Posted on 05/08/2007 8:05:38 AM PDT by kellynla
On the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement, Queen Elizabeth II arrived to commemorate the great occasion. And it took some fancy footwork for Her Majesty to run the Powhatan gauntlet.
For Her Majesty had been to Jamestown before, 50 years ago, in a less progressive era. As the Associated Press reported, "The last time the queen helped Virginia mark the anniversary of its colonial founding, it was an all-white affair in a state whose government was in open defiance of a 1954 Supreme Court order to desegregate public schools."
Now, "massive resistance" is history. And Her Majesty was quick to embrace the change: "(S)ince I visited Jamestown in 1957, my country has become a much more diverse society, just as the Commonwealth of Virginia and the whole United States of America have also undergone a major social change."
(Column continues below)
True. But are we better societies now than 50 years ago?
The latest reminder of diversity in Virginia was the massacre of 32 students and teachers at Virginia Tech by a berserk Korean. And now that London is Londonistan, Muslim imams openly preach hatred of the West in mosques. Pakistani subway bombers find support in their community. Race riots are common in the northern industrial cities. Crime rates have soared. In areas of London, people fear to walk. Is this better than it was in 1957?
Last week, Scottish nationalists, many of whom wish to secede, swept past Labor to become the first party of Scotland. Welsh separatists also made gains. Following the Irish, the other Celts want out of the England of Elizabeth II. Is this better, Your Majesty?
The Great Britain of Tony Blair may be more diverse than the land of Victoria and Edward VII, Lloyd George and Winston Churchill but is it a better nation?
Only if one worships diversity can one say Britain is a better, stronger or greater country than she was on the eve of the Great War, a century ago, when Britannia ruled a fourth of the world.
But the new orthodoxy demands we say this. And Her Majesty was careful to conform. "Fifty years on, we are now in a position to reflect more candidly on the Jamestown legacy," said the queen, as she began to reflect less candidly.
At Jamestown, "Three great civilizations came together for the first time Western European, native American and African."
Well, that is one way to put it. Except that the Jamestown settlers were not Western Europeans but English Christians. And the first thing they did was build a fort to protect themselves from Powhatan's tribe, whom they thought might massacre them as they suspected Indians had massacred the Roanoke colony. Their leader, Capt. John Smith, barely escaped execution by Powhatan. Or so Smith tells it.
As for the Africans, they arrived in 1620 in slave ships and were not freed for 145 years. Then they were segregated for 100 years. There was no coming together of African, Indian and European civilizations. The African slaves were uprooted from their civilization and had to become part of ours.
Jamestown was no coming together of civilizations, but the opening of a war of imperial conquest by self-confident Christians who defeated and destroyed the pagan Indian tribes, drove them westward, repopulated their lands and imposed their own faith and laws.
When we came, the Indians had the land. We took it.
Backing away from her statements of half a century ago, the queen politely conceded, "With the benefit of hindsight, we can see in that event (Jamestown) the origins of a singular endeavor the building of a great nation, founded on the eternal values of democracy and equality."
That a great nation arose from Jamestown is undeniable.
But, again, what is this nice lady talking about? The American Revolution was not fought for equality or democracy, but to be rid of British rule. Four of America's first five presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe were Virginia planters and slaveholders.
Before the Civil War, 250 years after Jamestown, almost no American, and certainly not Abraham Lincoln, believed in social or political equality for Africans. Jefferson had said a "natural aristocracy" of talent and virtue should rule.
And when we see what democracy and equality have produced in political leadership Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Clinton and George W. did not Jefferson have a point?
In his farewell address, Ronald Reagan warned, "We've got to teach history based not on what's in fashion but what's important. ... If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I'm warning of an eradication ... of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit."
The founding of this country does not conform to the dogmas of the present. But we had best discover why it was our forefathers, who created this country, rejected totus porcus, the nonsense we spout today about egalitarianism and globaloney.
