I'm referring to the liberal democrats here. The rest are free to go. But you can stick around if you like.
Can we talk? For the last twenty to twenty five years or so I've been a democratic leaning independent. So we're basically family here. There are some things you need to hear, and it's better coming from a friend. What I'm about to say my not be pleasant, but neither is good medicine. So have a seat. Screw up your courage, and here we go.
This may come as a surprise to you. I know you won't like to hear it. But not exactly every one in this country agrees with your brilliant and stunning positions on all issues. I know, I know. You're not sure how that could be possible. I mean John Kerry agrees with you. So does Al Gore. Molly Ivans. Ellen Goodwin. They all agree with you. Michael Moore agrees with you, so does everyone in the audience when you saw Fahrenheit 9/11. The Dixie Chicks agree with you. Dave Matthews Band. P. Diddy. Cameron Diaz. Natalie Portman. Heck, the Boss agrees with you, and you just know if Bruce Springsteen agrees with you, you have to be absolutely, positively right. But you're not.
Now for some really bad news (I was prepping you in the previous paragraph). The majority of the American people don't agree with you. By a sizeable margin too. Are you going to be okay? Do you need a glass of water, maybe some fresh air? How about smelling salts? I know it hurts, but the last presidential election has shown beyond a doubt that not every one agrees with your positions.
I wish I could stop here, but when you're pulling a band-aid off, its better to just rip away rather than pulling a little bit at a time. So hold on. This is the biggy. This is the money one. This is the part that really seems to escape you. Not all people who don't agree with you are idiots. Easy now, don't get too flustered. I know your position on issues is impeccable. I know all the stars in Hollywood agree with you. Whoopi Goldberg, Babs Streisand, Rosie O'Donnell. Heck, even Madonna agrees with you. How could you possibly be incorrect? Well here's the bitter pill to swallow, people can have different positions than you and not be morons.
I know you've got all that star power, all that democratic liberal brain power on your side. But there are some pretty smart people on the other side who have some pretty good ideas. It might be worth your time to check some of them out. Charles Krauthammer. Walter E. Williams. Thomas Sowell. These are very intelligent people, with very intelligent ideas. I realize they don't carry the same weight as Jane Fonda or Robert Redford. But their ideas are better and more practical than Woodward and Bernstein combined. There, I've said it. You look like you could use a drink.
Unless you've already decided I must be a moron and an idiot for posing the theory that people who don't agree with you can not only be smart, but they also out number you, let us continue. I want this to be a healing, nurturing time together. I want to give you the possibility of growing. Let's continue.
I've already demonstrated you are in the minority. I know exactly why you are in the minority. I can read it like beads of sweat on your forehead. Its because they have ideas, and your side doesn't. Instead your side has campaign rhetoric, protest signs, bumper stickers, insults and oxymoronic logic. There are far too many examples to list here, so I'll just grab some off the top of my head. You complain about high gas prices, you're against drilling for more oil, and you vote for people who ride in the back of stretch limos and fly on private jets. Does any of that make any sense to you at all?
Here's another. You demand the federal government ensure you are 100% safe from terrorists, but then you demand the prison in Guantonamo Bay be closed and the detainees enter the civil judicial system to protect their rights. And then do what with them? Put them in civilian prisons? You want to put Islamic fanatics who want to see everyone in the west killed into a group of men who currently have grudges against America? Think about that for a while. Doesn't that sound like the worst idea you've ever heard? Or perhaps we could ship them to their homes. How many would be welcomed as heroes, free to ply their trade again? To become terrorists. Again, you'll have to explain the logic, because I don't see it. To me it seems more like a terrorist recycling program.
Here's another one. In the 1990's, during the Clinton administration, democratic politicians loved the sound of fixing social security. They rallied around Clinton's proposals, and rightly so. Fast forward to a republican president who's actually willing to try and tackle the problem, and all the democratic politicians cry there's absolutely nothing wrong with social security. It may need a tweak here or there, but its completely financially sound. Can anyone point out any kind of logic here? The only logical answer would be the social security fairy paid the treasury a visit one night and sprinkled magic dust on the lock box. Now does that sound like a grown up, well thought out position? To me it sounds like a group of power hungry politicians who will do and say anything to seize and keep power. And they would be the guys you vote for.
