America's Story (part 9) - A Tale of Two Revolutions

Occupy Wall Street - Police Struggle with Barricades

Since September 2011, we have heard much in the news about the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The One Percent ....
The 99 Percent ...
(reference: Occupy Wall Street: Who are the one percent? | Fight Back!)

These phrases above have become the new buzz words of the day - labels that divide us ... again ... this time by class.

Initially (in my humble opinion), the Occupy movement had expressed some legitimate concerns: the rich and powerful - "the One Percent" - rigging the game to enrich and advance themselves at the expense of "the 99 Percent." Much of human history can testify to this!

But over the following months, the movement had seemed to have been hijacked. Some news have reinforced that conclusion showing images of angry mobs inflicting destruction and chaos instead of offering sensible solutions to right the wrongs the movement was initially protesting. An example of such can be seen in this video clip: Seattle May Day Mayhem!

But an ancient wise man once said ...

There is nothing new under the sun.
(source: Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV)

Throughout history, many revolutions came from "the 99 Percent" rising up against "the One Percent." Some did overthrow their "One Percent" oppressors; some did not, usually with terrible consequences for "the 99 Percent." And those revolutions that had succeeded - at least initially - precipitated unintended consequences whereas the new regime often turned out to be more oppressive than the old regime it had replaced.

Consider the 18th century. That era had its share revolutions. And two revolutions, in particular, were very similar, on the heels of each other, yet contrasted each other in their origin and in their ultimate outcome. Let's look at ...

* A Tale of Two Revolutions *

Back in 1859, Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) wrote A Tale of Two Cities. And he began his tale with this familiar first line ...

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...
(reference: SparkNotes: A Tale of Two Cities: Important Quotations Explained)

And so it was in London and Paris during the 18th century, in particular 1775 - 1792. The setting for this Dickens' classic was during ...

* The French Revolution

The Radical's Arms

As shown is this satirical English cartoon (left), The Radical's Arms, the guillotine had come to symbolize the brutality of these "best of times, worst of times" during the French Revolution (1789 - 1799).

Before the revolution, the French working class had legitimate and serious grievances against their nobility and religious leaders, which are explained in this article: Causes of the French Revolution. The grievances could - simplistically - be summed up as "the One Percent" oppressing "the 99 Percent."

And this famous quote of Marie Antoinette's alleged response of the shortage of bread to feed the peasants -

"let them eat cake"

- epitomized that the French elite "One Percent" were so out of touch with the sufferings of "the 99 Percent."

(In all fairness, much evidence indicates Marie Antoinette never actual said those words, and the phrase has a different meaning than we think - reference: Who said, "Let them eat cake"? But what the heck ... This seemingly callous quote so handily fit the narrative of the revolution ... and everybody lies ...)

The French Revolution was instigated by "the 99 Percent" - those who had nothing to lose. Their target was "the One Percent" with which the working class had many serious, legitimate grievances to redress. Their noble rallying cry ...

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
(reference: National Symbols in France: The French Motto - "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" (Liberté, Equalité, Fraternité))

In the end, "the 99 Percent" had toppled the regime of "the One Percent." And by 1793, the revolution had devolved to the Reign of Terror. The new regime lopped off many heads of the old regime (at least those they could get their hands on). The revolutionaries treated the nobility often quiet cruelly, proving they were no better - maybe worse? - than their former oppressors.

Hence, a symbol of the revolution became the guillotine, as shown in the picture above. (reference: French Revolution Timeline)

A Tale of Two Cities tells of this fate of some of these hated "One Percent," or those that were perceived as enemies of the new regime. In the closing scene of the 1935 movie version (below), Sydney Carton swaps identities with Charles Darnay - who came from a family of French aristocrats, a target of "the 99 Percent."



Sydney Carton gives up his life in place of his friend, who has been sentenced to the guillotine, as these are his last thoughts:

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known."
(reference: SparkNotes: A Tale of Two Cities: Important Quotations Explained)


The First French Republic did not last long ... barely one decade. All its lofty ideals in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, 26 August 1789 disintegrated along with the leadership and set the stage for a take over by a strong man. After the coup d'etat in November 1799, stepping into the position of the first consul was the man of destiny himself ...

