Dispatches from Lucky Forward
Conservative commentary on current events (and whatever catches my fancy) through the prism of history.
Friday, August 9, 2013
New Website!
This is anew improved website/blog that I hope you will enjoy. Check it out!
Friday, July 26, 2013
How I Found History
Think About It
Has
anything you held or an object you examined made you think about history? What about it was historical? Did you want to find out more about it?
|
Think About It
Have
you ever read something that “spoke to you?”
What about it was special? How
was it written? Has a historical work
ever spoke to you? Why or why not?
|
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Why History Matters (Mr. D's Class)
Mr. D--Everybody settle down. (Amongst various groans and moans the class of 34 gets to their assigned seats, except for Anthony.) Anthony, could you find your seat please and put away the cell phone.
Anthony--Awww...Mr. D, be cool.
Mr. D--I don't get paid to be cool but to teach you history.
Tia: What's on the agenda today, Mr. D? Nice fitting polo by the way. You workout?
Mr. D--Ummm...yeah, thanks Tia. Before we get into the amazing story of the United States, I thought we ought to talk about what history is.
Anthony--That shit sounds boring! (A few chuckles form the class.)
Mr. D--Anthony that's a warning for language. Another outburst and you are out of here (Mr. D makes a gesture like an umpire throwing a player out of the game.) Although, Anthony, you are right, like any subject in school history can be boring.
Jimmy--Yo, Mr. D. The answer is simple. It's stuff that happened in the past.
Mr. D--Ok, let's run with that. Anyone disagree?
Pablo--Cuz...it ain't everything that happened in the past. Just because I picked my nose yesterday don't mean that's history.
Jimmy--If it's a righteously big booger it might. (Laughter)
Mr. D--Hang on. You both bring up important points. Does anyone disagree that history is stuff that happened in the past? (No responses) Ok. Does anyone disagree that history is important stuff that happened in the past. (A few mumbles but no disagreement.) So you are both right.
Monica--(tentatively raising her hand) Uhh, Mr. D. How do we know what's important and what's not?
Maria--That's a good question. My people, La Familia, are marginalized in the history books with very little being written. So they aren't important?
Mr. D--Good question Monica, and Maria, There are books out there about Mexican history from all points of view. I encourage you to read some, but when time is limited certain choices have to be made. I'm not saying it's fair or right, but it is the reality. (Maria pouts, not completely convinced.)
Mr. D--Take a look at this quote. (Mr. D projects a quotation onto the projector screen.)
Friday, July 19, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Science Often Changes History
This discovery in no way detracts from the importance of the primary migration of Asiatic people across the "land bridge" between Asia and Alaska. What it does do is give a clearer picture of what happened. The excavation of Norse settlements along the islands east of Canada first modified the long held land bridge view and now genetic research is offering another explanation as to how people got to America.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
What to Make of the Zimmermann Case
Justice was served but Zimmerman still deserved punishment. By all accounts the jury conducted themselves in a responsible and professional manner. Five of the six women were mothers who could relate to the despair of Trayvon's parents, but they still found Zimmerman innocent. The prosecution handled the case poorly from the beginning (hello! that sound familiar...OJ Trial 20 years ago).
Granted, proving a case based almost solely on circumstantial evidence is tough, but the prosecution had no game plan. They looked like a group running around trying to catch a greased pig. The defense on the other hand presented the evidence to show self defense in a logical way, with enough credibility to leave doubt.
Remember the hallmark of criminal law is the burden of proof, "guilty BEYOND a reasonable doubt.
That being said Zimmerman overstepped his role as neighborhood watchman and ended up shooting a young man. Zimmermann deserves some amount of jail time for that very fact. I don't know Florida law but involuntary manslaughter or criminal negligence would be more appropriate for this case.
This was NOT a case of racial profiling. Profiling happened but it was not based on race. It was based on a young person dressing and acting in a suspicious manner. Is it right to do that? Not sure. But be honest, even if you are not racist, you profile. What father, especially of daughters, does not make judgments (Profiling) when they see their little girl with a certain group or person. Can any parent honestly say they are not suspicious if a boy shows up to take out their daughter and he wears his pants around the knees, has a hoodie on with the hood over his face while inside your house, and speaks in an inappropriate manner? Zimmerman profiled but Martin profiled in return ("cracker"). If anything Martin's profiling of Zimmerman was more racially based. So this civil rights hysteria sweeping the country now is unfounded, at east in this case.