Are you starting to get my drift here? You see where this is heading? My advice, and I give this in hopes of helping you - not to be a smart ass - I strongly suggest that you take a hard, honest look at the issues. I suggest you do some book work, study up on them. Then chose a position that makes sense, is logical, a position that has a plan for solving these issues. And then I strongly suggest, and this is the tricky part, I strongly suggest you stick with it. Don't get me wrong now, if some one comes along with a better plan, give them a fair hearing, and if they make more sense than your current beliefs, feel free to change. There is one hitch here, and it is critical to holding this entire thing together. Their plan needs to be superior to the one you currently hold. If you change just because the party in White House does, you will have accomplished nothing. If you change your well thought out position because Madonna says to, then you're defeating the entire purpose.
Now I've told you all that for a specific reason. And here's the real painful lesson. When you refuse to accept common, basic logic, when your positions are dictated by some one in Hollywood who's job is to spend 3 minutes a day in front of a camera pretending to be some one else, when your entire political philosophy fits on a bumper sticker, it's not your opponent who looks stupid. It's you.
I hope it was easier coming from a friend.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Top 10 Americans and Honorable Mention
I was listening to the radio the other day, and the talking head was going on about some program that was on something like the History Channel, where they ran some poll asking a sample of the American public who they thought the 10 greatest Americans of all time were. I was pleasantly surprised to find Ronald Reagan at number one for a couple of reasons. First off, its good to see the left's attempt to stereotype Reagan was an imbecile failed miserably. And also it must have just eaten up the insides of Hollywood liberals who worked on the show. That being said, it got me thinking about my list, who would be on it and why.
There are so many great Americans, many who were never written about and who no one remembers, who have been lost to history. This country wasn't built by any single, individual person, it was built by Americans. No single person can be credited with settling the west, creating the industrial force that became the envy of the world, and I can't even begin to imagine the number of people who worked on the first moon landing. Not just the engineers and astronauts, but all the way down to the people who worked in the cafeteria and cleaned the bathrooms. In my opinion, they get some credit too. Because without every single individual doing their part, the mission would not have been accomplished. But the goal here is to goad me into picking 10 individuals. Below is my list. Americans one through five are in specific order for a reason. Americans six through ten are in no particular order. While generating my list, I came up with several dozen more, all worthy of note, but not top ten material. For that reason my list is followed by a "hat tip" list. Fasten your seat belts, because here we go.
1) George Washington. Founding father, father of the USA. Soldier, statesman, gentlemen, farmer. I can't say enough about this man, and in truth, there's nothing more that I need to add. He birthed an unwilling nation while fighting the British in the process. Following the end of the revolutionary war, the Continental Congress debated about creating a monarchy and offering the crown to Washington. George, the man who would be king. But he didn't need to be offered the crown. The new Americans loved him, his troops loved him, he could have just as easily seized power. He thanked them, and declined their offer. What class. What style. How many humans have walked this planet would have turned that offer down? Not many. Thank God, Washington was one of them. He did later agree to become the first president, and stayed on for a second term. At the conclusion of his second term there was fear that Washington and his political party would not go quietly. Would there be a second revolution? Would George seize the government and make himself a king or an emperor? No. For the second time in his life, he walked away from power.
By doing this, George accomplished something far more important. He began the grand tradition of the peaceful transition of power from one administration to another, friend or foe alike. This simple tradition, which we take completely for granted, is the binding that holds this nation together. You can hate a president with every fiber of your body, but you know in four years, there will be an opportunity to introduce him to early retirement. We don't have coups. We don't worry about having to use the army to drag some president out of the White House. They will go peacefully, willingly. Following Washington's example, by tradition, most presidents have held to the custom of a maximum of two terms. Teddy Roosevelt tried for a third term, but not in a row, he retired after the first two, found out he couldn't stand not being in the spot light (remind you of anyone?). He formed a third party (the Bully Moose party) and split the republican party allowing Woodrow Wilson to become president. And his nephew Franklin hung on to the job like a Pope (hat tip: Archie Bunker). Following FDR the XXII Amendment was added to the constitution limiting a president to two terms.
They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Apparently not if you have enough character. And George Washington had that much character. Thank you Mr. President!
