July 4

7 thoughts on “July 4”

1. “a better and wider knowledge and understanding of history, yours, ours and our joint one.”

   Sadly, professional writers of American History are an ignorant lot, despite (or more likely because of) their Ph.D.s

   One of the things they are ignorant of is British History. The American Revolution and the constitution are a dialogue with the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. Those English events are the historical context within which American History occurred. Practically every phrase in the Constitution is an echo of an issue in the 17th century struggle between the Stuarts and Parliament.

   Other things they are ignorant of include religion, law, and finance.

   They are so typical of our ruling class. Ignorant, opinionated, and self-righteous about it.

   “Standing Up to the Ruling Class” By Angelo M. Codevilla ”” July 4, 2015
   http://www.nationalreview.com/article/420743/truth-safeguards-liberty

2. “One of the things they are ignorant of is British History. ”

   I have been startled at the ignorance of British history in Britain. I was in Warwick Castle one time about 8 years ago and asked a question of the guard about something. Something easy, I might add, and he had no idea what I was talking about.

   I have read that school children don’t know who Churchill was.

   Our own lack of history is often a parent problem. My children know about history and current events. I asked Annie, my 25 year old, about Benghazi a year ago or so. She didn’t know as much as I did but she knew where it was and the outlines of the issue.

   I have to start working on my grandchildren. They are very much into sports but they need to read more.

3. Thanks, Helen — remember:”…governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

   Really – such principles do seem terribly revolutionary, don’t they?

4. Off topic but I just got a nice e-mail from a non-MD reviewer who read my earlier book in 2004 and agreed to review the new one. He liked it although he did have some trouble with the terminology. When he did the previous review, he said to tell him if I wrote another book. I did so and he was kind enough to read and review it today. Happy Fourth.

5. Thanks, Helen.

6. I guessed we were in trouble leading up to the 2012 elections when I chatted with the son of a neighbor about what he and his college friends thought about Benghazi. He had no idea what I was talking about. This is a moderately bright young man from a conservative household with fairly conservative instincts. The college was a middle-of-the-road Texas school not reknowned for nutso progressive politics. The issue was not on the radar in his circle. Granted, none of them were in the habit of reading or watching the news, but there are issues that percolate through a college’s network; I suspect they’ve all heard about Rubio’s luxury boat. This just wasn’t one of them.

7. “I chatted with the son of a neighbor about what he and his college friends thought about Benghazi.”

   I really think it is TV. Two friends of mine in Tucson raised three boys who are terrific young men. They had a big screen TV for video games only. The oldest just graduated from U of A in engineering and is entering the Marine Corps. The next is a petroleum engineering junior and the youngest starts U of A this fall. They are great kids and will be a credit to their parents. The middle son is a near professional classical pianist. The oldest played soccer all over the world with his high school and college.

   I wish I had done as well.

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