I’m sure that there many of the people who defended the Capital were former Boy Scouts. I’m also sure that many of those attacked the building also were former Boy Scouts. I have zero evidence or proof of this. But – having been a Boy Scout and having worked for two summers at Camp Glen […]
Sady, Boy Scouts Were On Both Sides When the Capital Was Assaulted Read More »
We never spoke about it, but I suspect that my father had a particular soft spot for Joseph Priestly. As someone trained as a chemist, my father would have known of and respected Priestly who died on February 6, 1804. He’s pictured on today’s #stampoftheday, a 20-cent stamp issued in 1983 and shown here on
My Father Would Have Loved Joseph Priestly Read More »
“Don’t blame me I’m from Massachusetts,” read bumper stickers on Volkswagen Beetles and Buses and other “sensible” cars after the 1972 election in which Massachusetts was the only state to vote for Senator George McGovern, a thoroughly decent man who was too liberal for a country that preferred President Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon, an unscrupulous
Don’t Blame Me I’m From Massachusetts Read More »
I live close to Concord, Massachusetts which means that whenever I’m feeling too adequate, I can recalibrate by taking a modest bike ride past the homes of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. And if I’m still feeling too good about myself, I can go a bit father to a pond where
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Enduring Legacy Read More »
“Two centuries after his death, Chief Justice John Marshall still presides over the Supreme Court,” Josh Blackman wrote on the SCOTUSblog last summer. “His larger-than-life statue greets visitors. During investiture ceremonies, new members sit in his chair. And the justices cite him whenever possible.” His presence has been especially large for the13 men who have
John Roberts and the Legacy of John Marshall Read More »
“Valor is a gift,” Carl Sandburg once said. “Those having it never know for sure whether they have it until the test comes.” The four chaplains on the SS Dorchester displayed extraordinary valor on February 3, 1943 when a German submarine sank the converted luxury coastal liner, which was carrying about 900 servicemen, merchant seamen
Valor and the Four Chaplains Read More »
Every once in a while, I find myself reflecting on what I wrote in a #stampoftheday post and wondering if I went down the wrong path or, at least, missed an interesting opportunity. Yesterday’, when I wrote about a stamp issued in 1967 to honor the 25th anniversary of Voice of America (VOA), was one
Georg Olden Was a Voice of America Read More »
“We bring you ‘Voices from America,’” said announcer William Harlan Hale at the start of a 15-minute shortwave radio broadcast that was transmitted into Germany on February 1, 1942. “Today, and daily from now on, we shall speak to you about America and the war,” he continued. “The news may be good for us. The
Voice of America and the Promise of Truth Telling Read More »