The Negro Travelers Green Book

[RickeyM]

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

So much history of all the groups who made this country, for better or worse, what it is has been left out of what's taught. So much of our nation's history has been boiled down to a happy-happy, joy-joy narrative.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by RickeyM

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

So much history of all the groups who made this country, for better or worse, what it is has been left out of what's taught. So much of our nation's history has been boiled down to a happy-happy, joy-joy narrative.

Yeah, "That doesn't happen here.", "We would never do that.", "We're the best at everything.", "America has never lost a war.", "We make the best darn _____ on earth.",.................I've heard them all and they were and continue to be feel good lies that lead to tragedy, complacency and failure.

I love my country but, I believe a little more honesty with ourselves might have avoided a lot of problems.

Celebrate our successes? Absolutely and we do have a lot of those to celebrate. Crushing Fascism, pioneering in space travel, etc., etc.......

But we should never turn our backs on horrors of slavery and racism, forced native relocation, Banana Wars and all that entailed............

[Yggdrasill]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

Mostly what 'reason' does is insult people. He hopes he can make people mad, so they will hurl insults at him, the more vile the better. This makes him feel powerful. He will happily insult such persons again and again, to get more gratifying responses.

I suspect we are a disappointment to him. Not so many want to play, here.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn he plays the same game on conservative boards, using a liberal persona. If he doesn't, he should try. It would work a treat I'm sure.

You're right of course. I just can't wrap my brain around that pathology. It's utterly foreign.

[RickeyM]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

Yeah, "That doesn't happen here.", "We would never do that.", "We're the best at everything.", "America has never lost a war.", "We make the best darn _____ on earth.",.................I've heard them all and they were and continue to be feel good lies that lead to tragedy, complacency and failure.

I love my country but, I believe a little more honesty with ourselves might have avoided a lot of problems.

Celebrate our successes? Absolutely and we do have a lot of those to celebrate. Crushing Fascism, pioneering in space travel, etc., etc.......

But we should never turn our backs on horrors of slavery and racism, forced native relocation, Banana Wars and all that entailed............

We as a country have many many many successes so I think recognizing the failures would only make us stronger by learning from them rather than ignoring them.

[UncleAng]

Originally Posted by RickeyM

I saw a program about this on PBS yesterday. Utterly fascinating. An interesting look at life for some from the Thirties to the Sixties. So much history is never taught in schools.

I saw it too. I was a kid in the 50's and totally oblivious to that reality.