2) Thomas Jefferson. If George Washington is the father of America, then Thomas Jefferson is the learned uncle. His vision of a small, decentralized federal government may have been lost to the ages, but his reasoning and yearning for it live on. In the Declaration of Independence (written primarily by Jefferson, and edited by Ben Franklin) he wrote "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." As long as there are people who can read and understand these words, there will always be a thirst for freedom and liberty in this world. Thanks Tom.
http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/declaration.html
3) Abraham Lincoln. Now I know there's going to be eyes rolling from libertarian readers*, but I don't care. This is my list. If you don't like it, make your own. Abraham Lincoln didn't free the slaves, the thirteenth Amendment to the constitution did that. Abe saved the Union. Without his guts and determination there wouldn't be a United States of America. And if there was no United States, would the nazis have won World War II? Very possible. By saving the Union, in my opinion, Abe helped saved democracy for the world. His own words at the dedication of the military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pa. says it all. "[T]hat we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Rest in peace Mr. President, job well done.
http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/getty.html
* - Editor's note: The writer attempts a stereotype of libertarians, equating a belief in that political philosophy with a dislike of Lincoln. That being said, this particular editor is a libertarian who would not have placed Lincoln on a top 10 list such as this. There are numerous reasons he isn't worthy to lick Jefferson's boots, but two good ones are 1) hundreds of thousands dying to keep States from breaking what was supposed to be a voluntary association (right of secession) and 2) the income tax first makes an appearance under his reign.
See the following links for more info:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/w-williams1.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/adams3.html
http://www.mises.org/fullstory.aspx?control=1597 (income tax history)
4) Joshua Chamberlain. You may not recognize the name, not unless your a Civil War buff. But trust me on this one. If it weren't for Chamberlain, there would be no United States, and Abraham Lincoln's vision would have died on the battlefield, and you wouldn't be reading this right now. On the second day at the battle of Gettysburg, Gen Dan Sickles was given the responsibility of holding the Union's left flank, on Little Round Top. He noticed that across the ravine the land was higher (Devil's Den). He asked for, and was granted, permission to move forward. He noticed the land ahead of his position was higher. He asked for, and was granted, permission to occupy that land. Then he noticed there was higher land still further south. This time he didn't ask for permission he just redeployed. By the time Union General George Meade noticed what was happening, the entire left flank of his front line was exposed. ("Will some one please inform the good General the land continues to rise all the way to Richmond!") Sickles, by this time, was getting his butt handed to him by Confederate General Longstreet's troops in the Peach Orchard. Meade threw in the 20th Maine to hold the left flank at Little Round Top. Joshua Chamberlain was the commander. He was ordered to hold till the last. If the 20th fell or retreated, the Confederates would roll up the left flank and destroy the Army of the Potomac. Nothing would stand between General Robert E. Lee and Washington D.C. except for the Washington guard and some stragglers. The Union would be no more. And on July 4, 1863 no less (the battle lasted three days, July 1 - 3). Joshua Chamberlain and his 20th Maine held. All day long the fighting raged, and when the 20th Maine ran out of ammunition, he ordered a bayonet charge and won. Joshua Chamberlain, his men, and his leadership saved the Union that day. Not too shabby for a college professor.
http://www.nps.gov/gett/getttour/day2.htm
Chamberlain lived to see the war's finish. He was wounded several more times (twice at Gettysburg). In one battle he was shot in both hips. The field doctor said those wounds would kill him. And they did, but not till Josh was in his 80's. When the war was finally over, the Grand Army of the Republic (that's what those "GAR" flag holders stand for that you see at some veteran's graves on Memorial day) assembled on last time for a Grand Review down Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington D.C. General U.S. Grant chose General Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine to lead the parade. Josh went back to teaching, eventually becoming president of Bowdoin College, and then on to the governorship of Maine.
http://www.curtislibrary.com/pejepscot/joshbiog.htm
I'm not saying Chamberlain was the most heroic man on that battlefield that day, or even the only heroic soldier. He could not have accomplished this feat without the brave men of the 20th Maine. On the third day of battle, the Minnesota Blacks Hats were at the center of the line when Pickett's Charge hit, they suffered 80% casualties. There are hundreds of thousands of stories of such bravery and sacrifice surrounding the Civil War, on both sides. They surround every war. But Chamberlain's story, to me at least, symbolizes all of those other brave soldiers, and their stories. He was just one simple man, doing his duty. He and his men represent what Americans can do, must do, when it's necessary to "hold to the last."
