Curtis Dahlgren
The Legacy of the Founding Families, Part II: Our first Thanksgiving after 1776
By Curtis Dahlgren
"The Light and the Glory; Did God have a plan for America?" by Peter Marshall and David Manuel – book on my Top 5 list
MANIFEST DESTINY. I committed a dastardly deed last week by mentioning that. It's on the list of verboten words, at least in Academania Land. Not all historians agree Take, for example, David Barton who wrote "The Jefferson Lies." The point of my previous column, and this one, is that if you don't understand the other guy's take on an issue, you don't really understand yours either. Which is why I recommend strongly "Christopher Columbus and His Legacy" from the Opposing Viewpoints series. Why? Because of chapters such as the following:
"Should we stop giving money to other countries and let them hate us for free?"
The jealousy of other nations is, perhaps, somewhat understandable, but the fact that Academania teaches our youngsters to hate America TOO is not at all understandable. What kind of a world are we living in? Alice-in-Wonderland falls through a rabbit hole and comes back through the looking glass with a diploma in hand but all screwed up? Up is now down and down is up.
P.S. I want to quote a few gems from "The Light and the Glory." The 13 colonies were 13 miracles, and there were probably more than 13 miracles that allowed them to beat the world's most powerful empire. When Cornwallis surrendered to us at Yorktown, his army had to march a gauntlet between French soldiers on one side and Americans on the other, the Brits playing the tune "The World Turned Upside Down" (which it was). And like David, we didn't beat Goliath on our own! A few excerpts from the story:
"The end was inevitable, and both sides knew it . . In the meantime, Cornwallis had planned one last, desperate gambit . . On the night of October 16, 1781 he began ferrying his troops across the York River in small boats . . He had got a third of his army across undetected when a sudden violent storm of wind and rain came up out of nowhere, driving boats downstream . . 'Thus expired the last hope of the British army' (Cornwallis raised the white flag before noon).
"Cornwallis, it turned out, could not bring himself to turn over his sword to Washington in person, and so had pleaded 'indisposition'[sick, which he probably was, and irony of ironies, Washington sent a man by the name of Lincoln (Benjamin) back to receive the sword from Cornwallis in person] . . .
"Washington ordered a thanksgiving service to be held the day after the surrender [quote]: The Commander-in-chief recommends that the troops not on duty should universally attend with that seriousness of deportment and gratitude of heart which the recognition of such reiterated and astonishing interposition of Providence demands of us."
IN THAT SPIRIT, MAY WE KEEP THE DAY OF THANKSGIVING, NOVEMBER 28, 2019.
P.S. Later Washington would also say, "The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he much be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations." God did have a plan for America. A big plan !!
PPS: Can you think of one word to describe the average American's attitude toward the Book our Founding Families both read and revered? The word is AMBIVALENT.
"Every dogma has its day," someone said. Even the dogma of Darwinistic atheism and nihilistic lawlessness. Someone also said, "A watch doesn't tell time. You have to read it." The Bible doesn't "tell" you anything either if you never open it up!
"Vengeance is the Lord's." It's time to quit picking at the scabs of old wounds; that only perpetuates them.
© Curtis Dahlgren
November 17, 2019
"The Light and the Glory; Did God have a plan for America?" by Peter Marshall and David Manuel – book on my Top 5 list
MANIFEST DESTINY. I committed a dastardly deed last week by mentioning that. It's on the list of verboten words, at least in Academania Land. Not all historians agree Take, for example, David Barton who wrote "The Jefferson Lies." The point of my previous column, and this one, is that if you don't understand the other guy's take on an issue, you don't really understand yours either. Which is why I recommend strongly "Christopher Columbus and His Legacy" from the Opposing Viewpoints series. Why? Because of chapters such as the following:
- Modern attacks on Columbus are unwarranted.
- Modern attack on Columbus is warranted.
- Columbus was a hero.
- Columbus' Role in Christianity should be reassessed.
- Natural Law justifies dispossessing the Indians of their land.
- Natural Law does not justify dispossessing the Indians of their land.
- White takeover of Indian land: a white's view (Theodore Roosevelt).
- White takeover of Indian land (Chief Joseph)
- Natives of the Americas are noble savages.
- Natives of the Americas are uncivilized beasts.
- Indians must be educated to adopt civilized ways.
- Indians already have civilized cultures.
"Should we stop giving money to other countries and let them hate us for free?"
The jealousy of other nations is, perhaps, somewhat understandable, but the fact that Academania teaches our youngsters to hate America TOO is not at all understandable. What kind of a world are we living in? Alice-in-Wonderland falls through a rabbit hole and comes back through the looking glass with a diploma in hand but all screwed up? Up is now down and down is up.
P.S. I want to quote a few gems from "The Light and the Glory." The 13 colonies were 13 miracles, and there were probably more than 13 miracles that allowed them to beat the world's most powerful empire. When Cornwallis surrendered to us at Yorktown, his army had to march a gauntlet between French soldiers on one side and Americans on the other, the Brits playing the tune "The World Turned Upside Down" (which it was). And like David, we didn't beat Goliath on our own! A few excerpts from the story:
"The end was inevitable, and both sides knew it . . In the meantime, Cornwallis had planned one last, desperate gambit . . On the night of October 16, 1781 he began ferrying his troops across the York River in small boats . . He had got a third of his army across undetected when a sudden violent storm of wind and rain came up out of nowhere, driving boats downstream . . 'Thus expired the last hope of the British army' (Cornwallis raised the white flag before noon).
"Cornwallis, it turned out, could not bring himself to turn over his sword to Washington in person, and so had pleaded 'indisposition'[sick, which he probably was, and irony of ironies, Washington sent a man by the name of Lincoln (Benjamin) back to receive the sword from Cornwallis in person] . . .
"Washington ordered a thanksgiving service to be held the day after the surrender [quote]: The Commander-in-chief recommends that the troops not on duty should universally attend with that seriousness of deportment and gratitude of heart which the recognition of such reiterated and astonishing interposition of Providence demands of us."
IN THAT SPIRIT, MAY WE KEEP THE DAY OF THANKSGIVING, NOVEMBER 28, 2019.
P.S. Later Washington would also say, "The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he much be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations." God did have a plan for America. A big plan !!
PPS: Can you think of one word to describe the average American's attitude toward the Book our Founding Families both read and revered? The word is AMBIVALENT.
"Every dogma has its day," someone said. Even the dogma of Darwinistic atheism and nihilistic lawlessness. Someone also said, "A watch doesn't tell time. You have to read it." The Bible doesn't "tell" you anything either if you never open it up!
"Vengeance is the Lord's." It's time to quit picking at the scabs of old wounds; that only perpetuates them.
© Curtis Dahlgren
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