Hang on a second. That is another pet peeve of mine: Rearrangement of word order in order to sound more 19th century… specifically, moving the adverb away from the verb and before the subjectish (yet not a subject, but I can remember what it’s called… is it the subject of the clause?) thingy. However, I do like replacing the word “lately” with “of late,” because the Sportscenter anchors do that a lot, and that makes it cool.
Anyway, since I last wrote I have been to Nashville and back. I looked for apartments and it appears that I will have no choice but to:
A. Live out of town, away from the village that reminds me of Athens enough that I really wanted to live there and
2. Live in a really, really small place.
So, if you come to town, and it is necessary for the place to sleep more than two people, it’s going to get tight. Think, um, a bread box. Now think smaller.
Two points result from the trip. First, if you ever find it necessary to travel during daylight from Athens, Buford, or Gainesville to Chattanooga (or vice versa) without a strict time requirement, I highly encourage you to consider using GA Highway 53. If you will hit Atlanta during rush hour (which is what, 18 hours a day?), this will definitely save you time. It is a fun drive with lots of curves and some stunning views. It had been 5 or six years since I had been that way, and I intend to take it more often, just because of the joy of driving it. You can hit that on the way down by taking exit 312 (Rome/Fairmount) and going left.
Second point. I was listening to a talk radio program on the way back. This program had a correspondent at the ESPNZone at Times Square asking people to answer the following questions.
1. What is this coming Monday?
2. What is the purpose or meaning behind that holiday (ie – Who are we memorializing?)
3. Who fought in the Civil War?
4. Who did the U.S. fight against in World War II?
Several people failed to answer the questions correctly or even close. The host began a huge monologue about why this was a travesty, an obvious failure of our public school system.
So, here are some questions for you... and no arguing... state your case and don't call people stupid, hypocritical, aspiritual, ungrateful, flag-wavers, socialisists, liberal, conservative, tele-tubbies, jackets, gators, or badgers. I swear I will turn this car around:
- In a practical sense, is it important that citizens of the U.S. know what the purpose or meaning behind Memorial Day is?
- Why?
- Furthermore, if it is important, what needs to change in order to cause students to learn this?
Before you answer, note the following qualifications:
1. I have attempted to present this question without hint of what my own opinion of the matter is.
2. The following answer or anything not significantly more detailed is unacceptable: “You can’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you’ve been.” More meaningless drivel has never been uttered. People with doctorates in history can’t tell you where they or we are going.
3. Because we are thinking in practical terms here, the following answer is also unacceptable: “So they learn to honor the memory of those who died to preserve our liberty.” Practicality is in no way related to attempting to repay debt that can not be fulfilled. Important? I think so, but practical? No.
Try not to get too patriotic here and be practical. Save that until you’re dry-heaving after your 11th Rolling Rock on Monday night.
I will tell you why you’re wrong soon.
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3 comments:
Gee, where to begin...
In a practical sense, I do believe it is important for American citizens to realize the meaning behind Memorial Day, especially when we're currently fighting wars overseas. Since World War I (with the exception of Vietnam) the American people have banded together against whatever enemy they were facing at the time, and did whatever necessary to defeat it. When the American people band together like that, and when they (we) believe we are doing something morally just and right, we are essentially invincible. Not in the sense that we can't be hurt or suffer, but in the sense that we can accomplish any task and decisively defeat any threat. This mentality seems to be lost on far too many people in this country, especially those born after, say, 1960.
As far as I'm concerned, Memorial Day isn't just about the people that died defending this country, but the people that lived through it as well. The ones that saw their friends die, the ones that still have nightmares, and the ones with missing limbs (that's probably more appropriately left for Veteran's Day, but I don't remember ever getting out of school for Veteran's Day).
The people who defend this country aren't these super-human heros, they're Joe Blows from Bumblefudge, USA. What makes them great is the fact that they rise to a challenge, and put their country's well-being ahead of their own. Again...something that seems to be lost on the majority of the last two generations or so.
It's important to 'memorialize' these people because it can serve as a reminder that, had we been born 80 years ago, we would've been the ones lobbing grenades at the Germans. And we might very well have to answer a similar challenge in our lifetime. And without an anchor to an example of past greatness, we have no way of judging how much our collective backbone has softened.
In much shorter and crasser terms, if we forget how badass we were in the past, we're going to turn into a bunch of flower-wielding sissies.
As far as how to teach school children this, there are many ways. First of all, actually apply standards. No more of this 'social advancement' crap, which is essentially the practice of moving kids up a grade despite the fact that they're dumb as posts, just so they won't feel left out when all the other kids move up a grade. I don't care if you're 16 and in the 3rd grade -- if you can't read, you're going to stay in the 3rd grade 'til you can.
Secondly, we need to dump this whole 'cultural relativism', kumbaya, let's-all-be-friends stuff. We need to own up to the fact that some cultures are indeed better than others. Some cultures invent every revolutionary device in the past 200 years, while other cultures live in mudhuts and eat bugs. Some cultures have individual rights and a just legal system, while other cultures commit genocide against religious and ethnic minorities, stone women to death for getting raped, and amputate the limbs of shoplifters.
Once we stop telling children that no culture is better than any other, and that we have to 'tolerate' the 'differences' in our cultures, maybe they'll start to understand what America stands for, and why the people who have defended it are worth remembering.
"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." George Santayana
It's true that respect and appreciation can't be taught from a text book, and responsibility can't be aborbed from behind a desk. Such things must be learned at home and then reinforced in the school's social setting. The educational experience is not solely for the memorization of facts or the exposure to 18th Century literature, but also for the learning of social skills and proper behavior.
However, I also believe that both the family unit and school system are failing miserably at this task. Too often kids are left to their own devices and are subject to the more indecent parts of the internet and trash TV.
It's been said that change begins at the dinner table. Well, If there's no dinner table then it doesn't bode well for the next generation's potential.
I whole-heartedly agree that Memorial Day shouldn't be observed by getting inebriated and arguing over who is more adept at driving fast and turning left; and that simply closing banks and other government establishments is a woeful injustice to those who gave life and limb in service to their country.
I, too, lament the deterioration of the sense of community that characterized America during WWII and for a brief time after 9/11, as well as the bastardization of our legal system by dishonest lawyers and activist judges.
But when it comes to how to reverse this rising tide of complacency, I'm really at a loss. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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