5) Martin Luther King Jr. What a man. What a great, great man. What an American. In World War II Americans proved to the world that not only was democracy and freedom here to stay, but had the power to defeat tyranny and oppression. Then they came home to Jim Crow. Segregation was a stain on our country and our constitution. See American number two above about all men created equal. But here in America, not only was it not true, it was coded into law. Martin Luther King Jr. saw this, and would not stand for it. He demanded that we Americans be all we could be. He demanded that we live up to our highest ideals. It cost him his life. It also cost us, America, everything that he might have been able to accomplish had he lived. And while his dream of perfect equality is not yet realized, he still won that war. Racism is no longer codified in this country, and when it is, and its brought to light, its stamped out like a cock roach. There are still battles in this war for equality to be fought, but there's no going back now. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today." Words can not adequately describe my admiration for this man.
http://www.mecca.org/~crights/dream.html
Americans one through four were chosen for the specific reason they helped create, sustain or save the United States of America. Without them, there would be no America, so there would be no Americans number five through ten. American number five dared us to live up to ideals espoused by the first four. They are all great persons and great Americans. The next five are also great. They are listed in no particular order.
6) Booker T. Washington. The man was walking proof that in America, any one can succeed. He also proved beyond a shadow of doubt that there is nothing even remotely inferior about the African race. He was a scientist who created thousands of inventions, authored hundreds of patents and founded the Tuskegee Institute. When white scientists learned of his discoveries, they wanted to speak with him. When they saw he was black, they walked away disgusted. They came back crawling on their knees. Not bad for a former slave.
7) Susan B. Anthony. Equality, freedom and democracy only work in a country where every one is free. Even women. My male chauvinistic friends are cringing right now, but too bad. Any one who worked to grant the right to vote to half the population is okay in my book. Hell, they're better than okay. They are a great American.
8) Clair Barton. Founder of the American Red Cross, the precursor of the International Red Cross. Americans do care. I can't even begin to imagine the number of millions saved around the world because of her work. She's a symbol for all humanity to rally around.
9) Neil Armstrong. Picture an engineer saying this to you "We've got this plan, we want to strap you to enough explosives to blow your ass to the moon and back. Are you interested?" Neil said yes. True, he was one small cog in the America's space program, but he was the cog that first stepped on the moon. Space travel is fairly common and ho hum these days. But think about it. The first human to leave this precious little bubble we call earth, land on another cosmic rock, and walk around. That takes guts. Real guts. "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." The astronauts left an American flag on the moon, some foot prints, and a plaque that reads "Here men from planet earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 a.d. we came in peace for all mankind." He later said "I believed that a successful lunar landing could, might, inspire men around the world to believe that impossible goals were possible, that the hope for solutions to humanity's problems was not a joke."
10) The guys who invented the internet. I'm sure if I searched the "internet" long enough, I could find some specific names and dates. But why bother? In the 1960's the US military was researching the consequences of possible attacks against America. One of their starkest conclusions was the growing reliance of the military on computers was putting us at risk. Since there were only a few large main frames sprinkled around the country, the loss of any one of them could prove devastating. So the question is, how to prevent this from happening. The answer: instead of a few vulnerable isolated computers holding massive amounts of data, spread the data all over the place, and make it redundant. But how to get the data from point "A" to point "B"? The answer: the internet. Sometime in the 1980's, the US Congress approved legislation moving the internet from a purely military tool to the public. Al Gore was part of that subcommittee, so while he can't claim he invented it, he did play a significant part. Take that GOP! The internet is going to change the world in ways you and I can not even conceive. The free dissemination of information is going to cause freedom and democracy to spread across the world. It also helps spread ignorance and anarchy - but hey, nothing's perfect. Not only can you and I communicate freely and quickly, but people in other countries who aren't free, will have the means to have their voices heard. There's a tidal wave coming, I'm not sure how it will end, but I've seen the beginning. And its the internet. Fasten your seat belts, pop open a beer and enjoy the show! Thanks nerds! (PS I'm a proud nerd too!)
Hat Tips: Americans who have done great things that have popped into my mind while compiling my list.:
Jerry Lewis. Stop the smart ass remarks, no I'm not French. Jerry Lewis has helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He did it with out whining before Congress demanding the government pay for it. He went to the American people and did it the old fashioned way - hard work. Americans can do great things, but they need a spark, a rallying point. Jerry Lewis, with his passion and desire to help, is one of those sparks.
Danny Thomas. While Danny was a struggling comedian in the 1940's and 1950's, he used to pray to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes. He said if St. Jude would help him, he wouldn't forget. When he made it big, he didn't forget. The St. Jude's Children Hospitals have been treating sick children free of charge for decades. Need I say more?
Bill Halley & The Comets/Alan Freed. They brought rock and roll to white Americans. And we all now what rock and roll did to and for white America.
Lance Armstrong. Kicked the crap out of the French at their own sport. Feel free to insert your favorite French joke here.
