A Time of Rememberance

Yesterday, 32 people were killed at Virginia Tech. A lot of students at where I work apply to VT and always hope to get in. I hope and pray they are all safe and pray for the families of those who lost loved ones. God will welcome them into heaven with open arms and they will enjoy eternal happiness.

A Life Lesson From Scrubs

Last night, Scrubs decided to do an amazing episode which took two weeks to play out. It dealt with Nurse Laverne Roberts who is a long time veteran nurse with lots of sass and a devotion to Jesus which is absolutely amazing. Last week, Laverne and Doctor Cox had argument on the existence of God. As Laverne pointed out, everything happens for a reason. While Cox tried to prove her wrong, everything he gave as an example proved that there was something worse which could have happened. Eventually, Laverne tells Cox that without her faith, she could never work in a hospital. Unfortunately, Laverne got into a car crash and was placed in intensive care.

Part II of the show had everyone in the hospital say goodbye to Laverene as they discovered she was brain dead. After Carla said goodbye, Laverne died. Scrubs has had a number of people on the show die before, but I think what makes this one different is that Laverne was one of those characters who you kind of figured would always be around. The scenes she had were ones which always gave you a laugh.

In the end, I think the lesson to be learned here, especially during this Easter season, is that everything happens for a reason. Life can be very interesting. In the end, if we trust in God and know that what He wants for us will come to pass, it will happen.

"I assumed we were all going to be executed. We were all standing there waiting for it to happen."

Those are the words of one of the British sailors captured by Iran. The article here gives the account by a number of them when they told their side of the story as to what had happened during their 13 days in Iran.

Each reader can make up their mind based off of this article, but one can't help but wonder how "truthful" Iran was when President Ahmadinejad told Great Britain not to ask their own people about what really happened to them.

Am I wrong to question the "sincerity" of Iran with everything they have been saying as late? I don't think so.

Linkin Park - What I've Done

This is the new single from their newest album, the first in four years. A totally different type of song from Linkin Park, but so awesome. One great thing about this band, they never curse in their songs. I can't wait to hear the rest of their album. This should be REALLY good.

If we don't educate, we might get this...

Scary pictures, right? Well, these are kids with toy guns in Palestine who could grow up to be suicide bombers. What is worse is that their textbooks teach them to hate Israel. If I have said it before, I will say it again: education is important. Do not stunt the education of children by teaching one side. Is there anyone out there who can justify these pictures? Turning children into soldiers is just wrong. If the children are our future, then what point is there to having a future if their parents want them to grow up, fight, and die?

Teachers drop the Holocaust to avoid offending Muslims

The entire article is here.

I believe it is a sad day when history cannot be taught the way it had actually happened. Yes, there are perspectives and interpretations on it, but the fundamental facts are the same. If students are not given the opportunity to learn about all different points of view, then what is the point of education? Why bother teaching? Students should be challenged. They should be able to defend their beliefs, but at the same time be open to new ideas. Is that too much to ask?

Errol Flynn: Simply the Best

Undeniably one of the greatest actors of all time is Errol Flynn. He was the King of the Swashbucklers and could use his charm and presence on screen to make a scene fantastic. A while back the Errol Flynn Signature Collection was released and now the Errol Flynn Signature Collection Volume 2 has been released.

In looking at his filmography, he certainly did a lot. Add that to his life, this was a man who did things most of us can only dream about. Although some folks say maybe only half of the things he did in his early years are true, it is still impressive. I don't want to give too much away, as I think people should learn more about the man on their own. You can learn more about Flynn through the website set up by his daughter.

If you are going to go rent a movie, check out The Adventures of Robin Hood. It is an all time classic and something your kids, especially the younger ones, will remember for the rest of their lives.

