History

Quote of the Day II

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Recessional

God of our fathers, known of old–
Lord of our far-flung battle line
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine–
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe–
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the law–
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget – lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard–
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard–
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!

— Rudyard Kipling

VALKYRIE–Brief Review

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Went to see the film last Tuesday, and I agree with Lex that it is well worth seeing. Cruise does a credible job as Stauffenberg, and most of the acting is well done, although the mix of accents…a lot of American English and various flavors of English-English, plus a bit of German…was slightly bizarre. I was particularly impressed with Halina Reijn’s portrayal of a minor character, Margarethe van Oven (secretary to the conspirators.) She had almost no speaking lines, but has a wonderfully expressive face, and uses it well to portray her character’s emotions.

One aspect of the film, though, seems to me to be unjust and historically inaccurate.

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The Other Half of the Battle

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Courtesy of Snorg Tees

Lost Causes, Lost Effects

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Jeremiah Wright was  back in the pulpit Sunday,  pontificating on the tragic  December anniversary of the 1941 bombing of Hiroshima;  this was  shortly followed, he told his congregation,  by the bombing of Nagasaki.   Wright himself was born in 1941.    Of course,  as  Leno’s untutored-man-in-the-street questions  indicate, we are losing our understanding of  events within our own lifetimes.

Losing dates,  we lose  our understanding  of history for we are less likely to see that ideas have consequences and  effects follow causes.   We  also lose  gratitude for those that went before – whether for  Shakespeare’s words or the bravery of Washington’s troops or  the beauty of ideas that impelled the Puritans or gave  the founders their wisdom.   We don’t understand real courage nor how tolerance comes to us.   Most of all, we lose the sense we only reach the heights we can because we stand on other’s shoulders.   Such ignorance gives us a false pride.

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