By TIM KILLEEN
I noted in my post earlier this morning that I watch Glenn Beck with some frequency. One thing I can certainly agree with Beck on is how fascinating were the men (and women!) who founded the United States. Unfortunately, Beck and the "tea partiers" take their reverence for all things 1776 to the extreme in a couple ways. First, Beck extrapolates what the founding fathers would think about today's political atmosphere in odd and off-the-mark ways with the help of dubious historians. Also, "tea party patriots" act as if they're carrying out the commands of our national ancestors against the will of the liberal history-haters. Neither are wise.
However, with this holiday weekend coming up, I've been thinking about "patriotic" things and about the men who put their lives in peril in 1776 and those who carried on their mission. Politics aside, all Americans- and anyone else, for that matter- should be able to agree that Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George & Martha Washington, John & Abigail Adams, and, later down the road, Abraham Lincoln were absolutely fascinating and impressive people that we should all know more about and consider modeling ourselves after. From time to time in my posts, I try to add things for readers to consider and follow up on with their own study. It's the summer; everyone likes a good summer read! Why not grab a biography of one of these people and crack it open this 4th of July weekend?
I noted in my post earlier this morning that I watch Glenn Beck with some frequency. One thing I can certainly agree with Beck on is how fascinating were the men (and women!) who founded the United States. Unfortunately, Beck and the "tea partiers" take their reverence for all things 1776 to the extreme in a couple ways. First, Beck extrapolates what the founding fathers would think about today's political atmosphere in odd and off-the-mark ways with the help of dubious historians. Also, "tea party patriots" act as if they're carrying out the commands of our national ancestors against the will of the liberal history-haters. Neither are wise.
However, with this holiday weekend coming up, I've been thinking about "patriotic" things and about the men who put their lives in peril in 1776 and those who carried on their mission. Politics aside, all Americans- and anyone else, for that matter- should be able to agree that Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George & Martha Washington, John & Abigail Adams, and, later down the road, Abraham Lincoln were absolutely fascinating and impressive people that we should all know more about and consider modeling ourselves after. From time to time in my posts, I try to add things for readers to consider and follow up on with their own study. It's the summer; everyone likes a good summer read! Why not grab a biography of one of these people and crack it open this 4th of July weekend?
1 comment:
The HBO miniseries about John Adams, which was based on David McCullough's biography, provides a lot of detail about the revolution and the extraordinary men who created the United States.
Ken Burns' miniseries about the Civil War provides a lot of information about Lincoln, who is my choice for the title of greatest president.
Both of those series are available on DVD and are well worth watching for anyone with an interest in our history.
Post a Comment