Our American Culture is Sick

[formerYank]

Our American culture is sick.

Several days ago three letters written and signed by RELee during the War went on auction and sold for 61,000.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/29/con...ref=newssearch

Also, recently, the ball that Barry Bonds hit that broke Henry Aaron's home run record sold at auction for 750,000.

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breaking...951027,00.html

I can't think of any explanation for this disparity in perceived value other than that our culture is utterly lost and adrift valuing a stupid ball from a stupid game at a far far higher price than truly priceless communications written by an American hero.

Where did our culture go wrong? I often wonder what the turning point was when we went from a fairly reasonable culture that deToqueville could write about with awe and respect to this base empty culture that we now see. Moral equivalence notwithstanding, political correctness, and utter ignorance and appreciation of our history, I just don't understand it.

[cw1865]

There is only ONE Bonds breaker baseball. If Lee had signed ONLY one letter, or if only one R.E. Lee signature survived, how much do you think it would be worth then?

[cw1865]

What did Union/Confederate soldiers do to kill time at Appomatox....played some baseball! Looking outside today its a beautiful day for a ball game - let's play two!

[matthew mckeon]

A reporter once asked Babe Ruth about the fact the ballplayer made more money than President Coolidge.

Babe: "I had a better year than him."

[ole]

Thank you, gentlemen. Today is far too precious for us to be beating our breasts and declaiming "What fools these mortals be."

ole

[formerYank]

very nice to see all the baseball fans weighing in on this apparent non-issue to them. after all, barry bonds, robert e lee, what's the difference, right?

i thought that folks in the civil war world would find this situation just slightly annoying, or even troubling.

my mistake.

baseball is a very important pastime, after all it was invented during the civil war, so it's alright.

not.

truly it's an utterly silly example of "bread and circuses".

i'd better do some more research on this matter, there must be a baseball game or football or tennis match on television today somewhere. i'll put my history books away, and stop wasting my time learning about the civil war and american history, and american heroism. after all barry bonds is a hero, right.

not.

[ole]

truly it's an utterly silly example of "bread and circuses".

And only slightly less silly than wearing weeds and ashes. Lighten up.

ole

[formerYank]

i am light! i only wear southern king cotton!!

[Dred]

Originally Posted by formerYank

i am light! i only wear southern king cotton!!

Well presumably you must live in a nudist colony then huh? since we have already decided on this form somewhere cotton is no longer king lol