History
Arkansas and the Nation — Do We Have a Constitution?
https://www.5newsonline.com/video/news/local/arkansas-prison/franklin-county-prison-site-may-undergo-on-site-archaeological-work-ahead-of-construction/527-33b60464-ae22-4edf-86ec-a2a6576b58dc
Well, pig soooie y’all, doncha just love Little Miss Gub’ner Sarah and her special skills at getting her way? She decided she wanted a plop a prison down in Franklin County where people are outnumbered by rabbits and deer, so by god she’s gonna have it, by hook or by crook! Methods so far include secret purchase of land and not taking ‘NO!” for an answer. When ...
Deja Vu History or a New Society?
Contemporary times have a feeling of deja vu, especially for a history teacher. Our new administration has its inspiration in an incompletely understood past. We can begin with an economic system built on protectionist tariffs which harkens back to the 16th to the 18th centuries in Europe. It was called mercantilism.
The system was simple, a country’s rulers wanted to produce wealth. What better way was there to do that than by having a trade surplus with every kingdom the country traded with. That resulted in countries trying to produce items, at higher cost ...
Nuclear War Scenarios
(one of two in a series)
“The likelihood of a nuclear catastrophe is greater today than during the cold war, and the public is completely unaware of the danger.” Former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry
This year is the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Most Americans, if they think about the issue at all, probably think the threat of nuclear war ended with the break up of the Soviet Union. They believe peace through strength, mutually assured destruction (MAD) and deterrence worked. Nuclear war was avoided and America won the ...
Abolishing Nuclear War
“Nuclear weapons do not provide security. They are instruments of mass suffering. Preventing nuclear war is a public health imperative.” Physicians for Social Responsibility
We can abolishing nuclear weapons. It is a realistic, achievable goal. It is not a Utopian fantasy. But people must demand the United States change course and join the worldwide effort to abolish them. The politicians will not act unless pressured by people.
We know what needs to be done. We know why it must be done. We know how it can be done. We have the blueprints to make it happen. We ...
Silence is Consent
“He was very emaciated. He had no shoes on, his pants were tattered, he had a kind of a rope or string holding his pants up. Filthy. Probably hasn’t bathed in months, probably hasn’t eaten in days...”
“He puts out his hand, and so I beckoned him to come to me. I said, ‘Come here.’ And he reaches out and he holds my hand, and he kisses my hand and he says, ‘Shukran' (thank you).
He “didn’t make it home. He walked 12 kilometers to get some food, picked up scraps off the ground cause that’s all that was left...and when he left, he was killed by the ...
Summer Reading
“I am looking at a witch hazel
blooming in a garden
The bright yellow flowers in the
middle of wintertime
And I tell my heart be strong like the
witch hazel flower
And you will not be injured by this
dark and troubled time.”
From the folk song “Witch Hazel” by Tom Gala. Some nice renditions are available online.
In these dark and troubled times, one refuge is reading. Escape novels can be useful, but more serious books can also provide perspective and comfort. This article talks about some recent reading I found cathartic.
...
THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY
As a former world history teacher at Wausau West and Newman high schools, I am dismayed by the attacks on this academic discipline in contemporary United States. As Mark Twain said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” History is a story of the past and cannot be repeated because change has occurred, but history does present us a narrative of the development of contemporary society. According to Twain, human behavior and the development of societies follow rhythmic patterns that are consistent over time. In that way we can discern repeating ...
Who is “threatening” whom in the Middle East?
For many decades U.S. presidents, foreign policy elites, pundit talking heads, mainstream news media and most politicians of both major parties have accused Iran of being “a threat” to the Middle East and world peace. But is this true? In reality who is “threatening” whom in this region?
Hypocrisy is not a good basis for foreign policy. The historical record does not support this bi-partisan, militaristic “group think” about Iran. The United States has too often been “part of the problem rather than part of the solution” in the Middle East as in other ...
Ruminations on No Kings Day
(No Kings Day in Brule, WI. Photo Credit Phil Anderson)
“Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” James Baldwin (1924 – 1987) American author, poet and civil rights activist
On Saturday, June 14, 2025, America “faced” the threat of Donald Trump to our nation. Although the people protesting his egregious behavior may not change anything immediately, the huge numbers pouring into the the streets, all over the country, clearly show momentum is building and change is possible.
The latest estimate is 13 ...
JUNE 2025 THOMAS STREET NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR WITH THE FRIENDS OF WAUSAU HISTORIC LANDMARKS.
Citizens for a Clean Wausau and the Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks teamed up in the Thomas Street Neighborhood this month. With the Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks, we learn about the history of Wausau, the ornate landmarks, the lumber barrons, and how Wausau was formed. This month was a unique blend of the beauty, as well as the damge done from former factories in the area. Thomas Street was the home to Crestline (the area is now owned by Wauleco/Sentry Insurance) and across the street was the former site of Connor Industries, where St Vincent ...