The media fu&$ed this case up! Zimmerman was judged in the media from the very beginning. Trayvon Martin was depicted as this innocent young kid buying a tea and skittles (most media outlets continued to use a photo from when he was 12), and Zimmerman was shown to be a bigoted wannabe cop stalking a black kid. Neither characterization had any truth to it, but the public latches onto the first impression and that's what they got. And every media outlet is to blame--MSNBC, FOX News, and the main stream outlets. The media hype brought in the race based charlatans and then all hell broke loose. This should have been a local trial covered by local media and that's it.
Two mistakes led to the tragedy. Zimmerman made the mistake of approaching Martin when he should have kept his distance and just observed and reported, like a neighborhood watchman is supposed to do. Martin made the mistake of being confrontational. Based on the testimony of the lady he was on the phone with, it is clear that Martin was going to take things in his own hands, instead of doing the mature thing--explaining who he was, where he went, and that he lived there.
While history will look back on the OJ Simpson case and say, "Justice was not served," I am confident that the Zimmerman case will be looked at as an example of the system working even when under tremendous social and political pressure.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Are You a Student of History
Obviously strong skills in reading and writing are needed to function in the modern world. And a basic understanding of math, science, art, and technology is also useful in becoming a productive member of society. However, History is in many ways the neglected step child and by history I am also talking about civic education. Aside from language skills people use their knowledge of history more than any other discipline, unless your profession falls in one of the other fields but even then you still need history. Some examples:
- History allows you to better understand movies, music, the arts, and stuff you read in the newspaper.
- History provides the background knowledge and skills needed to vote effectively, asses validity, identify bias and propaganda.
- In a multicultural society, history provides the mortar that holds the nation together brick by brick.
- History teaches the basics of government at the local, state, and federal levels.
- History allows you to connect with the community by understanding its past.
- And most importantly, history prepares you when selecteded to be on Jeopardy, so you can kick some ass on the Revolutionary America topic.
So knowing some history is important, but are you a student of history. Ideally that's what I want everyone to be. Not a student in the sense of someone taking a class but instead a person who values history and uses it in their lives every day to make better decisions and be a better person.
So what do you do to be a student of history?
First you have to forget who you are! You heard me right. While our inclination is to judge history based on our modern perspective, initially you must avoid that. Forget you are male or female; black, white, brown, or any other color; protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, or Mormon; poor, rich, once poor and now rich, or strictly middle class. Why? Historians call it presentism. You want to avoid the trap of presentism or the need to evaluate and judge past actions based on contemporary criteria. You must learn and examine history first from the point of view of someone living at the time. When you do that honestly, you will gain a better understanding of that period in history and why people did or acted in certain ways. Example: Pretend you are the average American on December 8, 1941. You have read the newspaper about the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor the day before. A few months later FDR issues Executive Order 9044 which will send some 110,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps for the next four years. How do you feel about that? How do you react? You're probably pissed seeing photos of dying Americans and ships settling to the bottom of Pearl Harbor. Likely, you do not care or you are glad FDR Locked the enemy up. You have now become a student of history by evaluating an action and event on its own merits.
Butttt...buttt...buttt....
I know. It was still a horrendous violation of civil rights. Once you take out the presentism and understand it for what it is, now you can safely make a judgment from a more modern point of view. It was a terrible decision by FDR that violated umpteen number of amendments with no real evidence to support the conclusion. Now you are truly being a student of history because you recognize the reason for the action but then offer an evaluation and understanding of why it was wrong. Now that approach is a lot more effective than saying FDR was a dumbass.
Second, you have to read history critically. And by reading that could be watching something on TV or at the theater, listening to it on the radio, or seeing it in a museum. To read critically you must first identify the source or author. Do they have a certain political view? Are they biased? What is their qualification for doing what they are doing? When watching a documentary by Michael Moore keep in mind he is an outspoken progressive and among the most liberal democrats out there. Or, if it is a documentary produced by the National Rifle Association about the 2nd Amendment we know it will be biased in favor of that freedom. Some other things to think about when reading history is to ask yourself: When is this taking place? Where is it taking place? What else is going on at the time? Answers to these questions will give you perspective on the issue, providing the proper context to fully understand it. Ask questions as you read. If the piece includes some statistics, does it say where those came from or how they were derived. If there is a term or reference to a historical person, event, or movement, then note it and look it up. You really have no excuses not to with the popularity of smart phones and tablets. Those tools can be used for so much more than texting, chatting, buying songs, or following the Dodgers game.
