H&I Fires* 17 DEC 2007

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite.

Time to add a new caveat, because from email it's not clear to some folks (mind you, if you don't read this it won't matter...) Being an open post, people (collectively, the Denizens) other than I post in the H&I. They sign their work (most of the time) - keep that in mind when you want to flame someone in email please - if it doesn't say "The Armorer" or "John" then I didn't write it! And honestly - if you don't like something said or posted... leave a comment, and hash it out (within the context of The Rulez which are clearly posted on the comment form, I would add).

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Hmmm. This is an interesting vote on Christmas taken by the Congress this past 11 December. Interesting in the context of who voted against the resolution, said Representatives being Rep. Gary Ackerman (N.Y.), Rep. Yvette Clarke (N.Y.), Rep. Diane DeGette ( Colo. ), Rep. Alcee Hastings ( Fla. ), Rep. Barbara Lee ( Calif. ), Rep. Jim McDermott ( Wash. ), Rep. Robert Scott ( Va. ), Rep. Pete Stark ( Calif. ) and Rep. Lynn Woolsey ( Calif. ). Another nine Democrats chose to vote ‘present.’ They are: Rep. Hon Conyers (Mich.), Rep. Barney Frank (Mass.), Rep. Rush Holt (N.Y.), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), Rep. Peter Welch (Vt.) and Rep. John Yarmuth (Ky.) . The interesting *context* of their vote being their support of Ramadan - there being nary a "nay" on that resolution. Amanda Carpenter has more.

Right Wing News has published The 6th Annual Right Wing News Conservative Blog Awards. Though asked, I did not participate this year as busyness, the power outage, and life in general has constrained my blog-reading of late. I just didn't feel qualified to vote this time, as too many categories would have been just hurried assessments, and RWN deserves a more honest effort than I could put forward.

How can you tell it's the Christmas season and you're at Castle Argghhh!!!?

Easy. We have a very nice crèche, w/accessories. -the Armorer

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On this day in history, several notable events.

General US Grant issues General Order #11. Here is the text:

The Jews, as a class violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department and also department orders, are hereby expelled from [the "Department of the Tennessee," an administrative district of the Union Army of occupation composed of the portions of Kentucky and Tennessee west of the Tennessee River, and Union-controlled areas of northern Mississippi] within twenty-four hours from the receipt of this order.

Post commanders will see to it that all of this class of people be furnished passes and required to leave, and any one returning after such notification will be arrested and held in confinement until an opportunity occurs of sending them out as prisoners, unless furnished with permit from headquarters. No passes will be given these people to visit headquarters for the purpose of making personal application of trade permits.

A delegation of Jews, led by Cesar Kaskel, met with President Lincoln on 3 January, 1863, resulting in President Lincoln telling Major General Henry Halleck to tell Grant to revoke that order, if it was in fact issued.

Halleck sent this message:

A paper purporting to be General Orders, No. 11, issued by you December 17, has been presented here. By its terms, it expells (sic) all Jews from your department. If such an order has been issued, it will be immediately revoked.

The order was revoked 3 days later.

In 1944, the US formally ended one of the more shameful episodes of the war, the internment of Japanese-Americans. Even the closure of the camps was handled badly - at least at Manzanar - as related by this Wikipedia entry:

Closure

On November 21, 1945, the WRA closed Manzanar, the sixth camp to be closed. Although the prisoners had been brought to the Owens Valley by the United States Government, they had to leave the camp on their own,[51][53] with the WRA giving $25, one-way train or bus fare, and meals to those who had less than $600.[53] While many left the camp voluntarily, a significant number refused to leave because they had no place to go after having lost everything when they were forcibly uprooted and removed from their homes. As such, they had to be forcibly removed once again, this time from Manzanar. Indeed, those who refused to leave were generally removed from their barracks, sometimes by force, even if they had no place to go.[53]

One hundred forty-six prisoners died at Manzanar.[54] Fifteen prisoners were buried there, but only five graves remain, as most were later reburied elsewhere by their families.[55]

Heh. Can't tell only the good stories. We learn more from these events, anyway. -the Armorer

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Ron Paul's supporters pull in more money this time than they did last time. Wonder if the handicappers and politicos are going to admit that Paul, electable or not - has a message that's resonating? -the Armorer

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For you political junkies... if the media is fixated on Iowa, there is a blog keeping an eye on hew Hampshire... Green Mountain Politics1. -the Armorer

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