for all our country's erased history from our children's school books
i lost your name
on an ancient highway
stained with the blood
of bobby of martin of jeffery of allison of william of sandra of ...
songs of dreamtime
where
whispers of peace
rose to screams
if
lost your history
on your long walk
down dirt roads
ending on sand stained
where atlantic ocean calls
waves washing ink
from the pages
of truths past
if
an old man
telling stories long unheard
cries of sea birds
hurricane winds
wash the sky empty
so strong the empty mirror call
if
you lost your name
on a modern black-top street
stained with the tears
of memory and
silence
Aren't we lucky the Native Americans who occupied this land for at least 40,000 years before the European land grabbers came had such a liberal immigration policy? And they were so friendly and trusting. I wonder how that worked out?
Ron, stop a few 15 to 35 year olds and ask about mcarthy in the 50's and the protests of the 60's through the mid 70's. I bet what most know is from movies. Early to teen education is what inspires kids and young people to see in their country and their world. Outside of college kids getting involved mostly to get laid, the real post mid 60's civil rights movement through 75 consisted of very few. Everyone believes that they were more involved then were back then. Hippies, yippies, and freaks also were way fewer then portrayed by the media. and most ware apolitical and didn't want the bother of carrying political responsibility. It's when the Mothers marched on Washington in 70's that Nixon was forced to end the Vietnam Police Action and the draft.
In my youth, our history lessons were buried tales about George Washington's supposed "honesty" and other myths about how great Americans were when we "discovered "America and tamed the savages here by making them Christian and giving them nice "reservations" to live on. People of color were always very polite and served us well in those history make-believe stories.
Today, documentaries, articles, books and other media, fueled by the power of the Internet, movies, and cable TV to enlighten and inspire, are revealing more and more the horror and reality of history that certain forces in our society wish to keep from the sensitive minds of young people.
History lessons and history books have always been watered down. And now they must be, "politically correct." From my first paragraph, however, if we allow our young people to explore through these media, the truth, they will find it out without having to listen to or read pablum issued by social monitors in our schools.
Each person is but a grain of sand resting beside the sea. This thought sets the tone for Jill Eisnaugle’s latest poetry collection, Beside Still Waters.
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Today, documentaries, articles, books and other media, fueled by the power of the Internet, movies, and cable TV to enlighten and inspire, are revealing more and more the horror and reality of history that certain forces in our society wish to keep from the sensitive minds of young people.
History lessons and history books have always been watered down. And now they must be, "politically correct." From my first paragraph, however, if we allow our young people to explore through these media, the truth, they will find it out without having to listen to or read pablum issued by social monitors in our schools.
Ron