America 250 #385
By Hank Silverberg
Over the next few months there will be celebrations across the country to commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States. This is certainly something to celebrate. Our form of government, revolutionary in 1776, has survived rapid, often uncontrolled growth, a bloody Civil War, the racial inequality that still stains our ideals, corporate greed that divides us by class, and political turmoil that seems to crop up again and again every 30 years or so.
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| (Washington reconstructed boyhood home at Ferry Farms |
The buildings are all reconstructions because most of the original structures were destroyed during the Civil War, or neglected and destroyed over time.
I was feeling pretty good about America as I left Ferry Farm. We have survived for 250 years.
Then I turned on the TV expecting to watch the White House Correspondents Dinner where the free press, the First Amendment and free speech would be the focus, and President Trump was expected to bash the press.
Like many other things these days, violence interrupted. You are probably aware of the details. With about 2,000 journalists in the room where it happened, it's been reported, analysed, and dissected many times.
But here's an angle you may not have thought about. Slowly but surely, the Trump administration has been rewriting history. The National Park Service, the Smithsonian Museums, and even the Holocaust Memorial Museum have been ordered to "clean up" history, downplaying the blemishes on our past, and emphasising the positive as we approach that big celebration in July. You will hear less about slavery and its lasting impact on the United States, even after 1865. There will be less focus on the role of women and minorities, individually and collectively, who had a big impact on building this country and keeping us free. There will be more "rally around the flag patriotism" and less about dissent and division.
You will see less about the Tuskeegee Airmen, the Buffalo Soldiers or the all-Japanese 444th. There will be less about the Civil Rights movement, the Trail of Tears or the Holocaust.
For those who know history, the changes are already visible at national parks, monuments and in museums.
American history in our 250th summer will be a whitewashed version.
But there is hope.There are places like Ferry Farm,
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| (Reconstructed slave quarters at Ferry Farm) |
My suggestion is to seek out history books written before the Trump era so you can spot the deception that is growing. And tell your own family stories to your children and grandchildren so they will get a good picture of what America was like in the past.
We owe it to Mr. Washington.
News You May Have Missed
Conflicts of Interest
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| (Ball room rendering Source: White House) |
If you are not in the news business you probably don't know that there has always been controversy over the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. Journalists, politicians and celebrities mixing at a social event is considered a conflict of interest to many journalists, and others. We are taught early in our career to keep our distance socially from those we cover. In the room were Cabinet Secretaries, Congress members, the FBI Director and other top officials. But somehow that gets lost in this event, which in the past some reporters have called the "nerd prom" because of the formal attire.
It is probably never going to be the same again after this weekend's events. The very tight security will get even tighter in the future. But the President suggested one thing that should NEVER happen. Mr. Trump suggested next year's event should take place in that new ballroom they are putting up on the White House grounds where security will be very tight. Sorry, no. This event SHOULD NEVER be held at a government facility of any kind, which would make the government a partial sponsor. That would be a total conflict of interest. This enhances the already existing complaint about to much fraternization between the journalists and politicians. Journalist can not be connected to the government in any way in order to maintain their independence and objectivity.
I, Robot!
They are not Mr. Data from Star Trek, but robots took a great leap forward in China this past week.
A robot made by Honor, the Chinese smartphone company, won a 13 mile race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating a human record for the half marathon.
And a paddle-wielding robot, also in China, has become so adept at playing ping pong that it can hold its own against top human players, and at times even beat them. It's an example of how Artificial Intelligence is making robots more agile.
AI is presenting a bigger challenge to humans in more than just information distribution. Now it has become more human-like.
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
This week's dumbest quote comes from Canadian journalist, Mark Slapinski. I am hoping his post on X was supposed to be sarcasm as he responded to all the conspiracy theorists about the shooting at the WHCD. But it didn't come across that way. He wrote :
"Trump has NEVER LIED once in his life.
Why would he LIE NOW about someone trying to assassinate him?"
His posts indicate he doesn't like President Trump. If this post was meant to be satire, it didn't work.
(Your suggestions and comments are welcome)
My recent book, "The Campaign" can be urchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at: HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796
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