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon in his study

A brilliant military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte had moved quickly up the ranks in the French army. Not long after assuming the position of the first consul in 1799 was he made consul for life in 1802.

No term limits here.

And in 1804, Napoleon became the Emperor of France.

So marked the end of the First French Republic.

The French Revolution had deposed their absolute monarch, King Louis XVI, and later beheaded him, believing that a better era had begun with Liberty, Equality, Faternity. After a little more than a decade, France found they now had another dictator.

Simply put:

* Before the revolution - King Louis XVI of France
* After the revolution - Napoleon I, Emperor of France

Different titles, different people, both dictators.

As with so many revolutions, the French Revolution only put into power a different "One Percent" - just as bad or even worse as the one it had replaced. Eventually, Napoleon met his Waterloo - literally - in 1815. The British eventually imprisoned him on the island of St. Helena, where he finished his days out of the world's spot light.

But this ill fated French Revolution had been inspired by a recent revolution across an ocean, which had preceded it. And that was ...

* The American Revolution

But this revolution had its genesis in a difference source, and after it was over had far different consequences. It could be said that the American colonists were oppressed by "the One Percent" - King George III of Great Britain and company.

John Trumbull's Declaration of Independece

Volumes have been written as to what had triggered the American Revolution. Here are a few of them:

The British regime had issued fiats without consent of the governed in areas of new taxes, boycotts, punitive laws, regulations ....
(reference: American Revolution - Causes of the American Revolution)

The colonists had enough and reached a tipping point as written down in The Declaration of Independence, which listed these grievances against King George III of Great Britain.

Here is an excerpt of the specific reasons:

"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. ..."

At least 27 specific grievances are given against the King. And the colonist reiterated their repeated attempts to redress these grievances - not with protests in the streets ... or riots ... or out of control mobs destroying property ... or inflicting chaos ... but with humility and civility. And they got the following response from the ruling regime:

"In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. ..."

The Declaration ended with this oath of the signers:

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

But the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the leaders of the American Revolution would not be considered "the 99 Percent" of American colonists, but the prosperous "One Percent." And Paul Harvey in this broadcast (below) on the Eve of on Fourth of July, eloquently tells of the sacrifice of these "One Percenters":




And these signers had * everything * to lose.

What was so valuable that these One Percenters would give up everything ... their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor? It was valuable gift, a pact made with the living and the dead and the unborn ...

* Liberty *

The next few years after defeating Great Britain, the United States struggled to find her way in governing the new republic. The first constitution, the Articles of Confederation (1777), had its flaws. But this was replaced a decade later by our present Constitution (1787).

And unlike France, whose struggling republic of "the 99 Percent" fell into the hands a dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte, the American Revolution came from "the One Percent" and had a different outcome as our first president under the Constitution (1789 - 1797) was ...

George Washington - the One Percenter

George Washington

This consummate "One Percenter," George Washington was one of the wealthiest presidents the United States has ever had.

Adjusting for inflation, George Washington was worth an estimated $525 million, with Mount Vernon, his other property, and his wife's inheritance. He was second only to JFK (as the Kennedy estate has been estimated as much $1 billion).
(reference: Business - 24/7 Wall St. - The Net Worth of the U.S. Presidents: From Washington to Obama - the Atlantic)

But unlike other conquering military leaders - Napoleon, for example, who made himself emperor of France - this victorious general of the American Revolution did not declare himself king, but instead went back to Mt. Vernon to continue farming

Hearing, quite incredulously, about George Washington's plans after the revolution, King George III commented about his adversary -

"If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."
(reference: The Man Who Would Not Be King | David Boaz | Cato Institute: Daily Commentary)

* For some more info on our first president's character, check out: George Washington Insights

But George Washington eventually went back to public service and was elected president of the United States under the Constitution by the electoral college. After two terms - refusing the entreaties for a third term, Washington retired from office, setting a precedent to be followed from then on. This was only broken a 150 years later by FDR. Later in 1951 the 22nd amendment to the Constitution was passed to limit the office of the president to two terms, so he/she wouldn't be a dictator ... like Napoleon?

