Just another day in the week

Yesterday I was at Arlington, today The President was... Memorial Day is the 30th.

My dad was career Army... he was KIA in Korea. Saturday I visited some friends and brothers listed on a long black edifice, just another day in the week.



I knew a man called him Sandy Kane
Few folks even knew his name
But a hero was he
Left a boy, came back a man
Still many just don't understand
About the reasons we are free

I can't forget the look in his eyes
Or the tears he cries
As he said these words to me

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

Now Sandy Kane is no longer here
But his words are oh so clear
As they echo through out our land
For all his friends who gave us all
Who stood the ground and took the fall
To help their fellow man

Love your country and live with pride
And don't forget those who died America can't you see

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall, yes recall
Some gave all

Some gave all

repeating history - sorta

George Santayana observed that: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

This is true as far as it goes, but people who dwell on the past are condemned to stagnation, constantly trying to un-ring millions of bells. This not strictly revisionist history, with it's agenda driven rewriting of events, but more a form of inertia combined with a wistfulness for what might have been.

Recently I was reading a fascinating article in National Geographic Magazine about Jamestown. The article was pretty enlightening, and wasn't quite the usual "White Man Kills Natives and Rapes Their Land" tales, although there are some elements of that.

Thing is... the last line captures the inherent irrelevancy well: "Four centuries ago, the English didn't discover a New World - they created one."

Some perspective is in order. Earth has been populated with humans for a million years or more. Here and there, when a group was successful they expanded, or when they were failing they moved. This led to occasional friction. Further, these interactions weren't always fair. Later humans made efforts at reducing those frictions that still occurred, not often successfully.

Also humans, like other species, impact the places they inhabit.

That's human history in a paragraph or two. It's fundamentally immutable. Use a telescope or a microscope to look at it - the only change is one of scale.

The point of all this isn't diminish the study of history, it is to re-affirm that history is what it is. It isn't malleable. Even new discoveries change only what we know, not what was!

There are three additional areas where this really simple idea is currently being ignored. Illegal Immigration, Iraq, and Global Climate Change.

I will expand on the latter issues as time permits.

Darryl Worley and "I Just Came Back From A War'

I won't make a habit of this, but...

http://castrorum.blogspot.com/2007/05/someone-with-clue.html

I could have posted the direct link, but it seemed worth pointing out that the poster just got back from Iraq (second tour).

The song brought tears to my eyes and I've been back since '69.

What a long strange trip it's been - redux

In the past 4 months I've driven to Florida twice, Larry Bailey's home twice, Greensboro, NC twice, and DC once.

This month I have a one day road trip to PA, and several days in DC.

I've met and dealt with some wonderful people that I wouldn't have otherwise likely met 'eyeball to eyeball'. Sounds a bit sappy to add, but that element was beyond price.

Between all that and trying to catch up with my yard type duties I dunno when the juices will start flowing through my fingers again?

My apologies all around... trying to save America from itself is work.