Grade Inflation

A topic like this seems to be one teachers deal with more often than not. I can remember sitting down during a parent teacher conference and the mother of one of my student’s was scratching her head wondering how her daughter could have a 3.0 GPA for the quarter and have three C’s. I asked to look at the report card and did a GPA scale from college. Showing the mother what the real number looked like, the long, slow nod she gave and the expression her face said that it was clear something was not right with the grading system.

Sure enough, colleges and universities have been finding themselves with this problem too. It almost begs the question of what is wrong with our education system, but the answer, half the time, is right in front of us. Students don’t want to learn and teachers don’t want to teach. Keep in mind, this is NOT an ironclad rule, but it is one that is popping up more and more often.

As schools across the country enter into the fourth quarter, the amount of tension and frustration that both students and teachers are facing are beginning to boil over and both sides do not plan on giving up any ground in the classroom. An example comes from my own classes. It is now becoming almost a daily struggle of having to listen to my own students say to me, “It’s the fourth quarter! We don’t need notes anymore. Let’s just coast into summer.”

Students seem to forget that in a few years, coasting into summer will no longer be an option. The workforce has no summer vacation. If they do, it tends to be referred to as unemployment. While I digress from the original point, in some ways, the two connect. I remind my students that they cannot slack off in the final quarter and if they do, their grades will suffer. Their response falls along the lines of “Well, then you will be seen as a bad teacher because all of us failed.”

My logic is that if you don’t do the work, you get a zero. Would any parent complain about that? You better believe it. There is always one who will complain, which no brings me back to grade inflation. Schools are finding themselves being placed under increasing pressure to either get good marks for federal funding, show students with high marks to get them into college, or school want to protect the self esteem of the students by not giving them low marks.

There is the famous “Gentleman’s C,” where if a student has a hard time in the class, but tries and is not a problem student, the teacher will give that person a C. Is it fair?

Some school districts are eliminating certain grades because the value of it has no meaning. For instance, if a student gets a D in my class, they know they came pretty close to failing. In addition to that, parents will see that and want to know what is going on. However, in a number of schools, students will shrug their shoulders and not care. Simply getting by is not the answer for our education system.

Instead, we need to make sure students are challenged and made to push themselves to the limits. If a teacher is tough, but fair, then they should be that way. If the student doesn’t like having to do work in the class, then tough. The students need to get over it, plain and simple. In reading two articles on the subject, it is clear something needs to be done. The first talks about grade inflation in general and is quite informative on the subject. The second discusses a teacher who was told to change her grades and get into trouble.

So how do we fix this problem? If it were up to me, I would use the model my parents used on me: Get home, change, homework till 7, dinner, if homework hasn’t been finished yet, then finish it. If the work was done, then I could enjoy the rest of the night until 10 when it was time to go to bed.

Was it tough? A little, but I am better for it. A system like that creates more self discipline and makes you understand that if you don’t get your work done, there will be consequences.

As for teachers, there shouldn’t be a fear of hurting anyone’s feelings in the classroom. If a student fails, they fail. There are no two ways about it. If the teacher can hold the line in the classroom, then the students will learn to follow those rules and perform better for their classes. While education is a two way street, there still needs to be an understanding that when you are in the classroom, the teacher is in charge and what they say goes.

Your Portal To The Commonwealth's Past, Present, and Future

For Time Travel 21, one of the biggest goals of the company is to present history in a light which is both informative and entertaining. In order to achieve this goal, Time Travel 21 created a television program entitled “Virginia Time Travel.” This program looks at different aspects of Virginia’s history and also looks into where the Commonwealth is going with different programs surrounding technology and the environment.

At the moment, over a dozen episodes of the show have been taped. Slowly, but surely, more information about both the company and show is being spread across Northern Virginia. Recently, an interview was conducted with the Mount Vernon Gazette regarding the show.

As the second season of tapings moves forward, Time Travel 21 is working to branch out into more avenues of interest to people throughout Northern Virginia. For those who are interested in getting Virginia Time Travel to air in their local community, email timetravel21@yahoo.com and let us know. We can work towards making sure everyone in your part of the state can be part of what is most likely the first and only state history program ever in Virginia.

