re: The worst part about “cancel culture” digging up past stuff.

One of the first things I learn from a real history teacher is that there are two approaches to studying history. You have the historical approach, which is studying people, events, movements, etc. as they happened, from the perspective of those who were alive. It is about context. It is without modern judgement. Then there is the ahistorical approach, which is judging history based on modern standards. This is the approach that the "cancel culture" takes.