9/11 Letter

This is a email sent by a good friend of mine three days after the 9/11 attacks. It addresses the backlash against Muslims after information about the attacks started coming out and violence was directed against all Muslims.
It’s startling in its hope for a future of compassion. One that, so far, is far from being realized.

From : Grant
Sent : Friday, September 14, 2001 3:28 PM
Subject : Sept. 11, 2001

It is increasingly worrisome that our sorrow and grief is turning into a
hardening of our hearts toward people who had nothing to do with the
sickening events of Sept. 11. In remembrance of the victims and through
our mourning of their loss and this unspeakable attack on the United
States and all the people of the world who share in our beliefs of
freedom, democracy and tolerance it is necessary to remind ourselves
what this nation is and what it means to be an American.

We believe that the impossible can be attained through hope and strong
resolve. That democracy, however messy it is, gives everyone a voice.
That all people, including those with different beliefs, colors and
cultures can become Americans and share in our hope based solely on
their willingness to work toward their dreams. That hatred, anger,
violence or discrimination toward others based on differences is
inimical toward our ideals and resolutely wrong. That war, in defense
of our beliefs and our country is at times a necessary undertaking but
one that should never be subject to rashness or fueled by immediate
emotion and only considered in the most solemn manner possible. That
true patriotism is a celebration of all that is good in which we believe
and never should be confused with the villification of the other. That
our country has welcomed people of all countries, races, classes and
religions and this has made our country great.

But most of all that hope, justice and compassion will always conquer
hatred and evil.

We are confused, we are upset, we are angry but we will not compromise
our belief in all that makes us proud to be Americans.

Please find your inspiration from those who are selflessly helping
their fellow people in the rubble of New York and Washington and not
those few who would have us hate. Please show the world that we will
continue to be an example of hope.

Fox Trot: Labor Day

Obama in Africa

[Photo NY Times]
In case you didn’t already know, Illinois Federal Senator Barack Obama is in Africa right now. He’s been visiting various places, including his father’s country, Kenya. (Actually, after checking his website it looks like he’s already left Kenya and is on to Djibouti.)

Barack has been a local politician on the rise since his speech at the last Democrat National Convention and there have been rampant rumors of a possible presidential run in 2008.

For now you can check out some pictures and details of the trip here.

ABC7 reporter Charles Thomas has been following Obama and has been keeping an interesting journal on the trip here.

You can find out more at Obama’s site here.

Welcome Back

I hope that everyone at Elm enjoys their time back at school. It's a sometimes shocking adjustment but I'm looking forward to a great school year!

Moving Pictures: The Birth of Animation

Ww will be hearing a lot more about Winsor McCay in class, but for now I wanted to put up a link to and news item that mentions McCay's pioneering role in animation.
Enjoy!
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/article.cfm?issue=08-25-06&storyID=24948

Fox Trot: History Test/Back to School

Lomax the Songhunter

Well, school is just around the corner and I should be getting my classroom ready but my bad back has me laid-up at home.

I just finished watching a P.O.V. segment on Alan Lomax. Lomax followed in his fatherÂ’s footsteps and made filed recordings for folk songs from the U.S. and around the world.

Alan Lomax (1915-2002) earned a singular place for himself in American culture and arts. Building on the pioneering work of his father, John, whom he accompanied on folk-song recording tours of the American South and Southwest in the 1930s and 1940s, Alan set out after World War II to do nothing less than draw the folk music map of the world.

Some of you may have seen the film O Brother which uses period music of the 30s as well as older folk and work songs.

This documentary was fascinating. Lomax was alive during the filming but of because of a brain hemorrhage is not completely cognate. The film maker retraces some of Lomax's journeys and interviews many people who knew Lomax and sang for him. Scenes of the film maker retracing Lomax's journey are interspersed with archival footage and scenes of a ghost-like Lomax at his Florida home. Although slow paced, it is a very powerful documentary on many levels.

Without the work of Lomax, his father, and others many of these traditional songs would be lost forever.

You can find out more about Lomax here at Wikipedia. The link section at the end is also helpful but for some reason doesn't have http://www.alan-lomax.com/home.html. You can also stream some of this music (realplayer) from the POV site here.

Sorry Lemont.

You played a valiant game. I was watching the Sox, the Cubs and . . . Little League? It’s a lot of pressure to put on 11 and 12-year-olds and I don’t know how I fell about that. What I understand the least is how the Little League game was the only one of the three in high-def. Go figure.

Of course, some people have questioned whether it’s even a good idea to put so much pressure on such young kids. While on one hand I did enjoy watching the game, ESPN-HD is a heck of a lot of pressure. Many of the kids appeared to be crying during the game. What, there are not enough good professional, minor league, college and high school baseball games?

That's too much pressure to put on such young kids.

Iraq

Oh, if only this 8/20/06 Doonesbury cartoon were true. I’ve largely avoided writing about the Middle East and the Iraq War. It is not that I don’t think about it, I just want to put a positive perspective on it. The problem is I can’t seem to find a “happy” angle. The worse things get, the more powerless if feel.

While America obsesses over the killer of JonBonet Ramsey, in one month (July 2006), 47 coalition troops died and over 3400 innocent Iraqis (that averages 110 a day!) were killed. There seems to be no new strategies coming out of the White House and Iraq is on the verge (if not there already) of civil war.

Today in the news they called up even more marine reserve troops.

I’m speechless.

This war is a nightmare and I can’t wake up.

What’s the solution? Pulling out would make Iraq even more of a blood bath in my opinion. Staying the present course is only weakening the U.S. position abroad and at home and strengthening terrorist and Iran and Syria’s influence not to even mention the death toll. There are no easy answers, but President Bush got us into this and he needs to provide vision to get us out.

History Detectives

Rather than try to discuss the recent foiled terrorist attack in the UK or the tenuous cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel and other very important current events I’m going to take a break and discuss some lighter fare with another favorite PBS show of mine.

History Detectives is just what the name says. Besides highlighting little-know parts of U.S. history, I love the show’s stress on the processes of research and discover. Sometimes the artifacts or paths that the detectives go down turn out to be dead ends but that’s not the point. It’s the journey and what we learn along the way. It makes personal connections from far off events to now.

I’m not sure how much I will be able to use this in the classroom but for anyone interested in U.S. history, this show is a must.