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From The History Trekker: A bedtime story for a forgetful country …

Historic Issues Still Alive Today, Journal, Lexington and Concord, The History Trekker

It was another spring, the night of March 5, 1770, in Boston, which was already a hotbed of unrest against a government which many felt was oppressive. The media is fanning the flames, and when an agent of the government kills an eleven year old boy, tensions escalated.

That night in Boston, a private citizen taunts a soldier, and the soldier overreacts, whacking the man up the side of his head. The soldier was angered by being disrespected, the mob hated him and he was a long, long way from his home.

A crowd forms, the soldier is joined by more soldiers. One man in particular is egging on the crowd, a man by the name of Crispus Attucks.

Attucks was half black, half native American and was the first to die in the Boston Massacre.

John Adams, our second president defended the soldiers in court, and called the protestors “a motley rabble of saucy boys, negros and molattoes, Irish teagues and outlandish Jack Tarrs.” He singled out Attucks as the one most responsible.

The court didn’t agree and two of the soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter and were branded on their thumbs to avoid hanging. The other four walked.

Attucks was buried as a hero and found immortality in Paul Revere’s art print. Except in later reproductions, his brown skin, and the skin of all the other people of color in that print was colored white.

The Boston Massacre, with Attucks in the left corner, painted with dark skin. Over time he was literally whitewashed as blacks in the print was believed to decrease sales.

A bit later, in another protest, colonists dumped $1.5 million dollars worth of tea belonging to a private corporation into the harbor. It’s true, the government got the taxes from the tea, but the tea was privately owned. They continued to loot over the coming months, destroying all the tea they could find which bore tea stamps. Some small shop keepers, who did nothing except obey the law found their shops smashed in and stock destroyed.

The colonists were divided because of their love of country, a desire for law and order, and the longing of some to be free from a government which they felt treated them differently than other citizens.

The protests continued. As the government tightened the noose, the mob became increasingly violent. One of the trademarks of the resistance was tarring and feathering those who collected taxes. These were common people, doing their job, and it happened in places like Norfolk, Salem and Boston, as the unrest grew across the country.

The harsher the response by the government, the more people sided with the idea of rebellion.

The King clamped down “very, very strong”, in an attempt to “dominate” the cities and the colonies. They believed the greatest, most well equipped army in the world would show the angry people their ability to “completely dominate” them. And out of fear, the rebels would stand down.

The group of people who instigated the resistance did so for a variety of reasons. Some did it because of taxation. Some did it because they felt as small businessmen, they were at a disadvantage over the larger ones with government connections. Some abhorred the military presence in their cities. They lacked unity of cause, and then the government gave them their cause on a lead platter.

On April 19, 1775, another black man and several others took a musket ball from the British on Lexington Green.

And that boys and girls, is how America was born.

The right to bear arms, the right to regulate guns, both guaranteed by the second amendment – a guarantee of conflict

Daily Life in History, Historic Issues Still Alive Today, The History Trekker

The reason the debate over gun control is all screwed up, is because if you look at the issue historically, both sides are right. The second amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives citizen the right to bear arms, especially in the case of forming militias, to both protect and if necessary, hold the government accountable. But it also gives congress the right to regulate guns, however it sees fit short of an outright ban. [Read more…] about The right to bear arms, the right to regulate guns, both guaranteed by the second amendment – a guarantee of conflict

A Contrarian’s View of History: The Myth of Independence

Historic Issues Still Alive Today, Ohio River Valley, The History Trekker

Costumed Colonial Women and Men Tending The Wounded on the Battlefield. Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous, George Rogers Clark National Historic Park, Vincennes, Knox County, IN

Who do we thank for our independence? Surely not the British for granting us self-rule under duress. Taxation without representation? We paid among the lowest taxes in the British empire, despite the disproportionately high costs of defending our safety. Jefferson, Addams, Franklin and the rest who signed the declaration? Curious that in this day of tea parties and general unrest that we would honor a group of men who in essence declared a war without giving representation to the people they were dragging into it (Had the actions of the Continental Congress – a cherry-picked group of mostly well-heeled, politically connected members of the wealthier classes – been under the scrutiny of the 24 hour news cycle, we surely never would have declared our independence). The soldiers? A ragtag group of citizen soldiers, described by the greatest military power of its day as terrorists (and in many cases, rightly so). An army which generally had its butt kicked up and down the east coast of this continent, which only managed to stay afloat by retreat and avoiding the fight. How about the French, a country which we in this country quite often regard as cowards, but let’s face it, handed us the victory at Yorktown on a silver platter (For the record, the French lost over 2,000,000 people in both world wars, out of a population of about 40,000,000. The U.S. lost a little over half a million out of over 130,000,000. The percentage of the French population who supported the Germans in WWII was far lower than the percentage of colonists who supported the British in the revolution). We couldn’t have done it without the Frogs. The media? How about Paul Revere’s famous print of the Boston Massacre – a deliberate distortion of the facts that would have made Fox News proud. The God of our founding fathers? Take Thomas Paine – “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Believed that observation of nature, free-thinking and reason alone could prove the existence of a supreme being, without faith nor organized religion (or try these on for size … “The United States is in no sense founded upon the Christian doctrine,” – George Washington, “It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. I do not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature,” Thomas Jefferson and finally honest Abe Lincoln “The Bible is not my book, and Christianity is not my religion. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma”). George Washington, the father of our country, a second-rate soldier prior to the revolution who made his fortune marrying a rich widow whom he never showed an excess of warmth and love, a slave-owner and member of the ruling elite, who derived his power from being a successful businessman. His great dream was to assume the trappings of an English gentleman

