Category: American history

March Ramblin’

As in March 33rd:
From here:
A Toronto university student will not be expelled for running a Facebook study group that his school had argued constituted cheating. Ryerson University’s Faculty Appeals Committee announced the decision to spare Chris Avenir on Tuesday afternoon, a week after his expulsion hearing.

The 18-year-old will be required to take a course on academic misconduct and will have a note on his transcript saying he was disciplined, said Nora Loreto, president of the Ryerson Students Union. Avenir will also get a zero on one of his assignments, worth 10 per cent of his course grade, Loreto said.”

Avenir’s lawyer said Tuesday that Avenir has not yet decided if he will appeal the decision. “It’s a finding he’s not at all comfortable with. He doesn’t believe that it’s fair or appropriate,” lawyer John Adair said.
I don’t think it’s fair or appropriate, either.
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31 Days to Building a Better Blog. At one point I started doing this, but it fell apart.
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An old friend is starting a grassroots effort to get Andrew Jackson off the twenty dollar bill. This is due to his heinous and illegal actions in the Indian Removal. I have found that most people I talk to about it really have no idea just what he did. They start off being amused at this nutty notion of mine and get serious very fast when hearing the facts. I believe that the time is ripe to get this mass murderer off the twenty. We need to stop offending and disrespecting our American Indian citizens by making them look at his face every time they see a twenty dollar bill. To that end, I am drawing Hitler moustaches on every twenty that passes through my hands, and also putting the address of my website, http://getjacksonoffthe20.net on the bills also. If people who feel as I do started doing the same, and started spreading the idea by word of mouth, I believe we can bring awareness to large numbers of people, and begin to move towards the process of actually getting him removed. It’s a small thing in comparison to all the other injustices, and something I have been called to do.
Please visit my site, and consider joining me in my efforts. Also, pass this on to whomever you think might be interested.

I happen to think drawing Hitler mustaches on $20 bills is silly; using a rubber stamp would be far more effective.

ROG

ROG

Juneteenth

I was really good at American history. I knew (still know) the U.S. Presidents in order. Of course, I knew about the end of the Civil War at Appomattox.

My (now late) friend Donna George was helping to plan the annual meeting of the Albany United Methodist Society, an entity that has food and clothing programs, a few years back. Donna was very excited that the event was planned for “Juneteenth”. I nodded.
I had NO idea what she was talking about.

The Civil War may have ended in April 1865, but the WORD took a while to reach the whole country. And in Texas, it wasn’t until June 19 until the news came down that the war was over and that the slaves were free.

Why did I not know this until my forties? What else did I miss out on?

Somehow, this reminded me of something I remember reading in library school, probably in the 601 (introductory) course. Daniel Boorstin, the former Librarian of Congress, who died a couple years ago, was a very prolific writer. One of the things he said, and this is HEAVILY paraphrased, is that information disappears in a number of ways. One is by war and conquest, when to the victor belongs not only the spoils, but the chance to write (and rewrite) history.

Another is by changing technology. Think of some great album (LP) you owned that’s NOT on CD, or an old movie that’s NOT on DVD or even video. Remember the information on reel-to-reel tapes, which would be very difficult to access; or all the microfiche for which readers are harder and harder to come by.

So, here’s to the preservationists:
Those archaeologists who are going to find out about those folks recently disinterred during construction in Menands.
Those folks in Save the Pine Bush and similar groups that believe in biodiversity.
Those folks in Hollywood and DC saving our literally deteriorating film history.

A special thanks to my friends Paul and Mary Liz Stewart, who are preserving the history of the Underground Railroad in Albany through a series of tours each summer. Future tours will take place this year on June 26, July 24, August 21, September 18, and October 9, starting at 2:00 from the Albany Area Heritage Visitor’s Center at Quackenbush Square.
They have also purchased a building that was pivotal in the UGRR movement in Albany and are in the midst of restoring it.

Finally, on this 140th anniversary, thanks to the Juneteenth descendants who have kept this piece of history alive..

ROG
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