1984

You know, I remember when this add originally came on television. I wonder if FedEx is going to get ticked off at this ad?

Why Would You Want to Send an E-Card after an Abortion?

I think that is the only question that can be asked right now. An article that can found through Fox News shows us that an organization called Exhale is producing E-CARDS that can be sent to women after an abortion.

Now that I have your attention, let me continue. When we think of getting an e-card, it is usually on a happy note, but there are occasions where it might be sympathy and the only way we can actually let the person know we are sorry for something is to send the e-card. However, do we really need to send an e-card for abortions?

Already, the greeting card industry has created cards for different events such as potty training, half birthdays, and divorce. Must we add abortions to the list? I, for one, say no. As you can see here, there are six e-cards to choose from. The themes are designed to speak to different perspectives depending on how you feel.

What I find truly disturbing and also disgusting is that one card says you “did the right thing.” So killing a life is a good thing? It is not only killing a life, it is killing a life whose only crime was being created. Do we really want a card that acknowledges this?

Exhale claims to be open to all views, but one does have to wonder how serious they are in that statement. Considering that the majority of the women who founded the organization are both pro choice and had abortions, their mission statement says abortion CAN be a natural part of a woman or girl’s life, and the majority of contributors to the organization are pro choice as well, I cannot help but feel that their slant is directed towards saying abortion is the best option out there.

The fact of the matter is that abortion, in my opinion, is nothing more than a social irresponsibility. The reason why I say that is because let us think about what this says to people. For women, they are about to enter into a new stage of their life. But wait! Abortion means she can go ahead and put off having the family so she can go out partying or what ever. For men, the responsibility of being a father is no longer there. Why should they take responsibility and be a parent when they can simply say, “Hey babe, get an abortion. I will stay with you then.”

I can already sense and hear what is coming up from the reader: what about cases of rape and incest? Certainly circumstances like that are tough and a difficult choice must be made. However, is it the child’s fault for being created? No. So why then must the child’s life end? Why not put the baby up for adoption? Why not give the child a chance for life?

Well, certainly there are economic concerns to worry about. Pregnancy can cost a lot of money. But so does a lot of other things in life. While this might not be the best comparison out there, consider this question: does the amount of money it costs to have a baby exceed the amount of money you waste in the same span of nine months on frivolous expenses which you do not really need? To answer a question like that, you really need to think long and hard about everything you buy and where some things could be cut out of your life. In effect, that is what is being done with an abortion: a life is being cut out of your body.

Back to my words on irresponsibility, it seems that a lot of times people only want to think of themselves. When there is a baby in the middle, your concerns are no longer important. The only concern which is important is that of the child. It is rather interesting to note that a lot of parents talk about how they want to give every possible chance to their children when it comes to schools, resources, everything you can think of. So why is it then there are parents who will not give their children the most basic chance of all to their unborn children: life.

Do we know what it is to be free?

This has been a question which ahs plagued my mind over the past few weeks as every day we hear more and more news stories coming in about how protesters want the War in Iraq to end and how troops wonder why it people say they support them and not the war. In addition to this, I cannot help but also notice a great deal of hatred and dissent found all over the blogosphere as some people limit what others are allowed to say by banning them from their blogs, shouting down contradictory opinions, or just blasting a member of our government for deciding they want to vote for something they feel in the heart is morally right or wrong.

And so I ask: do we truly appreciate our freedom? The automatic answer from everyone is yes, but I sometimes wonder. I sat in my classroom and listened to students debate. When one student said that freedom wasn’t free, a response which was given to him was “Freedom isn’t free and what is the cost of life?” Under normal circumstances, I would not think twice about it, but it was the tone of voice which the statement had going behind it which upset me. It sounded as if this student did not care or take it seriously. Just a flip comment that would otherwise be forgotten, but one which I cannot help but hear echo in my mind.