We’ve created a mythology about the founding of our nation (as all nations do), which when leaned upon heavily, collapses like a deck of cards and threatens to take us all along with it. There was no single ideal, no single truth, no single motive that we can point to and say “that’s what this country declared our independence to preserve). No single ideal is more American than any other, at least in reference to our birth.

In truth we owe a debt of gratitude to all of the above and countless others, not for what we wish they could have been, but for what they were. To understand the founding of our country, and the miracle that it truly was, requires seeing the people behind the myths. Human beings with all their faults, foibles, idealism and intelligence. They rose to the occasion and in many cases, far surpassed what would in most circumstances have been expected of them. The Declaration of Independence wasn’t signed as part of a grand, inspired by God plan for manifest destiny, nor did it grant us independence. They didn’t sign on to forge a new nation, but to protect their own states’ and private citizens’ rights first. Doubtless they knew that a new nation of sorts would be forged, but the details were to be hammered out years later, and fought about still to this day. It was a step along the way, a milestone in what we were to become. What we do with our independence – now as much as then – is still up to us.

The Lexington Minuteman: Would he have come to the tea party?

Historic Issues Still Alive Today, Lexington and Concord, New England, The History Trekker

Representing Captain John Parker, Henry Hudson Kitson, Sculptor, 1900

To stand on Battle Green in Lexington is to literally stand in the place where this country was born. It was here where a group of the King’s subjects decided that they would rather fight than bow. Though it’s unlikely that on that day in 1775, April 19 to be precise, they believed they were taking the first steps towards independence, they certainly felt they had reached a breaking point. And standing there today, you can still imagine what it must have been like to hear gunshots break out, and realize that it this well-trained, well-equipped army which vastly outnumbered you, was here to kill you.

It’s ironic in some ways, that 235 years later, a new group of citizens, the tea party movement, chooses these patriots as their symbols. Whilst there is some resemblance to the originals, certainly a chasm of belief versus reality comes to mind, the resemblance is purely superficial. For instance, the citizens of New England felt themselves ill-used and over taxed, and yet they paid amongst the lowest taxes in the British empire, and received most of the same benefit of anyone else in the kingdom.

In the same vein, there’s a dichotomy to the teabaggers beliefs. They were against the bailout for banks and corporations, and yet now they support politicians who fight against making those same institutions pay it back. They see insurance companies as one of the causes of runaway health care, and yet they refuse to support any measures that hold those same companies accountable.

Most troubling, they insist that God be left in the pledge of allegiance, though that’s a recent addition, and that the pledge be recited in school. And yet I wonder if they listen to the pledge? You also pledge allegiance to the republic, and in a republic, we choose our leaders by voting. Sometimes your party wins, sometimes it loses. But it’s not to the leaders that you pledge your allegiance, or to the land that this country consists of. But to the people in this country, because after all, they make up the republic. I see no desire to amongst these modern day, self proclaimed patriots to make this republic work, only to make sure their argument wins the day.

And in that they are less like the men who stood in the village common in Lexington, and it’s worth pointing out that there was a black man there as well, and more like that other great upheaval which the country was to go through less than a century later. Once again this seem to be a house divided, and in this atmosphere, civil discourse takes a back seat, and the government doesn’t work. When speaking of the age of empires, kingdoms and dynasties, 235 years is a blip in time. A Russian friend of mine once told me that “America is a cultural adolescent.” Perhaps it’s too soon to say whether that the great experiment was a success, or will some day fall back on itself, as has all other empires of the past.

What makes a church a church? Carmi’s Emmanuel United Methodist church looks to leave history behind for greener pastures

Daily Life in History, Historic Issues Still Alive Today, Ohio River Valley

There’s a controversy brewing in my hometown which I’ve been watching as it deals with issues of local history and historic preservation, as well as a bigger question. What constitutes a church, the building or the people? I don’t attend the church in question, or any church on a regular basis, so I don’t have a dog in this fight. But what always strikes me in the places I visit, is that the strongest communities, the older communities that retain their original character and grace, are the ones where older buildings, and particularly churches are kept, rather than pulled down when times get tough.

