Category: history
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Politics – A Handy Excuse
Today marks the inauguration of the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden. The Constitution dictated this date long before the outset of this presidential election season. If the election had yielded a different result, the inauguration would still take place on the same day at the same place. However, I have seen teachers…
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Monuments, their Historiographical Role
Once again, monuments, specifically Civil War related monuments, have come under fire with many of these monuments torn down, defaced, or scheduled for removal. Opponents to the removals cry out that taking down these monuments erases history. Ask any historian and they will wholeheartedly dispute that charge. To fully understand the place of monuments in…
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The Problem with “Fake News”
Although the term became common place less than five years ago, it now holds status as a quasi-official term with long lasting, dangerous effects. One man seemed to lead the charge in making the term part of the common lexicon. Obviously, one man alone cannot effect that sort of change. Yet, his place of prominence…
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Christianity and Constitutional Rights
On Monday, April 6, South Carolina governor Henry McMaster finally issued a stay-at-home order, the 43rd state governor in the United States to do so. Immediately, my Facebook feed filled with cries of government overreach and fear. While I expected to hear that from some, many others surprised and dismayed me. For many recent years,…
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Travelogues Grand European Adventure Day 8 – Solemn Remembrance
When I stepped out of the prison building, clouds had moved in, dimming the light. As I perused the memorials, I heard crows ca. I stopped and looked around. The bleak color of the camp, the chill in the air, the lack of direct sunlight, and the sound of crows worked to foster an authentic…
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Words and Power
Do you refer to the casual dismissal by a would-be dictator of past wrongs as excusable in a time of war? Surely not. That would simply provide approbation from the purported leader of the free word to continue such vindictive strategies against nearby vulnerable groups.
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Thoughts on Patriotism
On November 8th, my school celebrated Veterans Day. Over the fifty years that my school has existed, this program has developed a significant place in the tradition and culture of the school built on historic World War I training grounds. As a historian and someone deeply steeped in context, I understand the motivation. During the…
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Know and Do Better – Tragedy Then and Now
Most people know little to nothing about the Tulsa Race Massacre. Prior to 2017, I was one of that number. I learned about this tragedy when preparing to teach the novel, Tulsa Burning to my Gifted and Talented students. Then a little over a month ago, the American History Tellers podcast showed me just how…
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Up in Flames
Nearly eight years ago, I boarded the Eurostar headed to Paris. A long time Anglophile, I designated a single day for a quick tour of the most prominent Parisian landmarks such as the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame. At that time, I had little to no patience for lines.…
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Telling the Story
Recently, I have read two books relating to genocide and the historiography thereof. One, by Deborah Lipstadt, sheds a light on Holocaust deniers. The other book details the Armenian Genocide and America’s relationship to the events and the aftermath. As an amateur historian and an Armenian, both books hit the sweet spot in my brain,…