In looking back at history, I found that some of the events we live in today are reminiscent of another time period: Reconstruction. After the end of the Civil War, the nation was placed at the heart of a very difficult position. The entire South was ruined an 4 million people were now free. Does the Union protect all the free slaves on the plantation, or protect their own? There was a development of a strong insurgency which threatened the “peaceful” balance of the South and prevent all the freed slaves from enjoying the benefits of a free society. There was also an imbalance in the government: would the Republican version of Southern government take hold or would the old order, or a semblance of it, come back into power?

These questions were very prevalent then, as many of the questions we face today in Iraq are prevalent in our minds. We hear a lot about how people on the home front talk about what is and is not going on in Iraq, but do they know what they are talking about? Just recently a reporter wrote a false story about soldiers raping and pillaging towns in Northern Iraq. Why is it then folks here in the states grab on to those stories and proclaim them to be true? Is there justice there? Is there honesty?

Recently, my history students were watching the film "Heaven and Hell: North and South Book III". This film looks at Reconstruction from multiple angles. One view point that is looked at is from Isaac Cano, a former slave who now works on the plantation he was born into servitude to. When he was attending a meeting for freed slaves near his home, he admitted that while he was yet to be paid, his boss gave him something more than just money: pride. The question was asked to Isaac why he should keep on working at a plantation which would not pay him. The response Isaac gave shows great integrity when he said:

You can’t see how it is down here cause you’re from up North. But you best take a long hard look and listen. What we do, now, what we give, we do and give cause we wanna, it ain’t like it was before the war. It’s different now. We’s free, now. And free men choose. What the point is there in being free if you can’t choose.

The point Isaac is making is that he chose to stay at this plantation to work there. In the end, his employer not only gave him pride for the work he has done, but also showed that he was truly a valued member of the community that was being created around the plantation.

If we take these words to the present with Iraq, many people will argue a great deal of rhetoric and basically tear about many of the things I am trying to say here, but lets not forget one thing about the Iraqi people: they are free. At any time, the people there could have voted the opposite way and denied the creation of a new government, the creation of their constitution, the creation of the new Iraqi state we see before us. Democracy in the Middle East will never be like democracy in America. There are too many cultural difficulties to over come in order to make that kind of transition.

But even with those differences, there are many similarities between ourselves and the Iraqis. The desire to be free and treated with respect is something that can never be denied by anyone. Even in this country, we see politicians speaking about two or three Americas and others about how immigration is destroying our country. The lack of respect that is given to the people of this world is appalling in all stretches of the imagination.

Once again, I go back to North and South and the words of Isaac Cano, where he is joined by Francis Cardozo, a free black from South Carolina, who would become the Secretary of State for South Carolina and eventually work in the Treasury Department in Washington DC.

These words are very powerful and spoke to the students in my history class:

Isaac: I ain’t by no right some kind of speaker. But, uh, I’ve been doing me some thinking real recent like. I was thinking a lot about bein free man, something I never knowed as a child. Now as a married man, thinking a lot about having a family, I’ve been thinking about the rest of my life. I’ve been thinking some about dying too. Well, I…I reckon this here proclamation ought to show some of them white folks that we just like them. Not different. Know why we’s feel like the. We love like them. Bare babies like them, Lord knows a lot of their daddy’s give some of us their blood and, uh, a lot of our mamas done fed a whole lot of them with their milk and I’ve been figuring somebody ought to tell some of them white folks that when they dies and when we die we alls gets put into the same dirt and how when we get to heaven, we all gonna share the same good Lord. I reckon…I reckon enough has said about all them differences. I thank you.

(Thunderous Applause and Cheering)

Cardozo: Listen to them Mr. Cano! Listen!

Isaac: I just said what I thoughts.

Cardozo: So pure and simple. Every man’s heart soared. God bless you Mr. Cano.

Isaac: Thank you…

Cardozo: For what?

