History Lessons

 In the play "Wicked"  the Wizard says something to the effect of "where I come from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true. We call it 'history'"  

As a child in the 60's I was taught a sanitized version of historical events.  Mostly American history was taught from the perspective of older white males.  Sure they threw in a woman, occasionally ( see "wives of Presidents")  or a Woman of Color ( see "Sacajawea")  but usually those women were shaded with the benefit of their contributions to the male of the species.  We did learn to realize that slavery was "bad" -just not the details.  They sugarcoated the fact that the Founding Fathers HAD slaves, if we discovered it on our own, we were told it was "legal at the time" so it should not be held against them.

I was reading an article about Thomas Jefferson, who by modern standards ( and probably by standards of his day) was a real piece of work.  I remember  JFK saying something about  him when speaking to a room full of brilliant people ( I can't recall the occasion) but he said something like  "This is the most brilliant assembly in this room, except when Thomas Jefferson dined alone"  Hogwash.   JFK was a student of history, I wonder how much history was destroyed in an effort to whitewash the Founding Fathers for future generations.  Based on what we were taught, probably a lot.

Things I know about Jefferson could fill a thimble.  I know he owned slaves and what he did to Sally Hemmings should be considered a crime.  I LOVE how the current battle cry of the extreme far right is to accuse someone of pedophilia when all else fails.  JEFFERSON, their shining star was a pedo.   Sally was a CHILD when he took possession of her and by the accounts of HER son, Madison Hemmings, impregnated her by the time she was sixteen.  Jefferson ALSO thought that Lewis and Clark should be looking for mastodons, which he believed still existed in the West.  Right.  

To quote Pappy Boyington "Show me a hero, I'll show you a bum"  No one is perfect and the fact that we are taught that they are is our shame.  

Texas wants to call slavery "involuntary relocation"  WHAT THE EVERLASTING FUCK????  Next they will be dragging out the "happy darkies" motif.  The idea that African slaves were somehow stupid and  enjoyed what the white men did is so reprehensible I can't even begin to address it.

I read an article in which the writer pointed out that the Framers were writing laws that would make THEIR lives better. True dat.   I don't see  that women or slaves or people who did not own land made out any better than they had before.  Abigail Adams  pleaded with John to "remember the ladies"  but he ignored her.  He was a real jerk too, as far as I can tell. The fact that he and Jefferson had beef does not improve my opinion of either of them.

In his interview with the January 6 Commission, Rusty Bowers stated that he felt the Constitution was "divinely inspired"  which made him turn down Trump's insistence that he commit a crime.  Something good came of that.

AS I watch the hearings, I am struck by how close we came to installing Trump as a dictator.  We don't need elections, just put the Trump family in charge.  There are people who are decrying that there is no cross examination of witnesses.  This is NOT a trial, not yet anyway that is the DOJ's job.  This just gets the facts out into the light of day.  His base is having trouble with facts, not that this should come as a surprise.  His base has been fed a constant stream of misinformation since he rode the golden escalator to declare his candidacy. I truly believe this was a scam so he could make cash and then withdraw, but either his ego or a deal with Putin to release him from his massive debt ( which if I recall is coming due soon) got into the mix and we got screwed.  The problem is that there are people who still think Trump will save this country, even though it is massively apparent he tried to destroy it on January 6.  It is my hope, that as the net begins to fall on his inner circle, they rat him out  to save themselves ala John Dean during the Watergate hearings.  They are probably as loyal to him as he is to them.