Finally, use what you know about history. Believe me this is the scariest part (and I have a master's degree in it). Go beyond your comfort zone. Maybe you know the answer to that Jeopardy question, surprise your spouse and shout it out, reveling in the glory that you just won $200 (in pretend money). If your best friend starts a conversation about her decision to vote yes on Proposition 24 but seems to ignore some of the facts, let her know it will cost the tax payer 20 million dollars over the next three years. The next time someone talks about being apolitical because politics is so ugly and full of personal attacks, let them know that headlines were nastier and editorials published anonymously two hundred years ago. Historical ignorance is running rampant in this country and it's having a profound impact on the direction we are headed. So go beyond your comfort zone at least one step. Maybe in a few months take another step. Be part of the solution and not part of the problem.
Now there is a lot more to becoming a student of history but this is plenty to chew on right now.
In closing, i challenge you. For every piece of fiction you read follow it with some nonfiction and make every other nonfiction choice a book on history. There are numerous lists on the internet that will offer suggestions on lots of history topics to help you out. So for the one book a month reader, make three of them something dealing with history over the next year. I'll even make a recommendation right now. Read Killing Lincoln or Killing Kennedy. "But aren't those written by that right-wingnut Bill O'Reilly?" Yes they are but O'Reilley has a degree in history and the books are apolitical, very well researched, and written for the common person and not some academic intelligentsia. Also, stay up to date with some history blogs (like this one). I hope by following these simple suggestions everyone becomes a student of history.
(Note: My blog will be transforming itself in the coming month or two by focusing more on history. My goal to do what I just talked about, developing students of history in all of us. The blog will most likely move to Wordpress and be more professional in appearance. I too am going to go beyond my comfort zone by promoting the blog nationally. I am passionate about history and want to share it with others.)
Sunday, July 7, 2013
What Is The Muslim Brotherhood
A few weeks ago, Egypt went through a violent political change. The Obama administration can avoid calling this event a coup d'etat, for political reasons. Part of the explanation for the governments misreading of the situation in Egypt is a faulty understanding of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The State Department needs to become good Students of History!
The Muslim Brotherhood backed government under President Morsi has been overthrown, and the Brotherhood has taken to the streets to regain power, thus causing a tension filled situation and regional instability. To really understand what is going on politically, religiously, and socially requires an understanding of the Muslim Brotherhood and its history.
The Brotherhood was a group of little significance in 1928 when it was formed by a handful of devout Egyptian Muslims. Unlike most Middle Eastern nations, Egypt had achieved a high level of independence from Great Britain by 1922 as a result of a revolution against the imperial power in 1918. The agreement signed by the new constitutional monarchy in Egypt and Great Britain allowed for a British military presence along the Suez Canal Zone, but gave the new government complete domestic independence. It is within this new found Egyptian democracy that the Muslim Brotherhood began to thrive in the 1930s.
Originally the Muslim Brotherhood was kind of like a mix of the YMCA and Salvation Army.
Originally, the Brotherhood was a religious and charitable organization that lobbied the Egyptian Parliament on behalf of the poor and fundamentalists. Anything that emphasized sharia law and Muslim ideals was demanded by the increasingly influential group. It also funded and provided education opportunities for the poor that emphasized a fundamentalist/radical interpretation of Islam. Through the 1930s the organization grew so that by World War Two it numbered almost a half million members in Egypt with branches springing up in other Middle Eastern countries.
It is also during the late 1930s and the war years that the radicalization of the Muslim Brotherhood accelerated. It conducted espionage, sabotage, and other early terrorist activities to drive the British completely out of Egypt and even conspired with the Nazis during the North African campaign.
As decolonization began under the auspices of the United Nations in the latter 1940s, the Brotherhood intensified operations in many Muslim nations to hasten the departure of its European occupiers. Success during this era, from 1946-1960, increased membership in the Brotherhood across the Muslim world to where it numbered nearly three million.
It was during this era of decolonization that the Muslim Brotherhood adopted its current mission statement:
"Allah is our objective; the Quran is our law, the Prophet is our leader; Jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations."
The fringe groups that conducted terror in the 1930s and 1940s had permeated the whole organization. Instead of political lobbying and promoting help for the poor, The Brotherhood was advocating violence and jihad (Holy War) against its enemies, both Muslim and non-Muslim.
The Muslim Brotherhood is the political wing, financial supporter, and primary instigator of many terrorist groups.