Isaac: You called me mister. It ain’t ever been done before.

Dignity and respect. Two words which have seemingly lost all meaning in our society. Enough HAS been said about the differences that exist among all of us. What is not said are the similarities and the commonalities which can be used to help all of us work together. People are so embroiled in their own petty and twisted sense of political rhetoric that there is no more sense to the world what so ever.

Reports indicate the Hillary Clinton, if elected president, would want to pull us out of Iraq and leave that country to the mercy of terrorists and anyone wishing to destroy a Middle East democracy. While I cannot say this is either true or false, abandoning those people in Iraq need our help.

Have we not learned anything from the lessons of the past? Do we not remember what happened after Reconstruction. African Americans found themselves in a state of virtual slavery. Jim Crowe laws were passed and it took almost one hundred years about the problems were addressed and corrected. If we abandon Iraq, must we wait another hundred years for the injustice committed by terrorists to be pointed out and then eliminated? Or shall we close our eyes and be blind to the fact that the here and now is when these problems must be address and these problems must be faced not only to help our selves, but our children, our children’s children, and our children’s children’s children.

So I ask you: do we still know what it is to be free? Do we even care? Have we learned nothing from the past? I fear this new generation growing up does not know what it is to be free, cares for what it means to be free, and might not have learned anything from the past. I do not condemn all young people that are in school today, but there are those who I feel fall into the category I just described.

As for Isaac Cano, after giving his speech in Charleston, South Carolina, he and another man were riding home. On the way, members of the Ku Klux Klan stopped them. Isaac was hung only a short distance from his home. His final words were, “Jesus…watch over Jane.” (Jane was his wife) After that, he let go of the rope around his neck and choked to death. We cannot allow the noose of tyranny to strangle the emerging freedom and democracy that people in Iraq are enjoying. It may not be perfect, but neither was our when it all began. There are bumps in the road and more than likely many more will come. However, to turn our backs on what is going on over there is just like what happened when the North ended Reconstruction. Can we truly allow something like this to happen again? I pray we don’t, but I fear we will.

People love to pick what pleases them...

That seems to be the case as we see a number of folks jumping for joy over the news that President Bush has an approval rating of only 28%. Reality is that this poll came from CBS News, who as we all recall did a wonderful job of reporting false news during the 2004 election and that led the the downfall of Dan Rather.

In addition to this, sometimes it is a wise idea to see if anyone else agrees with that particular number. So, what I did was look at a number of polls and here is what we got:

CBS News: 28% Approve 64% Disapprove
ABC News: 33% Approve 65% Disapprove
NBC News: 35% Approve 60% Disapprove
Fox News: 35% Approve 58% Disapprove
Gallup: 36% Approve 61% Disapprove
Rasmussen: 39% Approve 60% Disapprove
AP: 36% Approve 61% Disapprove
CNN: 34% Approve 64% Disapprove
Newsweek: 31% Approve 62% Disapprove
Average: 34% Approve 62% Disapprove

So what does this prove? Well, for starters, the President's numbers aren't the greatest in the world. Anyone could easily tell you that. What this does show is that basing your information off of one source is never a good diea. Yes, poll data does change from week to week, but these numbers are all the most recent polling numbers that have come out.

In addition to this, the Average number I came up with off of those nine polls are identical to Real Clear Politics and their poll average. So my advice for everyone is that before you start saying whatever poll number you find is the greatest thing since sliced bread, be sure to double check on the numbers and make sure it isn't a fluke.

He's Baaaaaaack.....

So it looks like Zeus is back, or at least that is what some folks are trying to do as reported from CNN. By my calculations, the last time Zeus was ever really seen as big news was about 1614 years ago. After all pagan religions were banned in Greece and replaced by Christianity, what few "pagans" that were left tried to keep their old ways alive, but could only make it to the ninth century.