Simply put:

Before the revolution - King George III of Great Britain
After the revolution - President George Washington of the United States of America

Different titles, different people, but one a monarch, the other a chief executor elected (though indirectly via the electoral college) by the people

Unlike France, our republic, which was born from our revolution, did not last a mere decade, but well over two hundred years and counting. Our republic was a product of the much maligned "One Percent" - but this "One Percent" was of those not only in wealth, but in character - by those who had everything to lose as they put everything on the line ....

* their lives
* their fortunes
* their sacred honor

And these "One Percenters" - the signers of the Declaration of Independence - are part of America's Story
which is to be continued ....


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Other links on the 4th of July:

The signers of the Declaration of Independence

Happy Fourth of July

America's freedom story

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Other posts in this series:

America's Story (part 1) - The Speech that redefined us, November 19, 1863 (2011)

America's Story (part 2) - Savages! (2011)

America's Story (part 3) - Over There - 1917, 1941 (2011)

America's Story (part 4) - Christmas 1944, when we said NUTS to the enemy (2011)

America's Story (part 5) - Amazing Grace (2012)

America's Story (part 6) - GI Joe Tuskegee Airmen (2012)

America's Story (part 7) - When Reagan was shot (2012)

America's Story (part 8) - Memorial Day, Gettysburg, and Amos Humiston (2012)

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Previous posts on similar subjects:

3 birthdays, 3 presidents, 3 centuries, 3 defining wars ... (2011)

Have a Blessed Fourth! (2010)

July 1776 & July 1863 (2009)

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Photos from:
Wikipedia Commons: Occupy Wall Street - Police struggle with barricades
Wikipedia Commons: The Radical's Arms
Wikipedia Commons: Declaration of Independence
Wikipedia Commons: George Washington

ZAMM (part 6) - Sloth, or just not caring ...

Heard of the Seven Deadly Sins?

Pope St. Gregory I ("the Great") in the 6th century A.D is credited for coming up with this list of vices, which all good Christians are to avoid - all bad stuff:

wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.
(reference: The Seven Deadly Sins)

On the other hand, the flip side are the Seven Virtues:

faith, hope, charity, fortitude, justice, virtue, prudence, temperance.
(reference: The Seven Virtues)

But Robert Pirsig's book - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM), in my opinion, focuses much of his Chautauqua on one of these seven deadly sins ...

* SLOTH *

Imagines come to my mind of laziness and sluggishness - as so illustrated by the sluggard in the garden scene above. Certainly, that is part of it. But there is more to it than that. (reference: The Seven Deadly Sins - Sloth)

The root of the word for sloth is ...

acedia

It literally means - not caring. (reference: acedias - Memidex dictionary/thesaurus)

And caring - or the lack of it - is a major thread in ZAMM.

You call this Motorcycle Maintenance?

In one Chautauqua, the author describes his unpleasant experience dealing with a bad mechanic. Instead of fixing the author's motorcycle, the mechanic made its condition worse than ever. What went so wrong in this process? Pirsig had quite a bit to say about that.

The trinities - mind, body, spirit - science, art, religion - are all engaged and interconnected when pursuing excellence in any craft or skill. Mechanics, for example, must be aware of the thousands of technical facts out there about motorcycles, say. The art is sorting out which facts are relevant to the solve the problem at hand. And the art of gumption comes into play while troubleshooting and identifying the root cause of the problem and knowing how to fix it.

But what divides a good mechanic from a bad one?

This divide comes in the spiritual dimension, which can be summed in one word ...

* CARING *

In my opinion, the stories told in ZAMM are a kulturbarer (the Swedish word translated "culture bearer") because of the epidemic of not caring that has infected our modern society. Not caring manifests itself in many ways, and below is just a sampling of what some may have encountered.


