Yesterday was the anniversary of Paul Revere's famous ride (thanks to Jules Crittenden for reminding me), and today is the day when the Battles of Lexington and Concord took place against the hated redcoats. Obviously, time heals all wounds and the Brits are our allies these days, but the lessons of those turbulent times still apply. Plenty of rants can be found at this nutty blog of what the next upcoming crisis is going to be. But I'm more interested in hearing what others have to say. If you were Paul Revere what would you be hollering and warning people about?
Note: This will provide a pleasant distraction from more somber and depressing anniversaries that take place in the same week [e.g. US Embassy Bombing in Lebanon (1983), Hitler's Birthday (1889), Waco (1993), OKC Federal Building Bombing (1995), Columbine Massacre (1999), Virginia Tech Massacre (2007), uh... you get the idea]
See what the others have said:
5 comments:
I'm not sure if I would warn people about anything. Never in the course of human history has information been so readily available on a vast array of subjects to just about anyone that wants to look for it. Unless you live in a country with weak net neutrality laws, or somewhere with no information technology structure, you really don't have a credible excuse for why you aren't in the know about current events.
Time and time again throughout the course of human history populations have only acted on major issues when it has become a crisis. As cynical as it might sound I actually would prefer to let events like global warming due to decades of poor energy policies, agflation due to corrupt US corn subsidies and rising asian affluance, or the emergence of highly drug resistant strains of disease causing bacteria due to over prescription of antibiotics play out than to be the one raising the alarm over them. People in general care only in a superficial way until issues affect either them personally or a large enough number of people in thier circle of freinds or family to get them scared.
I say let the weak and foolish perish just as nature intended. This isn't a tradgedy. It's natural selection for a species with no natural enemies other than itself. Ultimately it will be for the good of our race.
I was going to say teh internets but then Nate went all serious.
It kind of seems like our society has a cross between a "Chicken Little" mentality and whatever the societal equivalent of ADHD would be. So many "issues" have been overblown out of a desire for power, money, audience, etc., that we are often blase' to all but the most heinous stories...and even then they aren't always believed (hence the Chicken Little). "Real" news/events/issues are overlooked because we are overstimulated and either just can't focus or focus on one incident/issue/etc. and don't see the other important things happening around us (ADHD).
Combine the two and you have the core of modern American society. Add this in to the consumerism of Gen Y (already well covered in this blog) and it's more than a bit frightening.
Wow, bet you're glad you thought of this subject!!
Thanks from me to Nate for being grown up and serious enough for us all and the very thoughtful insights from him.
I think I would rather warn or ask people to pay more attention to their families and their children -- as in beware the death of the basic strength of "family". Try to lighten up on your kids a little bit, spend more time with them and with your significant other.
(That and get a dog!)
Kath
Out of sight, out of mind. Don't just remind people of such things; shout it from the roof tops!!!
Nate covers quite a bit of territory. The economy, our debt load, consumerism (credit card debt)and decreasing production would be my Paul Revere shout-out. Time heals old wounds (Brits). Picked up a product to send overseas in a flat rate the other day, and where was it made: Viet Nam. Having lived through that era and experienced college protests, the "Made in Viet Name" took me aback for a moment, especially when this product would be sent into another war zone. Somber anniversaries reminds me, my mother's birthday is the same as Hitler's, my father's was on Douglas MacArthur's. The marriage failed.
Take care,
Cathy B
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