Month: August 2019

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Sanitize History Or Learn From It?

When I taught American History I always reminded my students to not superimpose on past times what we know now. This is the best country in the world but we are not now, nor were we ever perfect but this newest idea of sanitizing history is wrong on so many levels.

I was in Germany recently and this issue was in the forefront. Germany does not have a First Amendment right of free speech. If you deny the Holocaust, make the Hitler salute etc. you can be arrested and serve up to three years in prison. They make their students take at least one field trip to a former concentration camp. I am not saying that I agree with their first amendment stand but I do agree that you learn from the past and trying to pretend it didn’t happen is not effective. They are embarrassed by what Hitler did and they work at making sure nothing like it happens again.

In my American History class we discussed the changes in this country regarding issues such as slavery, women’s rights, children’s rights, worker’s rights etc. There have been many positive changes in this country and I get sick to death listening to people beating the drums of slavery, and women’s rights issues especially when it is a constant refrain on what had been and not on what is the reality today.

Yes, slavery was wrong, and is a horrible stain on our country’s past, however, it ended over 150 years ago. Yes, I know that things didn’t improve over night for black people but now opportunity is there for anyone who wants to go for the ‘brass ring.’ When people talk about reparations for black people because of slavery I am dumbfounded. Who pays this money and who gets it? There are no former slaves. I did some research, not in depth, but a cursory one did not show any grandchildren of slaves that are still alive. So, I repeat – who pays and who receives the money. Let’s make it even more interesting by reminding people that white people were not the only slave owners. For instance in 1850 42% of free blacks in Charleston, S. Carolina owned slaves and of that 42% 64% were women! Do all blacks get money including those whose families arrived here after the Civil War? Do all whites pay even those whose relatives arrived after the Civil War? The politicians who are promoting this make me sick as they are pandering for votes and have no interest in how this would impact the country at large.

Now, we have people demanding that all statues, plaques etc. should be removed that honor anyone on the Confederate side during the Civil War. Yes, some owned slaves but remember what I said about superimposing what we know now on past times. The men they want to eliminate from public view were honorable men who fought for what they thought was right at that time. It would take a book to describe the type of men they were and how, despite the wrong choices regarding slavery, they made positive impacts on our country’s history.

Here are my, never to be humble, opinions on this. First off, let us remember that no profession is free of bad employees. There are bad police officers, doctors, teachers and on and on. If one commits a crime or breaks the rules go after that person but don’t penalize the entire professional community. For instance, people need to remember that without police all we would have is anarchy. If you want an idea on what that looks like check out Portland, Oregon today.

Second, let us learn from history; not dwell on it ad nauseam. Let us emphasize how far we have come in this country in regards to positive changes. You don’t like a mural because you feel it reflects too much on a time that wasn’t as positive as today? How about not covering it up but painting another and putting it side by side to show the inroads that have been made?

How about encouraging our young people of all races and ethnic backgrounds to show respect for all our First Responders and members of the military? Instead of telling our young people how unfair life is why don’t we have teachers and mentors who are showing them all the opportunities this country offers? If we spent as much time teaching our young people the importance of education, marriage ( the basis of all successful cultures) and living your life with the goal of having a positive impact on your community we might find ourselves living in a far more positive environment. The money that is spent fighting for the rights of our young women to have abortions should make everyone with a soul sick.

Let’s get back to politicians like President Kennedy who said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” We have a slew of politicians trying to out do each other on how many free things people will get if they vote for them. How about talking about what people can do to make this country better for everyone? How about a politician who talks about a program like AmeriCorp? AmeriCorp was started under President Clinton (Kennedy and Clinton – both Democrats I might point out) and was one of several national volunteer organizations.

My last thought is that we need to bring back shame. I don’t mean to the degree that people are put into hiding if they make a mistake in judgement but today we have women bragging about their abortions!! You can check the news any day and get the intimate details of the sex lives of celebrities. The more abhorrent the better. There was a time in this country that a show like Jerry Springer would never have been on the air because no one would have aired their family issues in such a manner.

I think we can learn from the Germans on the issue of the past. Don’t relive it; learn from it!

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A Trip Into The Past

For many years I wanted to take a trip that covered major battles of W.W.II. My Father had been D Day 17 which means that when he landed the fighting had gone to the hedgerows. It was bloody fighting and it would be nearly ten more weeks before Normandy was fully declared as in Allied control.

