Revisionists all over

[Dick Stuart]

A pity that half of America's schoolchildren wouldn't recognize the name of the person whose birthday is this Monday, January 19th., even if they were told.

The man is truly a large figure in American history, one whose character was among the greatest of any American, ever.

The Sun Chronicle is certainly not going to inform anyone, either.

The question is, can anyone on this forum tell us who it is WITHOUT using an Internet "search
engine", such as Google?

[Dick Stuart]

Okay; I'll provide a hint. I think that he was a graduate of West Point.

[Dick Stuart]

Okay; a second hint: he was a career military man, a very successful officer

[Mark Farinella]

Well, my guesses would be Junior Seau, Edgar Allen Poe or Robert E. Lee if you're limiting it to men.

Dolly Parton and Janis Joplin were also born on Jan. 19. Great Americans, all.

Although ... wouldn't Robert E. Lee be disqualified because he was the commanding general of the army that propped up an illegal regime of separatists that ignited a bloody Civil War to preserve the institution of slavery?

Just trying to inform and enlighten ... but I guess we don't do that, huh?

[Mark Farinella]

P.S. -- I admit, I Googled. Greatest resource known to man.

[Dick Stuart]

There's several things to respond to here.

I concede that the question, in and of itself, was not easy to answer . . . hence, the temptation to "google" became too great, I suppose.

In terms of, to use your term, "regime", it's fair to say that the question of whether any given state or states
could "secede" was never addressed by the Constitutional Convention during the 1780s. Neither was it
ever addressed by any succeeding convention or otherwise legally-provided-for established "provision".

The irony about Lee, who finished second in his class at West Point and without accumulating a single
demerit in his time there, was offered the command of the Union army by A. Lincoln. In reality, while
this was an honor offered to Lee, Lee could not bring himself to invade his beloved Virginia. It must be
remembered that for a good century after our Revolution in the 1770s, that most Americans still thought
of themselves, not as Americans or American citizens, but rather, citizens of whatever state they resided
in. Even in the, say, 1830s, if a person living in, say, Pennsylvania, was asked, "Where are you from?",
the answer would most likely be, "I am a citizen of Pennsylvania" . . . long after the nation was formed
via the ratified Constitution which had been in effect for quite a few decades, at that point.

Your suggestion that maybe Lee should be considered "disqualified" . . . may be likened to a football
player that played in the World Football League or the Canadian one before playing a few years in the
NFL. What about the old NY Jet receiver, Don Maynard, who established pass catching records in
the OLD American football league? Do those records "count"? Are they considered "legit" these
days? Remember that R. E. Lee distinguished himself for the American army in military conflicts
out West before the War Between the States.

While we might consider certain history distasteful, does such history automatically become 'bunk' or
illegitimate or untrue or whatever? The immorality of slavery, in and of itself, does not render certain
history as 'whatever'. I'm not suggesting that such history be praised or "hailed"; but neither can it
be denied from the perspective of historical accuracy.

Was it right for Cassius, Brutus, and the others to assassinate Julius Caesar? Note that such is still
history, even though said action was as immoral as even one act of slavery.

[Kathy Flynn]

I can without looking it up. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most legendary civil rights figures. Obviously not important enough for our educators to teach our children.

[Dick Stuart]

I remain of the opinion that the man whose birthday is the 19th of January is just as historically significant as the
one whose birthday is January 15th.

My point is that schoolkids today learn far, far more about the latter, and very little, if any, about the former.

[Anne]

Well, you're actually wrong on both counts. The Rev. Dr. MLK Jr.'s birthday is (was) Jan. 15 (last Thursday) and the Sun Chronicle ran a lengthy and highly complimentary editorial on him and his legacy.

[Anne]

Why would Lee be singled out, with his associations to slavery, Mr. Stuart, as an icon of special study? Certainly then you'd have to give equal time to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Right?

[Dick Stuart]

There is one state that celebrates the birthdays of the following American historical characters: R. E. Lee,
F. D. Roosevelt, and A. Lincoln. Does anyone know, preferably withOUT "googling"?

Further, 28 of the 50 states and the Virgin Islands celebrate the birthday of one of the above. Yup; fully
56% of our states have a state holiday for this one's birthday. Guess?