* Poor Workmanship

Many new houses - perhaps you have bought one of these lately - have a veneer of quality. But a closer look exposes the thinness of this veneer as it masks the degraded craftsmanship of the building ... like the planners and contractors just did not care when they put the house together.

Below is a clip of the condo owners' lament over this former Olympic village - rife with examples of not caring.



These condos are not the exception of poor construction, but unfortunately the rule these days. And poor workmanship is a manifestation of sloth.


* Corporate America

Scott Adams pokes fun at the dysfunction of the corporate world in his comic strip - Dilbert. The strip resonates with so many because the jokes and the punchlines have so much truth in them.

And this clips shows it.



Apathy is another manifestation of sloth. And it trickles down from management, infects the workers, and outputs its degraded end products to the customer, who often complain of its poor workmanship (as in the first clip above).


* Lonely People

And there can be a psychological cost of not caring - depression. One of the consequences of depression is loneliness. And loneliness seems so prevalent in modern society. The Beatles captured this malady in Eleanor Rigby.

Below is the song with images of this lonely human condition:



All the lonely people - where do they all come from?

Lonely people come from not caring:
* Not caring can come from not being willing to reach out to lonely people.
* Not caring can come from the lonely people not being willing to be reached by others.

Sloth, either from the sufferer or the enabler, can cause or exasperate loneliness, depression ... and the consequences can be so deadly.

ZAMM gets it right as it points to the spiritual root cause of many of the maladies in our culture ...

Just not caring

But is there a cure for this malady?

Yes, it's opposite - caring

To find caring ....

Go back to the garden

The first Adam's job was gardening, working in the garden and caring for it.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

This caring can be extended to all of God's creation, especially to fellow human beings.

Caring was the first job given to the human race.

The last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, went back to the garden, to the original purpose of humans - to care for all of God's creation. In his parables, Jesus talked about gardening and caring in various parables and teachings: sowing in the field, workers in the vineyards, the diligence of servants, and most of all how God cares for people as Jesus had said in these words ...

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)

Like the difference between the a good and bad mechanic is caring, the difference between the first and the last Adam is ...

Caring to the nth degree

And we all have this promise from the last Adam (Jesus), especially when we feel no one cares:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)


Sloth is deadly.

But caring brings meaning to life and is the balm for this malady of sloth that has infected us all.

Question: Any stories of caring/not caring you would like to share?

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Previous articles in the ZAMM series:

ZAMM (part 1) - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (2011)

ZAMM (part 2) - Journey through Life (2011)

ZAMM (part 3) - Chautauqua, then and now (2011)

ZAMM (part 4) - Ghosts (2011)

ZAMM (part 5) - Sheldon vs Penny (2012)

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Photos from:
everystockphoto.com: sloth
Wikipedia Commons: Gardening

Pray4America (part 3) - FDR's Flag Day prayer - June 14, 1942

US Historical Flags

Remember when TV stations used to sign off for the day?

If you don't, you are probably under 30.

Before 24/7 cable, a station ended its day - late at night or early in the morning - usually with a short, but inspiring or patriotic video. And one such sign-off video (shown below) plays to the appropriate tune, The Star Spangled Banner, as it shows the evolution of the American flag throughout our history - from Jamestown (1607) to the moon landing (1969).

And that clip above is both quite a historical and an educational tribute to Flag Day - which we recognize each year on June 14th. Since the early days of our history, the American flag has represented freedom - something very fragile in an evil world - and our country's ideals of liberty and justice for all.

But ....

70 years ago ...

the United States celebrated a more poignant Flag Day, one in which freedom and our country were greatly in peril.

The year was 1942.

The United States had just entered into World War Two (1939 - 1945) after Japan and Germany had declared war on us, embroiling us in another world war not to be equalled in the rest of the 20th century.

During those trying times, the Nazi juggernaut had rolled up the map of continental Europe. Japan had nearly wiped out our Pacific fleet with their attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Yet, we had just fought the Battle of Midway the previous week (June 4 - 7, 1942) and had won a decisive victory against Japan, giving hope to turn the tide in our favor in the Pacific theater.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, during these dark days, broadcast his Flag Day speech to the nation, closing with a prayer for the world.