Tony McAuliffe. In December of 1944, Hitler tried one last counter attack to stop the allies. His plan was to smash through the allied lines in one place, split the line in to two, and then drive the allies into the sea. It was a pretty good plan. Hell, it was a great plan. He decided to smash through at The Ardennes Forest, site of a ferocious WWI battle. There was on tiny kink in his plan. At Bastogne they ran into the 101st American Airborne Division. The Americans were out numbered by something like 1,200 to one. The Germans gave the Americans an ultimatum: surrender immediately or face total annihilation. Tony McAullife, the commanding officer replied "nuts." Think about how long it must have taken the Germans to figure out that meant, "up yours you dirty nazi bastards." Then they went on to fight tooth and nail for a week as Patton pulled his 5th Army out of one battle, marched them 100 miles and attacked again with no sleep, no warm food. If that doesn't make you proud I don't know what will.
Chuck Berry. "Roll over Beethoven." Say no more.
Grateful Dead. They showed the entertainment industry that talent doesn't need them.
Ronald Reagan. Finally, an American President who had the guts to call the commies what they were: an evil empire. The Wall was indeed torn down.
Franklin D. Roosevelt. He saw the coming tide of world war long before everyday Americans did. And he dragged us kicking and screaming into it. He and Winston Churchill saved western democracy. For that I can almost forgive him for destroying the US Constitution with his New Deal.
Henry Ford. Mustangs!
George F. Johnson. He proved you can be both an industrial giant and still care about your workers. "Which way EJ?"
Rush Limbaugh. I know, I know. But if you honestly step back and look at what he's accomplished, its pretty amazing. He told the main stream media that he didn't like how they reported on American conservatives, and he did something about it. Weather you agree with his politics or not, America has been changed for the better by his demonstration of the power of alternate media outlets. Fifteen years ago, no one would have questioned Dan Rather's use of forged documents to try and bring down a sitting president. They do now. And they are watching very closely.
Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson D-Wa. The Helsinki Accords were a treaty between the east and west. In return for the west accepting the USSR's territorial claims and agreeing to the transfer of science and technology, the Soviets agreed to toe the line on human rights. Of course the they had no intention of doing this what so ever. Scoop Jackson held the Soviet's feet to the fire. As long as his Senate committee was finding reports of Soviet human rights abuses, they would get nothing from the US. The Soviets blinked first. He deserves as much credit as Reagan for bringing down the evil empire. Why don't they make democrats like this any more?
John F. Kennedy. JFK had a dubious presidency, passing away far too early for history to give a full accounting of his efforts. I admire JFK if for no other reason, he spoke these words "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." Stirring words worth remembering during these dark days.
George S. Patton. "We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-bitches, we're going to rip out their living Goddamned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun cocksuckers by the bushel-fucking-basket. War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts. When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the dirt off your face and realize that instead of dirt it's the blood and guts of what once was your best friend beside you, you'll know what to do!"
http://www.pattonhq.com/speech.html
There are so many great Americans, many who were never written about and who no one remembers, who have been lost to history. This country wasn't built by any single, individual person, it was built by Americans. No single person can be credited with settling the west, creating the industrial force that became the envy of the world, and I can't even begin to imagine the number of people who worked on the first moon landing. Not just the engineers and astronauts, but all the way down to the people who worked in the cafeteria and cleaned the bathrooms. In my opinion, they get some credit too. Because without every single individual doing their part, the mission would not have been accomplished. But the goal here is to goad me into picking 10 individuals. Below is my list. Americans one through five are in specific order for a reason. Americans six through ten are in no particular order. While generating my list, I came up with several dozen more, all worthy of note, but not top ten material. For that reason my list is followed by a "hat tip" list. Fasten your seat belts, because here we go.
1) George Washington. Founding father, father of the USA. Soldier, statesman, gentlemen, farmer. I can't say enough about this man, and in truth, there's nothing more that I need to add. He birthed an unwilling nation while fighting the British in the process. Following the end of the revolutionary war, the Continental Congress debated about creating a monarchy and offering the crown to Washington. George, the man who would be king. But he didn't need to be offered the crown. The new Americans loved him, his troops loved him, he could have just as easily seized power. He thanked them, and declined their offer. What class. What style. How many humans have walked this planet would have turned that offer down? Not many. Thank God, Washington was one of them. He did later agree to become the first president, and stayed on for a second term. At the conclusion of his second term there was fear that Washington and his political party would not go quietly. Would there be a second revolution? Would George seize the government and make himself a king or an emperor? No. For the second time in his life, he walked away from power.
