact that 290 people died because of a mistake is outrageous. And that the plane was in Iranian territory when it was shot down is extremely awful.
I had never heard of this. So I asked my parents if they had heard of this. Both said they don't remember that ever happening. That seems like a very significant event so I think it has been whitewashed from history. I wonder what the average Iranian knows about this. Hypothetically if the roles had been reversed I feel that almost every person in the US would know about what happened. I would think that it would be similar to how we remember 9/11.
Every year we remember all those people who unfortunately lost their lives on September 11th. But what recognition do these passengers on flight 655 get? If you consider recognition $300,000 for the families of the passengers on the plane, than thats what they got. And eventually the government of Iran was paid off, $131 million, to not pursue a case against the US in the international court of justice. And to top it off the US "denied having any responsibility or liability for what happened." That doesn't seem like justice to me.
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