I can't help but think we could be looking at the dawn of a "new" or return of an old, religion here. Now, before everyone thinks I am offmy rocker, lets be honest here for a second. Most religions, in fact all, have been seen as strange and hokie in their own rights. In addition to that, once the message was spread, there were some folks who found that it wasn't as bad as others made it out to be.

How long ago was it that people thought Wicca was just a fad. From what I know, a lot of folks consider themselves in it through one way or another. How about Scientology? Everyone likes to poke fun at Tom Cruise, but even that has a pretty big following.

I suppose the point here is that sometimes folks look for some kind of stability in the crazy world we have now found ourselves in. Religion has always been a very stable place to be. What kind of religion we follow is up to the individual and is one that each of us need to consider carefully. Does this mean Zeus and the other Olympian gods will return? I don't know, but I bet there might be a small following in Greece before we know it.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

Learn it...
Know it...
Live it!

I found an AWESOME blog.

Chuck Norris is a Republican! Now, we all know how awesome he is. I am sure a lot of us have heard facts about him, but now we can all learn what he thinkg about the world. WorldNetDaily has a link where he will write columns for the website. Truth be told, I think this is rather interesting as he applies a great deal of Eastern philosophy into everyday situations.

In addition to that, lets be honest: there is something to admire about a guy who knows how to be a gentleman and walk away from a possible bad situation than just go in and roundhouse kick everyone in sight. On a personal note though, I don't think I would want to disagree with Chuck Norris. I mean, the man's chief export is pain!

New Jersey to Stop Requirement for Schools to Teach About Veteran's Day and Memorial Day

From CNN: For World War II veteran Sam Stia, a legislative proposal that would cease requiring New Jersey schools to teach about Veterans Day and Memorial Day can be summed up in two words.

"That's wrong," Stia, 83, said Thursday from his Hamilton home, where he flies an American flag at half-staff to honor fallen soldiers. "We're just giving our flag away and our patriotism away."

Stia and other veterans are steamed about the proposal, which the state lawmakers unanimously passed last month and now awaits action by the governor. It was included as part of a larger measure designed to help control property taxes, mostly by abolishing some laws on school purchasing and public hearings.

Other holidays about which schools no longer would be required to teach include Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Arbor Day and Commodore Barry Day, which commemorates Revolutionary War hero John Barry.

New Jersey schools must observe the holidays under a 1967 law designed to promote "the development of a higher spirit of patriotism." Florida, Nebraska and Washington are among states with similar laws.

New Jersey American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars groups have asked Governor Jon S. Corzine to veto the bill so schools still have to teach about Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

"It's not right. They're not going to know the sacrifices that were made so they can enjoy the protections that they have," said Hank Adams, New Jersey VFW adjutant and an Army and Coast Guard veteran.

The governor hasn't decided how to proceed. "We're reviewing that bill," Corzine spokesman Anthony Coley said.

The law wouldn't ban schools from holding holiday commemorations. But requiring schools to honor the days guarantees children would learn about veterans, said Ray Zawacki, department adjutant for the American Legion of New Jersey.

"If it wasn't for veterans, we wouldn't have been able to maintain the freedoms the Constitution provided to us," said Zawacki, a Vietnam War Navy veteran.

Zawacki said schools frequently ask his and other veterans groups to send speakers into schools before the holidays.

But state Senator John Adler, a sponsor of the bill, cited a 2004 report by a state commission that recommended giving schools more flexibility to decide holiday observations. He questioned whether schools even bother to recognize the holidays.

"I don't believe that most schools fulfill the spirit of the law and the mandate," he said.

Adler said he understood and respected the veterans' concerns, but argued curriculum, not state mandates, should drive instruction.

"I don't think the state should be in the business of telling districts to do every single thing," he said.

New Jersey school officials support the bill.

"It's simply time and flexibility," said Mike Yaple, spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. "There's nothing in the legislation that can undermine the amount of pride and honor a community feels toward their veterans."