I saw the latest Nat Geo at the hardware store, noticed one of the articles was named “The Real Jamestown” and bought it. Haven’t read it yet, but, high winds and fast washing machine depending, I’ll read it today and see what the latest revisionist history has to say about Jamestown. (I’d love to subscribe, but they are just a little too lib for me).
bump
Have at it? I agree wholeheartedly with the SOB.
There he goes again.
Anyone know anything about a professor who was fired for discussing George Washington? I heard Savage talking about it the other day.
TRUE history is so important, Reagan was so right about so many things.
I get SO frustrated reading things like this on Free Republic because it’s a fantastic article but putting it here simply preaches to the choir. Let’s pray that it gets read by the people who REALLY need to see it, understand it, and DO something about it. Thanks for posting it! It punches straight at the gut where it belongs. Perhaps Her Majesty should also receive a copy? ;) We’re all just so ***sensitive*** these days (the new “in” word for politically correct?) that it’s nauseating. I just love being “sensitive” to cultures whose legacy to their children is ignorance, hatred, lack of any value regarding life itself, and of course idolatry.
Diversity, as it is touted today, is sophistry.
America is all about assimilation - the wish and desire to become American, and act American.
My families came to America 100 years ago from Italy. Yes, they were Italian by birth, but adored the idea of becoming Americans. They gave their kids English names and urged their little ones to learn and love America.
After all, on our money reads the motto: E Pluribus Unum -From Many, One.
And working and studying along side people of other backgrounds is not the problem.
But after the 1950s, “McCarthyism” was derided as a wild goose chase hunting non-existent Communists hiding under your bed. Socialism made vast inroads into the academic institutions, information-entertainment industry, and government offices.
The creeping tide of socialism is what took down these once great nations. The USSR lost the Cold War but ultimately GLOBAL Socialism and GLOBAL Communism remain a threat to our continued existence.
Historical revisionism is doing more harm to our free republic than almost anything else.
If you don’t know the truth about the past, you don’t know who you are. If you don’t know who you are, the future is in going to be controlled by others, not you.
Another 'used to be'...now lib crapola served monthly for folks who never knew what it was.....
ok.......pat buchanan is a moron...
Isn’t ‘Nat Geo’ mostly a forum for photogs these days? Every other ad is for some sort of camera.
It does not “celebrate” the diversity of Christian beliefs. It does not “celebrate” the diversity of economic opinions if they embrace capitalism. It does not “celebrate” the diversity of cultural works if they are by “dead white males”. It does not “celebrate” the diversity of political parties if they include the GOP.
It is nothing but politically correct double speak. Same as “hate crimes laws” only protect certain classes of individual. Swastikas painted on homes and the assault of children of Bush voters are not considered “hate crimes”.
Political correctness is about criminalizing conservative thought. Many companies force employees to undergo “diversity training” which includes political re-education to accept homosexuality as normal and equal to traditional male-female pairings. It isn’t enough to “accept” the abnormal relationship, it must be “championed”.
It is about tearing asunder the “old” culture and replacing it with chaos.
What is about this guy that makes so many FReepers foam at the mouth?
NatGeo’s staff now shoots a boasted 6,000 images for every assignment. At that “hit to miss” ratio, it sounds like they must be advertising real bad digital cameras.
More proof that he's lost his mind.
“And when we see what democracy and equality have produced in political leadership Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Clinton and George W. did not Jefferson have a point? “
Pat Buchanan sure is bitter he can’t win an election cycle, isn’t he?
Sheesh.
“pat buchanan is a moron?”
Buchanan spent most of his education at Roman Catholic institutions. He attended Blessed Sacrament School, the Jesuit-run Gonzaga College High School, and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Buchanan graduated from Gonzaga with a 98 average. He graduated cum laude from Georgetown with degrees in English and Philosophy in 1961. Buchanan earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia in 1962.
