Protestantism

» Brian Tubbs - History

-History as written in the government-sanctioned history text books.

This is more left-wing crap, Migisi! My knowledge of history isn't based on materials approved by the US government. It's based on a pretty broad review of materials that range from Howard Zinn to Doris Kearns Goodwin to David McCullough to Joseph Ellis to Barbara Tuchman and on and on and on! And more than that, based on primary source documents from the eras I've particularly zeroed in on. Just because my understanding of history is different from yours doesn't mean my information was spoon fed by the government. Get off your high horse!

I'm not one of your high school history students, Brian. I'd be one whom your students would interview for a 'living' account of the Cold War era and subsequent world events.

And I'm not talking DOWN to you as if you were. In fact, I didn't even talk DOWN to my students. I don't usually brag, except when I'm defensive, but I was a pretty popular teacher at the school I taught at - and the main reason was because I treated the teenagers with mutual respect.

You were born around 1973, and would've been around 18 during Desert Storm, right?

I was born in 1969. I joined the Virginia Army National Guard in August 1990 and happened to be on active duty with the Regular US Army for Basic and Advanced Infantry Training at Ft. Benning, Georgia during Operation Desert Storm.

Don't presume to instruct those of us who've LIVED history.

There's a lot of arrogance in this statement of yours. If you're taking the position that older people automatically know more than younger people - and thus that younger people can't "presume" to teach older folks anything - then I say that's ludicrous. But if that's your stubborn position, then continuing this with you is hopeless.

Before you get the wrong idea, I pay great respect to those older than me. Most of my congregation is, in fact, older than me. And I've always treated those older with respect. And I appreciate that they have life experience which I can learn from.

But this doesn't mean that younger people can't be more knowledgeable than older people on history. It IS possible. Happens all the time.

My maternal grandfather served in World War II. He was a decorated war hero. Doesn't brag about or talk a lot about what he did over there, but he's definitely honored to have worn the US uniform. But I digress. The point is that I know more about World War II from a Big Picture political-military perspective than he does - and he knows it and wouldn't challenge it.

Now, I can't compete with the "living," personal perspective he has on the war - and that is immensely valuable for understanding history. But it's NOT the ONLY perspective worthy of our attention.

I brought in a Vietnam veteran to speak on the Vietnam war for US history class a couple years ago. I taught the first 30 minutes of the 90-minute class, reviewing with the students the bird's eye socio-political picture of the conflict. Then, he got up and talked about his experiences.

Several times during his talk, he complimented me (and did so sincerely and even self-consciously) for giving a really good lesson on the war - bringing in things he wouldn't be able to. He was saluting my knowledge of the period - this from someone who lived through it and participated in it! Unlike you, Migisi, he was humble enough to admit that - just because he lived in it - he didn't necessarily have more info overall on the conflict than someone like me who had studied it but didn't live in it.

Bottom line...I am not saying I'm the smartest person here in these discussions. I do NOT believe that for one moment, in fact. But I know American history - better than most people. I've studied it in great detail. There are some periods of it that I don't know as well as others, but there are some (like the founding era) where it wouldn't be a stretch to say I'm an expert.

So, don't try to put me in my place. When I am in unfamiliar territory, I will admit it. And I will continue to show respect for your life experience as well as Pink's and PaperTurtle's and on and on. But do NOT talk down to me like I'm some arrogant little prick who reads government-approved textbooks and then calls himself an expert. That ain't me, and I don't appreciate you coming at me like that is me.