This position put the Muslim Brotherhood in an awkward position. Though large and influential, the Nasser government, which took power in a 1952 coup, banned the organization because it threatened the secular based government. Although the largest single Islamic fundamentalist organization in the world, the Brotherhood had a see-saw affair with the Egyptian government with some leaders cracking down on them and others releasing Brotherhood prisoners and using the group's power and influence. The main concern of the Muslim Brotherhood since 1970 has been to re-educate the Egyptian population regarding their duties as good Muslims. Secularism had taken its spiritual toll, and the Brotherhood was prepared to change that.
Unlike radical groups such as Hamas (who the Brotherhood supports and sponsors), Hezbollah, or al Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood took the path of the PLO and began to change its ways to become more acceptable by the powers that be, both Muslim and Western. As a result both Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak used the manpower and influence of the Brotherhood to solidify their power but also cracked down when the influence of the Islamist group grew too large.
The revolution of 2011 opened the door again for the Muslim Brotherhood when elections were held. With the Brotherhood getting the vote out, Morsi came to power and the Brotherhood had influence once again. Now that Morsi appears out of the picture, it is unclear what road the Muslim Brotherhood will take. But the trends within the organization are clear: one, they are a radical Muslim organization viewing jihad as a literal war; two, they hate Western Civilization and values; three, they want to institute a Muslim based caliphate under Sharia law; four, they have large numbers and are politically astute; finally, they are unpredictable. As I think President Obama would now admit, the Muslim Brotherhood is not an organization that can be trusted.
History has shown that the Muslim Brotherhood can not be trusted.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Some News
My posting will be a bit less frequent than the usual...stop that!...Don't cheer! Just kidding. I have always enjoyed writing, and keeping up a blog has given me a lot of writing practice, so much so that I want to take it to another level. I have been following a half dozen writer's blogs the past couple months and am now taking an eight week course to improve my writing, spruce up my blog, find a wider fan base, and expand my reach in the field of internet writing. I AM NOT DOING THIS FOR MONEY! If I make a little to cover my costs to set-up a real blog and all the frills that go with it, I'll be happy, but I am feeling a calling (apologies to my atheist friends, it was not meant in a strictly spiritual way). Hopefully, my blog will become more focused in a few months when I reveal a new improved version, but it will include a lot of the stuff I have been doing nonfiction and fiction wise. It will focus on what many of you said you liked about my blog and that's the history component.
(If your bored at this point feel free to stop reading and go have a juice box.)
I could use your help though. I have written a couple statements regarding my writing voice and what my target audience (tribe) is. If you good readers have some free time, I would be eternally grateful if you read them and offered any constructive criticism. Fell free to add a comment here, message me on Facebook, or email me directly at luckyforward559@gmail.com
Again, any feed back or comments would be greatly appreciated. Until I unveil the new blog I will keep posting here...Shhhh! Sounds of disappointment/frustration are not allowed.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Celebrating Independence
The Fourth of July
While historians continue to bicker over the appropriate day in which independence from England was declared, July 4th has won out as the popular pick. Early on, sporadic remembrances of what the Second Continental Congress did in July of 1776 were held but nothing organized. The idea of actually celebrating independence became popular after 1815 and the American victory during the War of 1812. Some historians refer to the period from 1815 to 1820 as the Era of Good Feelings, a time when patriotism exploded. Communities got together, ate food, played games, and the town mayor or elder publicly read the Declaration of Independence.
In 1870 the US Congress made the Fourth a federal holiday and in 1941 that was extended to a paid day off. As the popularity of the day exploded, how it was celebrated also changed. The day became less about the Declaration of Independence and more about relaxing and having a good time. The growth of advertising and materialism of the 20th Century fed this evolution. Today families head off to the park or lake wearing their Fourth of July shirts. They bar-b-que until they drop and the adults tend to drink too much beer and wine. And then the day is topped off with the obligatory fireworks show. Few put any thought to what the day really represents. Hey, I do it too. I like a good hot dog as much as the next guy (although I make an effort to explain it to my kids).
A rather unique Fourth of July happened in 1826. Two of just a handful of Founding Fathers left alive, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson lay on their deathbeds and both passed by the end of the day. They were compatriots during the Revolutionary years, both were part of America's delegation to France. During the Washington presidency that friendship deteriorated because of political differences and it continued into the 1800s and Jefferson's presidency. As the men entered their twilight years the bond was reformed through a series of letters. But in the end that old competition would not die. Just minutes before he passed Adams commented, "And Jefferson lives." In fact, Thomas Jefferson died three hours earlier.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”