I’ve been to churches in America that were built in the 1600s, and are still going strong. I’ve been in churches in Europe – not cathedrals mind you but small country churches that have been around for close to a thousand years, and still see services.

Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Carmi, Illinois, built early in the twentieth century is one of the oldest churches in Carmi. Carmi is a small agricultural community, which means declining populations, and for churches, declining attendance

The First Methodist Church on Main street is older, and Emmanuel, started by some people breaking away from a country church, was established on the north side. Originally services were held in German, so there’s history here which will never be replicated anywhere else in town.

The north side never saw the prosperity that much of Carmi found. Not to say that there haven’t been those from across the tracks that did well for themselves, nor that there aren’t poorer neighborhoods in other parts of Carmi. But there is a lot of poverty on the north side, always has been.

Growing up I watched the older generation die off, renters moved in, and If you did well for yourself, it was pretty common to move across the tracks or to a subdivision. As a lot of people will say, the north side just went to Hell. But the neighborhood around the church stayed pretty tame – houses are still kept up, families and the elderly are still in homes they’ve lived in for decades, and much of that can be attributed to having the church on the corner. You still feel like you live in a neighborhood.

It’s an old, beautiful building, full of memories and personal history, but it’s not necessarily a healthy building. There’s a lot of upkeep on the structure and utilities, and some hefty expenditures coming up. Over time, the congregation has grown more grey, like most churches, attracting fewer young people.

So the question becomes, is it time to replace it? No presidents or senators worshipped here, even Carmi’s prominent citizens usually went to the First church if they were Methodists The only people who worshipped here were people’s grandparents and parents. And if it’s time to replace it, why not build it somewhere else in town?

So we’re back to the question … what constitutes a church?

Those who want to move the church to a nicer part of town and build anew like to point out that a church isn’t the building, it’s the people. And this is true.

But what they’re missing is that it’s not just the people who attend the church now, but all who came before as well. For example, you can get married at the same altar where your grandmother got married. You can be baptized in the same church as your great-grandparents. And at your funeral, you can be carried out the same door in your casket as every member of your family who have passed on before.

Granted, these things are sentimental, more important to the spirit than the financials of a church. But is a new church in a nicer part of town in keeping with the spirit of the founding of Emmanuel? I like to believe that somehow a person’s god moves them when they choose a location for a church. As I recall, Jesus told his followers to go among the poor, the meek and among the criminals to build his church. If this is true, then I can see how the choice of locations for Carmi Emmanuel Methodist Church was divinely inspired.

A church should be a part of the community where it stands, seeing the needs and helping to fill them. As a child, growing up in this neighborhood we congregated at the school playground. It’s where you learned to play ball, to spit, cuss, the mysteries of girls and essentially where you learned right and wrong with your peers. Now the playground is fenced off and kids have nowhere to get together. Ideally the church would step in here, and with a couple million of dollars in the bank for a new church, you’d think that maybe, just maybe the current church’s problems could be fixed and some money left over for a community playground? How many times could a church step in and help the poor in their neighborhood with a million bucks to spend?

Because the real mission of a church, as pointed out to me by a former pastor there is to bring new people in. Becoming a part of the neighborhood where you exist is a great way to do this. I always thought the idea was to save new souls, not cannibalize already saved souls from other churches.

Sadly, it’s the older members who are most against moving to a new church across town. Which makes sense, as their history and their family’s history reside in that building. Family memories aren’t transferred along with the name, because the new church will be Carmi Emmanuel Methodist Church in name only. Once discarded, the past is gone forever.

And of course politics are involved. The vote this coming Sunday takes place after the service, on what could be one of the coldest days of the year, and only those who are present are allowed to vote. There are members in retirement homes, currently living in other states or wintering in Florida, all of which have been members of Emmanuel their whole lives. But because they can’t be there, they have no say. Nor can the elderly who simply can’t get out when the temperature is so cold that the air is unsafe for them to breathe.

If they wanted a true vote, they’d have it at Easter, when the church is packed with members, which would also give people a chance to consider the proposal in detail. Or heaven forbid, ask questions. Or even allow mail in ballots. By abandoning the current location, they are in essence saying that the founding of the church on that spot wasn’t divinely inspired. And if it wasn’t, doesn’t that mean that this decision isn’t divinely inspired as well? Or does it mean that church leaders are historically short-sighted?

The measure will likely pass and Emmanuel United Methodist Church of Carmi will be shutting down and moving to a new building in a new subdivision. The elderly will lose their church, a connection to their family history, and the neighborhood will lose one of the things which is supposed to hold it together.

In the end, perhaps what people should consider is the old cliche … what would Jesus do? Would he spend a couple million dollars on a building in a nicer part of town to attract other believers from other churches? Or would he patch the leaks, get a new furnace and spend the rest trying to help the poor, the meek and to save people souls?