7and8

Feel Better?  Good.

In reality I read quite a bit.  But when it comes to books I'm a 'when it rains, it pours' reader.  I've mentioned this part of my personality in previous posts.  I get hold of a subject and drill in with all of my attention and idle thoughts.  I exhaust what resources I can find and then look for more.  this continues until another subject catches my fascination.  Currently I'm contemplating celebrating the country's freedom by wearing an iFreedom shirt I bought in Faneuil Hall and shaving my mustache with keeping the beard.

A recent book was by Sarah Vowell, 'Assassination Vacation'.  She takes the Robert Todd-Lincoln trifecta of Presidential assassinations and walks where the players walk.  She doesn't just go to Ford's Theater and cap it off at the Lincoln Memorial.  She traces Booth's get away route, Mudd's prison cell, etc.  Then she moves on to do the same for Garfield and McKinley.  It is a good book and I can't wait to read more.

You can't talk about this time in American history without talking about slavery.  Guess what I've learned, you can't talk about America at all with out talking about slavery.  Slavery, Native Americans, Hawaii and The Philippines.  It is hard to love the country and not be a bit embarrassed about it's mistakes.  Having gone down memory lane this past Thanksgiving weekend I come to realize this same love/embarrassment dynamic exists with family.

I got very angry during American History class with Mrs. R. when she would only silently acknowledge the red, white and blue shaft we gave to those we took so much from.

How would we react to the Sons of Liberty today?   Gitmo I assume.

Here is to our great nation!  I'll take the flaws and the freedom but I know the price is higher than this white man can understand.