When I decided last year that it was time to take this trip as it was now the 75th Anniversary of D Day I began my research. It wasn’t long before I chose Beyond Band of Brothers. Their organization seemed, and I was correct, to be the most organized regarding their trips. I chose the nine day trip that went from Normandy to Munich and I am super pleased with my choice. Our Tour Manager was Sue Kormendy. She was organized and knowledgeable. She arranged for us to have specific guides for the areas we covered. These guides were extremely knowledgeable and enriched the experience. Their enthusiasm was contagious and really helped to amplify the visit. I did not go on this trip alone but took my 18 year old Grandson, Jacob. The guides were so good that even he commented on the fact that although some aspects were boring to him that there was enough other things to look at that he was never bored. That says a lot! Jacob was right because to be honest I don’t care how the engine in the tank works but that was okay because others in the trip did care and I could drift over to something else to look at that did interest me.

When I signed up for the trip I was disappointed that the trip did not include Paris so I added a two day rider so that Jacob and I could see some of the main sights. It was great to point out to Jacob the Arch de Triumph that the Allies had marched through when they liberated Paris. I reminded him that my Father, his Great Grandfather, marched through it. The Louvre, well, it is hard to explain how you could spend weeks there and not see everything. It was really exciting to see the Mona Lisa and other cultural artifacts that we read about all the time, like the Venus De Milo. The history of the Eiffel Tower was really interesting as well and going up made our day. Sadly, we could only see the outside of Notre Dame but the guide’s information on the history of the Cathedral was enriching. We did go into a smaller cathedral which is next to Notre Dame. It is St. Chapelle and it is world renowned for its stain glass. It was like being inside a jewel. Sadly, we didn’t feel the warm friendliness toward Americans in Paris that we would experience in Northern France.

When I signed up for the trip I had no idea of the emotions I would feel when I stood on the beach, Omaha, that my Father had landed on over 75 years ago. Jacob was a little upset that people were having picnics and romping in the water. He said it didn’t seem right. I explained to him that the allies landed and eventually liberated France so that future generations could live normal lives. Everywhere you went were reminders of the price American’s paid for the residents. People would ask you if you had a relative that fought in the war and when you answered, “yes”, they would thank you.

The trip included St. Mere Eglese, if you saw the movie the Longest Day it is the village where John Steele parachutes in and gets caught on the church steeple. To this day they have a parachute and a dummy to show what happened to honor the sacrifice. We also spent time in Bastogne, Belgium which was the center for the Battle of the Bulge. We saw fox holes that are original and are maintained by the community. The people of Bastogne have not forgotten the sacrifice of the Americans either. We went to the American Cemetery in Normandy and there were more than a few damp eyes as the flag was lowered as Taps was played. We also went to the American Cemetery in Luxemburg and saw General Patton’s grave site. The trip also included numerous sites in Munich which was the city where a lot of Hitler’s insane planning was done. The Eagle’s Nest was included and having been there before I was super excited that Jacob would see it and go up and see the view from the top which is over 6,000 feet and is located in the Alps. It was built for Hitler so a lot of evil was planned there but now it is a place of beauty. The actual houses that Hitler and his insane minions lived in were destroyed but thankfully the main building was spared. The same elevator that took Hitler up to the top takes tourists up. Yes, the elevator is maintained and has been upgraded. One member of our group was very concerned about that. There is a lovely restaurant up at the top and you can eat and enjoy the view. The most emotionally draining stop was at Dachau, the former concentration camp. The attitude of everyone on the tour was altered; as it should be when seeing the remains of such evil. I have always been annoyed by the fools that compare the detention centers for the illegal immigrants to concentration camps but my annoyance is now flown blown anger after seeing a camp and walking through the horror. In between these main stops we drove through numerous small villages and towns that were liberated one at a time, 75 years ago.

The trip was both a personal one for me as I wanted to see where my Father had landed and walk where he had walked but it also fed my love of history. To see places that you have read about it always exciting. As a Christian I love entering churches that were built hundreds of years ago and saying a prayer. The church in St. Mere Eglese was started in 1140!! Sharing the trip with my grandson was the cherry on top.

If you have a love of history especially W.W.II then I highly recommend Beyond Band of Brothers. They have a wide variety of trips that cover various aspects and battles of the war.