The clip below plays an excerpt from the last part of that prayer, shown with some moving images of World War Two, which are from the end credits of the series, World War II in HD.

The Spirit of man has awakened
The Soul of man has gone forth

Grant us the wisdom and the vision
to comprehend the greatness of man's Spirit
that suffers and endures so hugely for a goal
beyond his own brief span

We are all of us children of Earth
Grant us that simple knowledge
If our brothers are oppressed,
then we are oppressed
If they hunger, we hunger
If their freedom is taken away,
our freedom is not secure

Grant us a common faith,
that man shall know bread and peace
That he shall know justice and righteousness,
Freedom and security, an equal opportunity,
and an equal chance to do his best,
not only in our own lands, but throughout the world.

And in that faith, let us march, march toward the clean world,
our hands can make. Amen

The entire text of FDR's radio address can be found here: Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Radio Address on United Flag Day.," June 14, 1942. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=16276.

It's been 70 years since these words ending with a prayer were first broadcast to the nation ... on Flag Day.  And it was one of many prayers offered during World War Two.  (reference: World War Two and National Prayer.)  Yet, this prayer speaks to the great needs of our nation and the world in the 21st century.

And may we continue to pray to rely on God for help and wisdom as we face the great challenges and difficult days ahead, and with His infinite grace and mercy, prevail. Amen.

So ....

Keep praying for America
for ...

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord ...
Psalm 33:12
(NIV)

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Previous posts in this series:

Pray4America (part 1) - National Day of Prayer (2012)

Pray4America (part 2) - FDR's prayer on D-Day (2012)

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Previous posts on Flag Day:

The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner (2010)

Flag Day (2009)

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Posts on World War Two:

America's Story (part 4) - Christmas 1944, when we said NUTS to the enemy (2011)

America's Story (part 3) - Over There - 1917, 1941 (2011)

A kiss immortalized in August 14, 1945 (2010)

Remembering D-Day - June 6, 1944 (2010)

Pearl Harbor Day, 1941 - World War Two Soldiers Remembered (2009)


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Photo from Wikipedia: US Historical Flags

Pray4America (part 2) - FDR's prayer on D-Day

Normandy Landings

D-Day

- the Normandy Landings -

June 6, 1944

D-Day marked the start of the allied invasion into France, known as Operation Overlord, during World War Two. Since the date had not been determined until its final approval, D-Day was the date used for planning purposes. But the invasion plans all came together, commencing on June 6, 1944 ... and the rest is history.

My father-in-law was part of the overall invasion, landing a few days after D-Day. Since then much has been written about this critical time in the 20th century. And some blockbuster movies have been made to play out the drama of the invasion. (The Longest Day, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, to mention a few.)

For a brief history on D-Day, feel free to check out a few of the resources below:

* National D-Day Memorial

* D-Day - June 6, 1944 - the United States Army

But before D-Day commenced, General Eisenhower addressed the troops, then made a request for prayer ...

in this message shown in the clip below:

https://youtu.be/rjlXH2I2Mes

" ... The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!
 
"I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!
 
"Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."
 
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
(Full text can be found here: General Eisenhower's Message - D-Day - June 6, 1944 - the United States Army)

If prayer was ever needed, it was needed then ...

As D-Day began and President Franklin Roosevelt broadcast his prayer to the American people:

" ... And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
 

"With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace, a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
 

"Thy will be done, Almighty God.
  

"Amen."
 

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

(Full text for the Presidents prayer can be found here: Franklin D. Roosevelt: Prayer on D-Day)

And prayer is needed even more today because ...

The enemy to freedom is not so overt or defined. The real enemy is spiritual and takes on many forms and contrives many plans to enslave and destroy us. We need wisdom to discern ...

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
 
Ephesians 6:12
(NIV)

And we - like soldiers - need special weapons to fight this enemy and get the victory:

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
 
Ephesians 6:13-18
(NIV)

And may we rely on the help of God as our leaders and our nation had done on D-Day.  May this D-Day anniversary be a turning point.

So ....