By doing this, George accomplished something far more important. He began the grand tradition of the peaceful transition of power from one administration to another, friend or foe alike. This simple tradition, which we take completely for granted, is the binding that holds this nation together. You can hate a president with every fiber of your body, but you know in four years, there will be an opportunity to introduce him to early retirement. We don't have coups. We don't worry about having to use the army to drag some president out of the White House. They will go peacefully, willingly. Following Washington's example, by tradition, most presidents have held to the custom of a maximum of two terms. Teddy Roosevelt tried for a third term, but not in a row, he retired after the first two, found out he couldn't stand not being in the spot light (remind you of anyone?). He formed a third party (the Bully Moose party) and split the republican party allowing Woodrow Wilson to become president. And his nephew Franklin hung on to the job like a Pope (hat tip: Archie Bunker). Following FDR the XXII Amendment was added to the constitution limiting a president to two terms.
They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Apparently not if you have enough character. And George Washington had that much character. Thank you Mr. President!
2) Thomas Jefferson. If George Washington is the father of America, then Thomas Jefferson is the learned uncle. His vision of a small, decentralized federal government may have been lost to the ages, but his reasoning and yearning for it live on. In the Declaration of Independence (written primarily by Jefferson, and edited by Ben Franklin) he wrote "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." As long as there are people who can read and understand these words, there will always be a thirst for freedom and liberty in this world. Thanks Tom.
http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/declaration.html
3) Abraham Lincoln. Now I know there's going to be eyes rolling from libertarian readers*, but I don't care. This is my list. If you don't like it, make your own. Abraham Lincoln didn't free the slaves, the thirteenth Amendment to the constitution did that. Abe saved the Union. Without his guts and determination there wouldn't be a United States of America. And if there was no United States, would the nazis have won World War II? Very possible. By saving the Union, in my opinion, Abe helped saved democracy for the world. His own words at the dedication of the military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pa. says it all. "[T]hat we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Rest in peace Mr. President, job well done.
http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/getty.html
* - Editor's note: The writer attempts a stereotype of libertarians, equating a belief in that political philosophy with a dislike of Lincoln. That being said, this particular editor is a libertarian who would not have placed Lincoln on a top 10 list such as this. There are numerous reasons he isn't worthy to lick Jefferson's boots, but two good ones are 1) hundreds of thousands dying to keep States from breaking what was supposed to be a voluntary association (right of secession) and 2) the income tax first makes an appearance under his reign.
See the following links for more info:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/w-williams1.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/adams3.html
http://www.mises.org/fullstory.aspx?control=1597 (income tax history)
4) Joshua Chamberlain. You may not recognize the name, not unless your a Civil War buff. But trust me on this one. If it weren't for Chamberlain, there would be no United States, and Abraham Lincoln's vision would have died on the battlefield, and you wouldn't be reading this right now. On the second day at the battle of Gettysburg, Gen Dan Sickles was given the responsibility of holding the Union's left flank, on Little Round Top. He noticed that across the ravine the land was higher (Devil's Den). He asked for, and was granted, permission to move forward. He noticed the land ahead of his position was higher. He asked for, and was granted, permission to occupy that land. Then he noticed there was higher land still further south. This time he didn't ask for permission he just redeployed. By the time Union General George Meade noticed what was happening, the entire left flank of his front line was exposed. ("Will some one please inform the good General the land continues to rise all the way to Richmond!") Sickles, by this time, was getting his butt handed to him by Confederate General Longstreet's troops in the Peach Orchard. Meade threw in the 20th Maine to hold the left flank at Little Round Top. Joshua Chamberlain was the commander. He was ordered to hold till the last. If the 20th fell or retreated, the Confederates would roll up the left flank and destroy the Army of the Potomac. Nothing would stand between General Robert E. Lee and Washington D.C. except for the Washington guard and some stragglers. The Union would be no more. And on July 4, 1863 no less (the battle lasted three days, July 1 - 3). Joshua Chamberlain and his 20th Maine held. All day long the fighting raged, and when the 20th Maine ran out of ammunition, he ordered a bayonet charge and won. Joshua Chamberlain, his men, and his leadership saved the Union that day. Not too shabby for a college professor.
