George + Fatuous =
one fantastic article in Slate on inane utterances of one self-declared Decider.
To wit:
Did I miss something? Is this one of the categories on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me? The one called "Things you should have learned in school were you paying attention..."
Did George Washington invade a sovereign nation 1,000's of miles away? Did he take out their leader (or whatever), kill 1,000's (and say oops), and occupy the rest?
This is the George Washington, right?
To wit:
"George Washington's long struggle for freedom has also inspired generations of Americans to stand for freedom in their own time. Today, we're fighting a new war to defend our liberty and our people and our way of life."
Did I miss something? Is this one of the categories on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me? The one called "Things you should have learned in school were you paying attention..."
Did George Washington invade a sovereign nation 1,000's of miles away? Did he take out their leader (or whatever), kill 1,000's (and say oops), and occupy the rest?
This is the George Washington, right?
National Remembrance Day
Today is officially National Remembrance Day of the signing of Executive Order 9066. IN 1942, Roosevelt signed EO 9066, effectively turning 1,000's of US citizens and legal residents into enemy aliens. EO 9066 also condemned 1,000's of Japanese-Americans and legal residents of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast to four years in relocation camps Roosevelt himself termed concentration camps. If you know anyone who was part of the Nisei Regiment or whose father fought with them, say thanks, for these were men drafted or asked to volunteer by a nation that had so little regard for their civil rights that they arrested them for the crime of being of Japanese descent, The Nisei Regiment was one of the most highly decorated for bravery in WWII.
See two posts down for more on Executive Order 9066.
See two posts down for more on Executive Order 9066.
HMMM...
MSN is thinking about Black History Month and wondering if we really need it.
First of all, I am not sure that is the question we should be asking ourselves. Rather, the question should be why isn't there more information in our history books and cultural readers about the contributions, etc, of African-Americans? or for that matter, other groups?
But, since MSN asked the question, I think I'll answer it: yes and no. No, because we are perfectly capable of reading and finding out and celebrating what these people did all year long.
On the other hand, most of us don't individually, our textbooks don't, and neither does our society in general. African-American contributions are far greater than just Booker T. Washington, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcom X, Betty Shabbaz, Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, etc. The efforts of these various people made all our lives better in great and small ways.
Which is why their accomplishments as well as those of Asian-Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and others need to be a part of our history, and taught as such.
First of all, I am not sure that is the question we should be asking ourselves. Rather, the question should be why isn't there more information in our history books and cultural readers about the contributions, etc, of African-Americans? or for that matter, other groups?
But, since MSN asked the question, I think I'll answer it: yes and no. No, because we are perfectly capable of reading and finding out and celebrating what these people did all year long.
On the other hand, most of us don't individually, our textbooks don't, and neither does our society in general. African-American contributions are far greater than just Booker T. Washington, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr, Malcom X, Betty Shabbaz, Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, etc. The efforts of these various people made all our lives better in great and small ways.
Which is why their accomplishments as well as those of Asian-Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and others need to be a part of our history, and taught as such.