Keep praying for America
for ...

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord ...
Psalm 33:12
(NIV)

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Previous post in this series:

Pray4America (part 1) - National Day of Prayer (2012)

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Posts on World War Two:

America's Story (part 4) - Christmas 1944, when we said NUTS to the enemy (2011)

America's Story (part 3) - Over There - 1917, 1941 (2011)

A kiss immortalized in August 14, 1945 (2010)

Remembering D-Day - June 6, 1944 (2010)

Pearl Harbor Day, 1941 - World War Two Soldiers Remembered (2009)


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Photo from Wikipedia Commons: Normandy Landings

Culture 101 (part 4) - Gold Diggers and the Great Depression

As a baby boomer, I grew up with parents who had lived through the Great Depression.

The mantra of their generation:

Use it up
Wear it out
Make do
Or do without

I'd also hear:

"We did not have this in the Great Depression."

and

"We did not have that in the Great Depression."

And it didn't take long for me to get sick and tired of hearing about the Great Depression!


I'm sure my folks were frustrated, too, by us young people - at least we were young back then - who didn't seem to have a clue as to what they had gone through when they were our age. But art and history had left us with many clues. Let's take a gander at the ....

Art of that era

Lange - Migrant Mother

Much artwork masterfully reflected the desperation of the Great Depression. One famous example - Dorothea Lange captured a snapshot of the harsh reality of the times in her iconic photography: Dorothea Lange | Shorpy Historical Photo Archive

Another, John Steinbeck's novel - The Grapes of Wrath - was made into an Oscar winning motion picture in 1940, telling the story of migrants, driven from their farms during the Dust Bowl to seek out work in the promised land of California.

But many ordinary people just wanted relief ... even if that relief came in the form of a fantasy to provide an ...

Escape from the grim reality of the Great Depression

And the movies provided such an escape - at least for an hour or two. Many motion pictures portrayed the blue bloods, high society, easy living in "screwball" comedies.
(reference: Movies in the Great Depression)

Warner Brothers put out one such movie in the 1930s with a seemingly escapist plot:

Millionaire turned composer rescues unemployed Broadway people with a new play ....

in

The Gold Diggers of 1933

The Gold Diggers of 1933 did not disappoint their audience's hunger for escape with its characters of millionaires, high society, show girls, in another screwball comedy.

The title characters - the Gold Diggers - were the scheming show girls (Fay, Polly, Carol, Trixie) - who mixed it up with the blue bloods. Polly's heart throb, aspiring song writer Brad Roberts, hid that he was an heir to a large fortune. When Brad's cover was blown, his big brother Lawrence tried to stop Brad's marriage plans to a Gold Digger with not much help from the family lawyer, who happened to love show girls.

The first scene of the movie, shown below, opened with a fluffy number sung by Fay, played by Ginger Rogers - who also was in other films as the famous dancing partner of Fred Astaire.

$$$ We're in the Money $$$



We're in the Money conveyed a common theme during troubling economic times when many dream of wealth beyond their reach.

The opening number was cut short as the Broadway show was in trouble from the get go due to lack of funds. Alas, it closed before it had a chance to open, and the producer, Barney Hopkins, and the show girls were back looking for work. But Barney would not give up and had a wonderful idea for his next show, but needed ... money. Help came from Polly's sweetheart, Brad, the aspiring song writer - and a secret millionaire.

Most of the movie was fun with some more fluffy and even risque numbers - such as, Pettin in the Park. (This movie was" pre-code," made before the Hays code came fully into effect.) And those scheming Gold Diggers created mischief and chaos by swapping identities and toying with the blue bloods. But in the end Polly, Carol, and Trixie caught millionaires for husbands. Not so sure what happened to Fay.

For all its fun and good feel ...

The final scene of the movie surprised me.

In the first part of the movie, after Barney's show had closed before it opened, the producer was not to be kept down. Barney wanted to put on another show - a great show - that captured the spirit of the Great Depression. And song writer Brad happened to be working on such a piece - inspired by what he had witnessed out on the streets of New York - the forgotten man.