http://www.nps.gov/gett/getttour/day2.htm
Chamberlain lived to see the war's finish. He was wounded several more times (twice at Gettysburg). In one battle he was shot in both hips. The field doctor said those wounds would kill him. And they did, but not till Josh was in his 80's. When the war was finally over, the Grand Army of the Republic (that's what those "GAR" flag holders stand for that you see at some veteran's graves on Memorial day) assembled on last time for a Grand Review down Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington D.C. General U.S. Grant chose General Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th Maine to lead the parade. Josh went back to teaching, eventually becoming president of Bowdoin College, and then on to the governorship of Maine.
http://www.curtislibrary.com/pejepscot/joshbiog.htm
I'm not saying Chamberlain was the most heroic man on that battlefield that day, or even the only heroic soldier. He could not have accomplished this feat without the brave men of the 20th Maine. On the third day of battle, the Minnesota Blacks Hats were at the center of the line when Pickett's Charge hit, they suffered 80% casualties. There are hundreds of thousands of stories of such bravery and sacrifice surrounding the Civil War, on both sides. They surround every war. But Chamberlain's story, to me at least, symbolizes all of those other brave soldiers, and their stories. He was just one simple man, doing his duty. He and his men represent what Americans can do, must do, when it's necessary to "hold to the last."
5) Martin Luther King Jr. What a man. What a great, great man. What an American. In World War II Americans proved to the world that not only was democracy and freedom here to stay, but had the power to defeat tyranny and oppression. Then they came home to Jim Crow. Segregation was a stain on our country and our constitution. See American number two above about all men created equal. But here in America, not only was it not true, it was coded into law. Martin Luther King Jr. saw this, and would not stand for it. He demanded that we Americans be all we could be. He demanded that we live up to our highest ideals. It cost him his life. It also cost us, America, everything that he might have been able to accomplish had he lived. And while his dream of perfect equality is not yet realized, he still won that war. Racism is no longer codified in this country, and when it is, and its brought to light, its stamped out like a cock roach. There are still battles in this war for equality to be fought, but there's no going back now. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.' I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today." Words can not adequately describe my admiration for this man.
http://www.mecca.org/~crights/dream.html
Americans one through four were chosen for the specific reason they helped create, sustain or save the United States of America. Without them, there would be no America, so there would be no Americans number five through ten. American number five dared us to live up to ideals espoused by the first four. They are all great persons and great Americans. The next five are also great. They are listed in no particular order.
6) Booker T. Washington. The man was walking proof that in America, any one can succeed. He also proved beyond a shadow of doubt that there is nothing even remotely inferior about the African race. He was a scientist who created thousands of inventions, authored hundreds of patents and founded the Tuskegee Institute. When white scientists learned of his discoveries, they wanted to speak with him. When they saw he was black, they walked away disgusted. They came back crawling on their knees. Not bad for a former slave.
7) Susan B. Anthony. Equality, freedom and democracy only work in a country where every one is free. Even women. My male chauvinistic friends are cringing right now, but too bad. Any one who worked to grant the right to vote to half the population is okay in my book. Hell, they're better than okay. They are a great American.
8) Clair Barton. Founder of the American Red Cross, the precursor of the International Red Cross. Americans do care. I can't even begin to imagine the number of millions saved around the world because of her work. She's a symbol for all humanity to rally around.
9) Neil Armstrong. Picture an engineer saying this to you "We've got this plan, we want to strap you to enough explosives to blow your ass to the moon and back. Are you interested?" Neil said yes. True, he was one small cog in the America's space program, but he was the cog that first stepped on the moon. Space travel is fairly common and ho hum these days. But think about it. The first human to leave this precious little bubble we call earth, land on another cosmic rock, and walk around. That takes guts. Real guts. "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." The astronauts left an American flag on the moon, some foot prints, and a plaque that reads "Here men from planet earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 a.d. we came in peace for all mankind." He later said "I believed that a successful lunar landing could, might, inspire men around the world to believe that impossible goals were possible, that the hope for solutions to humanity's problems was not a joke."
10) The guys who invented the internet. I'm sure if I searched the "internet" long enough, I could find some specific names and dates. But why bother? In the 1960's the US military was researching the consequences of possible attacks against America. One of their starkest conclusions was the growing reliance of the military on computers was putting us at risk. Since there were only a few large main frames sprinkled around the country, the loss of any one of them could prove devastating. So the question is, how to prevent this from happening. The answer: instead of a few vulnerable isolated computers holding massive amounts of data, spread the data all over the place, and make it redundant. But how to get the data from point "A" to point "B"? The answer: the internet. Sometime in the 1980's, the US Congress approved legislation moving the internet from a purely military tool to the public. Al Gore was part of that subcommittee, so while he can't claim he invented it, he did play a significant part. Take that GOP! The internet is going to change the world in ways you and I can not even conceive. The free dissemination of information is going to cause freedom and democracy to spread across the world. It also helps spread ignorance and anarchy - but hey, nothing's perfect. Not only can you and I communicate freely and quickly, but people in other countries who aren't free, will have the means to have their voices heard. There's a tidal wave coming, I'm not sure how it will end, but I've seen the beginning. And its the internet. Fasten your seat belts, pop open a beer and enjoy the show! Thanks nerds! (PS I'm a proud nerd too!)