While I agree with Mr. Yaple that the amount of pride and honor a community gives towards their veterans will not be threatened, the knowledge of what these veterans have done for the country DOES seem to be at stake here.

As a history teacher, there does seem to be a notable concern here. More often than not, I will ask my students a rather basic question regarding US History. The blank stare that I get back is frightening. Imagine students who don't know who Christopher Columbus is. Imagine the shock I get when students tell me the Civil War was in 1923 or that the Battle of Manassas was fought in Vermont and started when the Monitor was fired on by the Merrimac. How about when a student asks whether or not Stonewall Jackson was actually Andrew Jackson.

As a teacher, there is an obligation to give all students a strong knowledge of United States history. The fear veterans groups have when it comes to not having these days taught about or observed is well founded. The students may forget about what those who came before them died for. Even worse, if a teacher is not going to teach what happened on these days or who these people were, it is possible that the teacher could use their own classroom as a bully pulpit to tell children whatever they want.

Is this right? Must we sacrifice our history for the sake of political correctness? Am I just so old fashioned that teaching history should in the end give kids a sense of pride in who they are as Americans?

Rosie vs. The Donald.....I wish it wasn't true.

The First Wrestling War ended in 2001 right before Wrestlemania X7. It was certainly a momentous moment because the WWF finally defeated WCW and drove them out of business.

Truth be told, Time Warner put the death knoll on WCW, but Vince McMahon likes to take credit for it.

On September 24, 2006, the Second Wrestling War began. It was on this date that the announcement was made which showed Kurt Angle jumped to TNA.

Now, we mark a new date for the Second Wrestling War: January 8, 2007. If you watch this clip closely, you will see the awful match of two impersonators trying to be Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump.

Listen to the crowd chants. After a long run of boring chants, at the 7:45 minute marker, there is a VERY clear and audible chant of T-N-A being made by the crowd. There is even a shot of Vince McMahon and the look on his face from hearing the chant.

Even in the worst days of the original Wrestling War, there were never chants for the opposition done on WWF television.

This is a VERY notable moment for Vince McMahon as it shows his company is in danger of some hard competition. If he doesn't wake up, smell the roses, and realize the fans want more than this, He may have to be ready to find out that the markets which he once controlled will fall out of his grasp and he could once again be the Number 2 company.

Lee Jackson Day

Today is Lee Jackson Day. While some folks might have a problem with Virginia having a state holiday remembering two of Virginia’s most famous sons who fought for the Confederacy, the legacy of this date has been around for well over a hundred years.

The story of the day began in 1889 when Virginia decided to commemorate Robert E. Lee’s birthday, January 19. The person who passed this date into law was Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Robert E. Lee and also governor of Virginia at the time. Like his uncle, Lee had served in the Confederate army as a general in the Army of Northern Virginia. Fitzhugh Lee would become one of many a string of Democrat governors in Virginia after Reconstruction.

In 1904, the decision was made to add Thomas Jonathon “Stonewall” Jackson to the day since his birthday was on January 21. This addition occurred under the watch of Andrew Jackson Montague.

In 1978, Virginia began to celebrate and remember Martin Luther King Jr. for his work in the Civil Rights movement. The problem that had occurred for Virginia, though, was when should the state remember the man. The decision was made to celebrate and remember Martin Luther King Jr. on New Year’s Day. The governor at the time was John Nichols Dalton.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan approved an act by Congress which set January 15 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For Virginia, this date fell very close to Lee Jackson Day. As a result, it was decided to combine the two days together. This would occur during Chuck Robb’s tenure as governor. Needless to say, a number of lawmakers could not help but notice the contrast of having a single day celebrating both extremes of the spectrum when it came to southern history.