(The inspiration for Barney's next show is shown in first seconds of the clip below. Then the remainder of the clip shows the result, the final scene of the movie.)

Carol, played by Joan Blondell, sang the final number in Barney's Broadway show as well as the final scene in the Gold Diggers of 1933 movie. (If the name of the actress sounds familiar to you baby boomers, Joan Blondell also played saloon/hotel keeper Lottie Hatfield in a popular TV series of (1968- 70) - Here Come the Brides.) The lyrics and a commentary can be found here: Remember My Forgotten Man (1933)

This clip below is worth a serious look.

Remember My Forgotten Man?



The End!!!

This was the final scene of the movie. Period. No more on how well the show was received by the public. No more about the producer, the Gold Diggers, or their beaus. Yet, on this somewhat downer note, Warner Brothers captured the ...

Zeitgeist - the spirit of the times ...

and the forgotten man endemic of the Hoovervilles that went up at the time.

Unemployed

And - for me - the final number captured some of the spirit of the times we are now living in. The country has been suffering through a deep recession and many - men, women, and children - undoubtedly feel like ...

the forgotten man,
the forgotten woman,
the forgotten child.

Some of the scenes in the final number got to me as I thought of the war veterans from Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places home and abroad, which we owe a debt of gratitude. Tragically, many veterans have fallen on hard times, too, and are homeless.

Such scenes of the World War One veterans are shown in the clip above at these time stamps:

* Time stamp: 4:15 - The vagrant slumped near the doorway, harassed by the police officer, turns out to be a veteran with medal.

* Time stamp: 4:35 - The tempo increases showing the call to arms during World War One, followed by the troops coming back beat and wounded only to face unemployment and the bread lines of the Great Depression.

And my grandfather was one of those veterans of World War One, who really had to hustle to support his family and keep a job that had shrunk to only two or three days a week.

This final scene of the Gold Diggers of 1933 gave me a taste of the Great Depression and what the Greatest Generation had gone through.


And Remember My Forgotten Man?
from the Gold Diggers of 1933
- conveying the zeitgeist of the Great Depression as well as other trying times in our history and the challenges yet to come -
are part of the American culture
which, Lord willing, will be continued to be reinforced in this blog ....


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Previous posts in the Culture 101 series:

Culture 101 (part 1) - Reagan's Challenge (2012)

Culture 101 (part 2) - Easter Eucatastrophe (2012)

Culture 101 (part 3) - Paul Revere's Ride (2012)


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Eye witness accounts of the Great Depression:

The Great Depression 1929 - 1945
(written November 27, 2008 )

The Great Depression 1929 - 1945 - Part 2
(written February 2, 2009 )

World War 2 - before, during, and after
(written March 21, 2009  )


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Photos from:
everystockphoto.com: Memories of desperation
Wikipedia Commons: Migrant Mother, Money Bags, Unemployed

America's Story (part 8) - Memorial Day, Gettysburg, and Amos Humiston

Humiston Children

Memorial Day had its genesis in the Civil War.

First known as Decoration Day, the holiday began by commemorating fallen Union soldiers. The event was inspired by how the Southern States had honored their dead, decorating Confederate graves, usually in the time frame of April through June.

The first observance in the North was May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery as well as other cemeteries in the Northern States. But after World War I, the North and South agreed on the same date (May 30th).  And Decoration Day was extended to all men and women, who died during any war or military action.  It would eventually be officially called and recognized as Memorial Day. (reference: Decoration Day, Memorial Day)

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was one of the first places to participate in Decoration Day. And the remembrance of the war dead was quite appropriate as the Battle of Gettysburg was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War. Likewise, the area was the setting of the immortal Gettysburg Address in 1863.

But Gettysburg was also the scene of tragedy and tenderness captured in ...

The Amos Humiston Story

Amos Humiston

During the Battle at Gettysburg, Union soldier, Sergeant Amos Humiston, was mortally wounded. He lingered perhaps as long as a day before he bled to death.

