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I know that we have talked about todays youth's knowledge of the CW but I have to share this story with everyone. Last weekend my wife and I traveled to Vicksburg to volunteer at April Park Day. In Mississippi high school seniors have to complete 10 hours of community service to graduate and a good number volunteered last weekend. While we were painting artillery caissons I over heard one girl ask another "What happened here?" The reply was that the armies fought here. To which came the reply, "My uncle is in the Army, I wonder if this is where he fought?" I was very dumbfounded.
It's not just high schoolers. Ought to do a book of interviews with Park Rangers strictly on dumb questions. (Sorry, there are no dumb questions. Yes, there are!)
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
On my first visit to Gettysburg, the tour guide I hired carried a folder of laminated maps and diagrams. He started by showing me a map of north America. In his fine Noo Joysy accent he said "Dooring the 1860's dere was a war between de states." I guess by the look on my face he realised he was preaching to the converted. But it did occur to me, does he really need to tell visitors that? Thinking more about it, I realised that until about fourteen years ago my knowledge of the Civil War ammounted to: One side wore blue, the other grey. The ones in blue won. Lincoln got shot. So yes, I suppose he does need to tell visitors the basics.
History is not something tested under No Child Left Behind. Therefore, schools that want to succeed statistically don't push it. The older members here probably remember being taught about Columbus, the pilgrims, Jamestown, the Spanish explorers (Conquistadors), the French & Indian War, the Revolution, American Civil War, Westward Expansion. Kids today are taught under an entirely different cirriculum. There's something to be said about old school teaching. Time to get politics out of teaching.
I visited the Carlisle House in Alexandria and asked if it was the place where General Edward Braddock planned his ill-starred campaign. When answered affirmatively, I told them I had to move my car because of parking limits and would be right back. The guide later confessed that he was eager to see me return because it was rare for them to have visitors who were familiar with the F&I War. People do treat you different when they find out you know something and aren't the average looky-loo tourist. Similar thing happened to me in Malta when I asked where Dragut was when he was mortally wounded by a splinter.
I run into this all the time. All three of my kids are now out of school. I used to come to their history classes and give them overviews of the common civil war soldiers and the battles they fought because the schools intentionally left the war out. They would talk about the causes, then reconstruction leaving out any mention of the 620 K who died for causes they believed in. You don't know where you are going unless you know where you've been a good friend of mine once said.
Most kids today, know nothing of this country's past, but they have no problem denigrating it now.
ollie
__________________ I've seen these sweat soaked heroes fight, in superheated air,to keep their ship alive and right, though no one knows they're there. And thus they'll fight for ages on, till warships sail no more,amid the boilers mighty heat and turbines hellish roar. So when you see a ship pull out, to meet a warlike foe, remember faintly if you can "the men who sail below"
~ excerpted from "The Men Who sail below", Author unknown.
Memphis,
Are you a former SNIPE, or simply a collector of fine literature? Actually though, that classic piece is named "The Snipes Lament", and yes, the author is still unknown. I was a Machinist's Mate / Diver and have steamed diesel plants and 150, 300, 600, and 1200 psi steam plants. Hoo Yah, been there, done that.
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