Saturday, January 21, 2006
Fort Douglas - a lesson for today
More than once I have arranged the pixels upon my monitor, and your's perhaps, to enumerate all the areas whereupon the History Channel could improve the quality of their programming. Last night was not a night were the History Channel needed improvement.
'80 Acres of Hell', a program regarding the Union prison camp in Illinios was a frightening lesson. One that reinforced all those concepts that we should have learned as a people by now. I believe the value of this program can be outlined as follows:
'80 Acres of Hell', a program regarding the Union prison camp in Illinios was a frightening lesson. One that reinforced all those concepts that we should have learned as a people by now. I believe the value of this program can be outlined as follows:
- Insight into the fact that leadership and even the rank and file will often indulge in a 'punish the prisoners' mentality where the helpless prisoners are treated inhumanely as retribution for the hardship the war has caused in general.
- Documentation of the use of prisons as economic engines. With forced labor, reduced rations, and even dumping bodies in Lake Erie to pocket the burial allotment; prison camps become profitable to some.
- An example of how fear mongering justifies both the cruelty and the spread of further martial powers. By the election of 1864, the fort's commander had imposed martial law over much of the city of Chicago - rounding up dissidants and sowing fear - all in the name of 'defending' the fort from a rebel plot.
- Another lesson in how history is written by the victors. While Confederate leaders were tried and hung for the poor conditions of some prison camps in the South, no one ever had to pay a price for what happened at Fort Douglas. Indeed, most of us yanks have been blissfully unaware of it for all of our lives.
- It was a northern atrocity. As much of the movements which I oppose are based in the South, an example such as this one may engage my drawl laden brothers and sisters. It should also help us to avoid 'Northern Arrogance', which does not help anybody or anything.
Comments:
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Oh yes, the wierd puntuation from "the other place".
By the way, I tagged you for one of those stupid survey things. mwhahahahahahahaha
By the way, I tagged you for one of those stupid survey things. mwhahahahahahahaha
I dont know... Something like this has about the same amount of impact on me as, say, the crusades. Plenty of people died and it sure makes for interesting reading/television, but it really doesnt affect me on any deep emotional level. The way I figure it, is that anything not in my lifetime or the lifetime of those that affect me doesnt have huge impact on my daily life (with a few exceptions). I more like to focus on the atrocities that are happening now.
# posted by 
: Monday, January 23, 2006 7:44:00 AM
: Monday, January 23, 2006 7:44:00 AM
I appreciate proditio comment. I've often advocated the notion that violence and emotionally tragic events have circles of influence. Those who are closest have the greatest influence, but even something like 9/11 might only be ripples on the lake by the time it gets to suburban Minnesota white boyz. Time also has an affect.
Looking for information and found it at this great site... » » »
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# posted by : Monday, April 23, 2007 11:42:00 PM
: Monday, April 23, 2007 11:42:00 PM<< Home