After the battle, a local girl found the sergeant's body clutching an ambrotype of three children - shown in the image at the top of the page. The unknown soldier's gaze was fixed on the picture of his family as he stepped into eternity.

The girl retrieved the picture and gave it to her father, Benjamin Schriver, a tavern keeper, who kept the image as an interesting conversation piece. Meanwhile the soldier was buried in an unknown's grave. And the story may have ended there if fate hadn't intervened.

Please feel free to check out parts of the Amos Humiston's story re-enacted in the following clips from the the History Channel.

(1) His story begins at the start of this video clip, then continues about 7 minutes in:




(2) The Amos Humiston story continues as he passes away from his wounds - about one and a half minutes into this clip:



(3) The  story of the girl finding the unknown sergeant's body begins about 2 minutes into this final clip:



Then Providence stepped in ...

It just so happened that a wagon, bearing four men, heading toward Gettysburg to help care for the wounded, broke down in front of Schriver's tavern. Philadelphia physician, Dr. John Bourns, heard the story of the unknown soldier, who died while clutching the picture of his children.   So moved, the doctor convinced the tavern owner to surrender the photo in an effort to find the identity of the man and his family. Inexpensive copies were made and the image and story were spread to newspapers.

The Philadelphia Inquirer carried such an account on October 19, 1863, under the headline, 'Whose Father Was He?' The article began by describing the final act of the unknown soldier. 'How touching! how solemn!' the anonymous writer declared. 'What pen can describe the emotions of this patriot-father as he gazed upon these children, so soon to be made orphans!' (reference: Amos Humiston: Union Soldier Who Died at the Battle of Gettysburg)

The clip below describes the events and scrolls the prize winning poem written about this soldier's final hours:




Mrs. Philinda Humiston, the mother of eight-year-old Franklin, six-year-old Alice, and four-year-old Frederick, finally received news of the article in the American Presbyterian in Portville, New York. She contacted Dr. Bourns, saying she had sent her husband the photo and had feared the worst as she had not heard of him since the Battle of Gettysburg.

Dr. Bourns sent a carte de visite to Mrs. Humiston in Portville, who confirmed the image as those of her three children. Sadly, she had acknowledged she was now a widow and her children fatherless.  The American Presbyterian broke this news on November 19, 1863–the same day that President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.

Memorial Day tradition at Gettysburg

Gettysburg national cemetery

Famous for her grief, Mrs. Humiston took on a new task as headmistress of an orphanage in Gettysburg. The sales from the pictures of her children had helped raised the funds to start this orphanage after the war when widows and orphans were all too common in Pennsylvania.

May 30, 1868, on the first Decoration Day in Gettysburg, Mrs. Humiston started a tradition  as she allowed the orphans to lay flowers on the graves of their fathers.

To this day in the Gettysburg national cemetery, school children lay flowers on the soldiers' graves.  The story is told here:  A Man's Fate, A Town's Tradition.


Timeless?

The story of the dying soldier clutching the picture of his family resonates with the brave men and women in the armed forces as well as those in other occupations that put themselves in harm's way. Many men and women have pictures of their family as they serve their countries whether at home or abroad.

God bless them all and keep them safe!

The Amos Humiston story at Gettysburg and the origin of Memorial Day and its traditions are part of America's story
which is to be continued ....

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Other posts in this series:

America's Story (part 1) - The Speech that redefined us, November 19, 1863 (2011)

America's Story (part 2) - Savages! (2011)

America's Story (part 3) - Over There - 1917, 1941 (2011)

America's Story (part 4) - Christmas 1944, when we said NUTS to the enemy (2011)

America's Story (part 5) - Amazing Grace (2012)

America's Story (part 6) - GI Joe Tuskegee Airmen (2012)

America's Story (part 7) - When Reagan was shot (2012)

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Other posts on Memorial Day and soldiers:

Memorial Day - Do we know how much they suffered? (2010)

Welcome Home, Troops! (2010)

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eCards from dayspring.com:

* Remembering

* Those who served

* May we never forget ...


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photo from Wikipedia Commons: Humiston Children, Amos Humiston, Gettysburg national cemetery