In 2000, Jim Gilmore separated the two holidays by moving Lee Jackson Day to the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

What is really interesting to note is that this is the first time in recent memory that I can think of that MLK Day actually falls on the date Congress said it was to fall on. As far back as I can remember, MLK Day was always on the third Monday of January. In looking up the history behind the day, MLK Day certainly was met with a great deal of opposition. Jesse Helms had argued that King was not worthy of having a national holiday named after him citing King’s opposition to the Vietnam War and possible Communist leanings. After Congress showed an overwhelming support for a national holiday for King, President Reagan signed it into law. It wouldn’t be until 1986 for the nation to take hold of it, but Virginia still was able to lead the nation by having the holiday on the books first.

As for Lee Jackson Day, this seems to be a day which has pretty much fallen into obscurity for the people of Virginia. Interestingly enough though, not everyone seems to have forgotten it. The DMV hasn’t as its offices are closed in observance of the day. In addition to this, I know for a fact that it is impossible for a person to get a parking ticket on Lee Jackson Day in Alexandria. It is actually a law on the city books. While I am sure there are a few other laws pertaining to Lee Jackson Day throughout the state, we should use this date as a way to remember all of Virginia’s sons and daughters who have made an impact on our state’s history.

For better of for worse, the legacy of the Civil War in Virginia can be seen throughout the majority of the state. However a person may view the South and the Confederacy, it is still impossible for anyone to deny the valor of those who stepped onto the battlefield and were willing to stare into the face of death and refuse to blink.

Ensuring that we remember this date is something that is important to Virginia. By acknowledging this aspect of American and Southern history, we as a people will never forget the lessons of the past when it comes to government, equality, courage, valor, honor, dignity, and respect. So on this day, let us remember these words:

“In spite of failures which I lament, of errors which I now see and acknowledge, or of the present aspect of affairs, do I despair the future? The truth is this: the march of Providence is so slow, our desires so impatient, the work of progress is so immense, and our means of aiding it so feeble, the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope.”-Robert E. Lee

The Cover Has Been Released

I decided to reread the entire alternate history timeline written by Harry Turtledove where the Confederate States of America were successful in defeating the United States of America in the Civil War.

The major change in history is when Special Orders 191 is not lost by a Confederate courier and discovered by the Army of the Potomac. Instead, Robert E. Lee leads the Army of Northern Virgnia into Pennsylvania and defeats the Union at Camp Hill, captures Philadelphia, and threatens to take Washington DC. The end result is the victory and independence of the South.

In How Few Remain, the CSA buys the Mexican provinces of Sonora and Chihuahua in order to expand to the Pacific. The United States is not thrilled by the plan and President James G. Blaine decides war is the only option. The end result of the Second Mexican War is another defeat for the United States and the loss of half of the state of Maine.

Turtledove then moves on the series. In the Great War Series, the books The American Front, A Walk In Hell, and Breakthroughs look at the American continent in relation to how the USA and CSA fight Word War I. In the end, the United States and Germany find themselves victorious over the Entente (UK, France, Russia, CSA) and decide to impose harsh terms on their defeated foes. This will lead to the next series...

American Empire, which also has three books: Blood and Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and The Victorious Opposition. This series looks at the time after WWI and the Depression. We see the USA in a state of jubilation as they are winners, but the CSA goes through hyper inflation and the rise of radical political parties. The party focused heavily on is the Freedom Party. This party will rise up like the Nazis and will take over the Confederate government. The series will end on June 22, 1941. If you know your history, you might be able to figure out what is rather unique about this date.

And now we enter into the final series: Settling Accounts. Return Engagement, Drive to the East, and The Grapple show how World War II is waged between the USA and CSA. Early in the war, the CSA is doing a surprisingly good job at beating the USA, but as time goes on, the CSA find itself on the losing end of the stick and are being pushed back faster than they realize.

Now we enter the last chapter of the saga. The book is entitled In At The Death. It is clear to me that the Confederacy is going to be annexed back into the United States of America. The real question is how everything will look in the end. While I have to wait a few more months to find out the answers to my questions, I at least now know the cover of the book. Here it is. Any thoughts on the series. I think people might find it interesting. Enjoy!