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Category Archives: history
La Mulți Ani: A Tentative and Cautionary Birthday Wish for the USA
Yesterday, I read in a news article shared on Facebook that Disney has decided to change the opening announcement at its Magic Kingdom fireworks show. The original greeting began, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dreamers of all … Continue reading
Posted in America, Bill of Rights, critical thinking, culture, current events, divisiveness, education, free speech, freedom, history, hope, language, politics
Tagged America, First Amendment, Fourth of July, free speech, history, hope, identity, Independence Day, language, politics
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What We Have Lost: Our Stories Make Us One
“Thanksgiving lessons jettison pilgrim hats, welcome truth” This headline from the Associated Press exploded inside my skull when I saw it three days ago, and in the dust that settled, I read an important lesson about what has been lost as … Continue reading
Posted in culture, current events, divisiveness, education, freedom, history, language, literature, narrative, politics, story
Tagged culture, education, history, identity, language, literature, narrative, story
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My #WalkAway Story
As I write, the Presidential election of 2020 is ten days away. I agree with those on both sides of the aisle that it is the most important election at least in my lifetime (which is long); I will not, … Continue reading
Posted in Bill of Rights, critical thinking, current events, divisiveness, education, First Amendment, free speech, freedom, history, politics
Tagged #WalkAway, conservative, education, election, First Amendment, free speech, history, liberal, politics, Trump, Trump/Pence, voting
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Everything Not Forbidden Is Compulsory
When I first passed this sign yesterday morning on the way to class, I thought it was an instruction in etiquette: “Don’t sit here because this is a table, and sitting on tables is rude.” Silly me.
Posted in Bill of Rights, books, COVID-19, critical thinking, current events, divisiveness, education, First Amendment, free speech, freedom, history, language, literature, news, novel coronavirus, politics, society, totalitarianism
Tagged books, COVID-19, education, etymology, First Amendment, free speech, history, language, literature, meaning, novel coronavirus, Orwell, politics, social distancing, word, writing
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Unity: Advent Word 7
Today we commemorate a day that has lived in infamy for 78 years–a day that also united our country as has no other event in history. I was not born for another 12 years, but as if from instant mutation … Continue reading
Posted in Advent, critical thinking, divisiveness, free speech, history, peace, unity
Tagged Advent, divisiveness, free speech, history, patriotism, Pearl Harbor, unity
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Misinterpreting Emerson: A Meditation on Consistency, the Constitution, and American Exceptionalism
When I first started working as a disability examiner for Social Security, we had no desktop computers, just Wang terminals; nor could we communicate via email, just intraoffice messaging whose default was “reply all.” Hence, I established a wide reputation … Continue reading
Fruition: 2018
As I began to ponder the year soon coming to a close, it seemed necessary and fitting that I end the longest hiatus of my blog-writing career with a brief narration of the project–now complete–that has consumed my life for … Continue reading
Posted in art, books, education, history, literature, movies, music, poetry, World War I
Tagged art, history, literature, music, World War I
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The Mother of Beauty: World War I in Word, Image, and Song
Published below is the text of a talk I will give tomorrow to commemorate the Armistice centenary as part of a series of events entitled “FTCC Remembers World War I: 1914-1918.” “Death is the mother of beauty,” wrote Wallace Stevens, … Continue reading
Posted in art, history, literature, music, poetry, World War I
Tagged art, history, literature, music, poetry, World War I
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One Doomed Youth–and 17 Million More
From July to November 1917, Wilfred Edward Salter Owen was a shell-shocked second lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment, under the care of W. H. R. Rivers at Craiglockhart War Hospital. There, he became close friends with Siegfried Sassoon, who became … Continue reading
Posted in history, literature, poem, poetry, World War I
Tagged Armistice, history, literature, poetry, Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, World War I
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