Re: Lies Across America

[gerald bracey <gbracey@EROLS.COM>]

Can't resist mentioning, apropos of Billy Mitchell that it helps if you're
quiet about being ahead of your time and don't make the authorities think
you're crazy.  After Mitchell said planes could sink battleships, he got
these responses:

That idea is so damned nonsensical and impossible that I'm willing to stand
on the bridge of a battleship while that nitwit tries to hit it from the
air."
Newton D. Baker, U. S. Secretary of War, 1921

"Good God! This man should be writing dime novels."

Josephus Daniels, U. S. Secretary of the Navy, 1921.

It is highly unlikely that an airplane, or fleet of them could ever sink a
fleet of N avy vessels under battle conditions.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1922

"It is significant that despite claims of air enthusiasts no battle ship has
yet been sunk by bombs."

Caption under a photograph of the U.S.S. Arizona in the program for the
Army-Navy game, November 29, 1941.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Kluznik" <mkluznik@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 12:14 PM
Subject: Re: Lies Across America


> Forrest may have been a military genius, but it takes more than genius to
be
> remembered by history.  Take the case of Billy Mitchell.  He was way ahead
> of his contemporaries in terms of use of aircraft in warfare.  He's not
> remembered very well.
> I don't see a problem with remembering Bedford, but Tennessee really needs
> to be remembered for more than that.  The state was split, with many
> Unionists in the western (or was it eastern) half of the state.  I believe
> the Massacre at Fort Pillow occurred in Tennessee.  Yet, no mention is
> apparently made of it.  You'd think maybe the Voluneer State would do more
> to promote not just its good, but also its bad and its ugly.  As Loewen
and
> others claim, we get a sanitized version of history that is boring to
almost
> everyone.
> Mike
>
>
> >From: Edward Jenner <edwardjenner1969@HOTMAIL.COM>
> >Reply-To: Assessment Reform Network Mailing List <ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU>
> >To: ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU
> >Subject: Re: Lies Across America
> >Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 10:54:24 -0400
> >
> >I have a slightly different view, Nathan Bedford Forrest was a butcher
and
> >a
> >psycopath, but he was also a military genius and some of his tactics are
> >still studied as are those of Stonewall Jackson and Rommell, niether of
> >whom
> >were on the right side of history either.  Jackson was arguably the
> >greatest
> >tactician in American history, our invasion of Iraq and Kuwait was
textbook
> >Jacksonian tactics.
> >
> >I think that the Forrest example and the others show the difficulty of
> >having "standards" in subjects like history because things aren't black
and
> >white at all and good teachers manage to cut through both the PC bulls***
> >and the myths to help students really understand what preceded them.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>From: Mike Kluznik <mkluznik@HOTMAIL.COM>
> >>Reply-To: Assessment Reform Network Mailing List <ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU>
> >>To: ARN-L@LISTS.CUA.EDU
> >>Subject: Lies Across America
> >>Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 19:32:21 -0400
> >>
> >>I'm currently reading history book that I'd recommend to others.  It's
by
> >>James W. Loewen entitled "Lies Across the Country."  His earlier work,
> >>"Lies
> >>My Teacher Told Me," was also very good.
> >>I'm skeptical of many history debunkers.  They can come up with some
> >>pretty
> >>strange interpretations of history.  I also don't go in much for
> >>vitimology.
> >>  However, Loewen seems to do a good job of debunking and also pointing
> >>out
> >>how women, minorities and some political groups have been excised from
our
> >>history.
> >>Lowen looks at the museums and historical markers that dot our country.
> >>He
> >>points out that you almost never find anything bad in those museums and
> >>roadside markers.  That is what makes history so boring for most of us.
> >>He points out that states like West Virginia and Kentucky, which were
part
> >>of the Union during the Civil War, have somehow been transformed into
> >>Confederate havens by such groups as the Daughters of the Confederacy
(I'm
> >>not sure that's the exact name).  He also points out how Tennessee
> >>glorifies
> >>Nathan Bedford.  The latter had been a CSA general.  He also,
appparently,
> >>started the KKK.  There are memorials to him all over Tennesee.  None
ever
> >>mention how Bedford murdered Union soldiers at Ft. Pillow, including
many
> >>free black soldiers.
> >>Little if any mention is made of the murders and random violence that
> >>occurred after Reconstruction came to an end.
> >>By the way, for all you Texans and Texan wannabees, Texas has more
markers
> >>than any other state.  I guess more history happened in Texas.
> >>In trying to tie this book into something relevant for listserv, I think
> >>it
> >>would be interesting to see some of the fiction used in state history
> >>standards.
> >>Mike
> >>
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