Connections: Thanks Giving, Capitalism, Revolution, Kindergarten and The Citizen Soldier
[Denizenne Commentary - Kat]
Part I - Connections: It Starts With Thanks Giving In A Kindergarten Class
A few years ago, I used to watch a program called "Connections" on PBS. I know, shocking, something worth watching on PBS besides re-runs of the Three Tenors, but I digress. The program was about the connections between seemingly unconnected moments in history, people and inventions that led to other important, world changing moments, people and inventions. I liked it because I'm a history nut and because I am an analyst at heart. I like to connect the dots. You could, I suppose, blame the program on why I sometimes post things here that are meandering commentaries on seemingly unrelated things that I try to connect. Sometimes good, sometimes not so good.
Uh...I'm rambling again. John says not to ramble too much or make the posts too long as it leaves little room for conversation and you all have short attention spans during morning coffee, lunch and afternoon break. Thus, I may have to torture you all with a multi-part series on this connectivity thing. Which will no doubt give rise to the idea that torture IS a matter of policy and inhumane and cruel to boot. I don't know if I'll be gratified or horrified if I discover this post being read to detainees in order to elicit information. If they do and it ends up capturing bin Laden or Zawahiri, I want full credit. Otherwise, I plead the fifth.
Connections, my friends, connections.
Onward to the connections between this blog, Capitalism, Revolution, Citizen Soldiers and a Thanks Giving feast in a Kindergarten Class.
[continued in flash traffic)
John posted a link to a study on what college students know about American history that pretty much showed the state of our education to be fubar'd once children leave the confines of the public school system. It might even start as early as Grade School. I can't find the link at this moment, but I read some report about a school sending out a pamphlet to parents regarding down playing Thanks Giving. It is considered a time of mourning for Native Americans. Apparently it marks the beginning of the long "holocaust" against them by the coming of the White Europeans.
Yes. As we say around here: T.I.N.S.
Thankfully, it is not the school district I reside in. I know because I just went to a Thanks Giving "feast" with my niece's kindergarten class where all the kids proudly showed off their art work including turkeys made from the letter "T", pilgrim hats and nifty little Indian headbands with feathers made out of construction paper. No, I won't tell you the school district since some crazy might read this and start writing letters to the school board demanding "cultural sensitivity" and the removal of any references to Indians, giving "thanks", or celebrating the first day religious fanatics got together to pray and subconsciously plot the demise of their Native American hosts and the destruction of the environment.
Frankly, I thought the class was full of "cultural sensitivity" since the feast focused on togetherness, family and the big idea that Thanks Giving celebrates the beginning of the grand "melting pot" that is America. I mean, wasn't it two civilizations working together for their survival? The class had kids from European ancestry of all sorts as evidenced by their last names, along with Hispanics, African Americans, Asians and a cute little girl whose parents were obviously recently from India. I know, we were all there to share in the feast. They had no problem adopting this tradition of their new country and seemed very excited to be sharing that feast with their daughter as were the rest of the parents.
That was the point of that first Thanks Giving, wasn't it? Sharing a meal in Thanks Giving for surviving the first year? How appropriate.
Just so no one accuses me of being insensitive to the plight of the Native Americans post European settlement, my great- great-great-great grandmother was a Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. I am intimately aware of the shameful treatment of various peoples over the course of our history. However, I am, as are many, the product of the some of the most shameful and some of the most proud moments in American history. It's interesting that many want to focus on the "shame" when most of us take pride in every aspect of our heritage, long or short upon this continent, the good and the bad.
Like warriors with scars and medals that tell of every battle, every triumph and every defeat. Every one of those moments matters in the creation of our nation, in the development of our people and of our ideas.
I'm thankful for every moment that has led to this time, this place and the people that I call "family" and "friends". We would not be who we are without those experiences and who we are isn't all that bad in the whole scheme of human history. Actually, it's pretty darn good.
I'm thankful for that, too.
Wednesday -
Part II: Children Ask the Darnedest Questions - Why Did the Pilgrims Come To America?
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