Hat Tips: Americans who have done great things that have popped into my mind while compiling my list.:
Jerry Lewis. Stop the smart ass remarks, no I'm not French. Jerry Lewis has helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He did it with out whining before Congress demanding the government pay for it. He went to the American people and did it the old fashioned way - hard work. Americans can do great things, but they need a spark, a rallying point. Jerry Lewis, with his passion and desire to help, is one of those sparks.
Danny Thomas. While Danny was a struggling comedian in the 1940's and 1950's, he used to pray to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes. He said if St. Jude would help him, he wouldn't forget. When he made it big, he didn't forget. The St. Jude's Children Hospitals have been treating sick children free of charge for decades. Need I say more?
Bill Halley & The Comets/Alan Freed. They brought rock and roll to white Americans. And we all now what rock and roll did to and for white America.
Lance Armstrong. Kicked the crap out of the French at their own sport. Feel free to insert your favorite French joke here.
Tony McAuliffe. In December of 1944, Hitler tried one last counter attack to stop the allies. His plan was to smash through the allied lines in one place, split the line in to two, and then drive the allies into the sea. It was a pretty good plan. Hell, it was a great plan. He decided to smash through at The Ardennes Forest, site of a ferocious WWI battle. There was on tiny kink in his plan. At Bastogne they ran into the 101st American Airborne Division. The Americans were out numbered by something like 1,200 to one. The Germans gave the Americans an ultimatum: surrender immediately or face total annihilation. Tony McAullife, the commanding officer replied "nuts." Think about how long it must have taken the Germans to figure out that meant, "up yours you dirty nazi bastards." Then they went on to fight tooth and nail for a week as Patton pulled his 5th Army out of one battle, marched them 100 miles and attacked again with no sleep, no warm food. If that doesn't make you proud I don't know what will.
Chuck Berry. "Roll over Beethoven." Say no more.
Grateful Dead. They showed the entertainment industry that talent doesn't need them.
Ronald Reagan. Finally, an American President who had the guts to call the commies what they were: an evil empire. The Wall was indeed torn down.
Franklin D. Roosevelt. He saw the coming tide of world war long before everyday Americans did. And he dragged us kicking and screaming into it. He and Winston Churchill saved western democracy. For that I can almost forgive him for destroying the US Constitution with his New Deal.
Henry Ford. Mustangs!
George F. Johnson. He proved you can be both an industrial giant and still care about your workers. "Which way EJ?"
Rush Limbaugh. I know, I know. But if you honestly step back and look at what he's accomplished, its pretty amazing. He told the main stream media that he didn't like how they reported on American conservatives, and he did something about it. Weather you agree with his politics or not, America has been changed for the better by his demonstration of the power of alternate media outlets. Fifteen years ago, no one would have questioned Dan Rather's use of forged documents to try and bring down a sitting president. They do now. And they are watching very closely.
Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson D-Wa. The Helsinki Accords were a treaty between the east and west. In return for the west accepting the USSR's territorial claims and agreeing to the transfer of science and technology, the Soviets agreed to toe the line on human rights. Of course the they had no intention of doing this what so ever. Scoop Jackson held the Soviet's feet to the fire. As long as his Senate committee was finding reports of Soviet human rights abuses, they would get nothing from the US. The Soviets blinked first. He deserves as much credit as Reagan for bringing down the evil empire. Why don't they make democrats like this any more?
John F. Kennedy. JFK had a dubious presidency, passing away far too early for history to give a full accounting of his efforts. I admire JFK if for no other reason, he spoke these words "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." Stirring words worth remembering during these dark days.
George S. Patton. "We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-bitches, we're going to rip out their living Goddamned guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun cocksuckers by the bushel-fucking-basket. War is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts. When shells are hitting all around you and you wipe the dirt off your face and realize that instead of dirt it's the blood and guts of what once was your best friend beside you, you'll know what to do!"
http://www.pattonhq.com/speech.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)