I may not agree with all of Buchanan’s positions but for you to call him a “moron” is well...moronic. LOL
Many of the people who went to colonial Virginia as indentured servants died before serving out their time, so in practice they might not have been much better off than slaves (apart from living with the hope of later freedom...and with a better chance of escaping if conditions became really intolerable).
It says that evil white people brought earthworms with them in the holds of their ships and this destroyed the New World. Seriously.
Well, yeah... you can find the negative in anything. LOL!
She doesn’t write her own speeches, of course. They come from Tony Blair’s government.
“Pat Buchanan sure is bitter he cant win an election cycle, isnt he?”
When Americans elected & reelected a three-time draft dodger to be POTUS; I can’t find much disagreement with Buchanan. Americans certainly lost a dramatic dose of credibility with me.
And to add insult to injury, failed to remove him from office.
As far as Reid & Pelosi go; they should be indicted for treason and W should be held accountable for failing to enforce the immigration laws. All the while, Marines are being indicted for “murder” for fighting a war and Border Patrol agents are being incarcerated for doing their jobs.
“bitter?” I don’t know about “bitter” but as a Marine Corps Viet Nam combat veteran; I am damn pissed off!
In my opinion Buchanan is a racist and a bigot. He is the favorite man of the right for PMSNBC and other outlets that brand our movement and party as extreme and dangerous. He and his ilk will not help push our agenda.
I already posted it once, but I’ll post it you as well. The Queen doesn’t write her own speeches. This is Labor’s doing.
Even a broken clock is right two times a day.
I could have sworn that the Englishman John Rolfe married the Powhattan chief’s youngest daughter, Matoaka (also known as Pocahontas) at Jamestown in 1614 and I believe that union produced the New World’s first recorded biracial child, Thomas Rolfe in 1620.
If THAT isn’t “diverse cultures coming together,” I don’t know what is.
Buchanan tells half the story, just like the people he criticizes.
and how are you doing today, kelly?
To help one of our local students, I subscribed to National Geographic. The by-line of the article on Jamestown was to the effect that white settlers destroyed native civilization. Into the recycle bin with that issue!
Seriesly? Or are you just saying that because you know it's a good laundry day and my husband asked you all to encourage me in my domestic duties??? Carp, now I'm gonna have to at least skim it right now!
CONTROL YOUR BORDERS!
As a mathematician, I pretty much use this as the definition of "moron".
Pat Buchanan needs to brush up on his math--1620 to 1865 is not 145 years.
See?
One tourist attraction visiting another.
Me too. LOL.
OK, it IS about the worms! The author seems to think that the English destroyed the continent.
I will have to read more in depth to see if he mentions the fact that, back then, that’s the way the world went. People explored, traveled, took over land. Oh, and Indians? You’re welcome for the:
pigs, cattle, horses, non-native trees and shrubs, the earthworms (best.bait.ever!) et al.
Interestingly, there was none. One could argue that there were (various) native cultures, but to my knowledge, there was no civilization, nothing permanent of any native cultures north of the Aztec empire. No ruins, nothing permanent.
“1620 to 1865 is not 145 years...As a mathematician, I pretty much use this as the definition of “moron”?”
Have you ever made a typographical error?
I only hope the rest of us are as purrrrrfect in our next life as you are in this one. LMAO
PS Before I leave you, how many best sellers do you have?
That’s what I thought.
I don't claim to have a Master's degree in what amounts to typography.
Before I leave you, how many best sellers do you have?
I don't have the fortune of having a mind weak enough that my profound thoughts can be grasped by the general public.
Savage was referring to himself. He was fired as a professor for discussing lynching everyone in Washington.
I throw my broken clocks out, there not useful.
“Pat Buchanon is a racist..........”
What utter Bull Shiitte! The man is speaking the truth and you can’t hear it through your Politically Correct sensitivities. Move on over to DU. It’s where you belong.
Today, a charge of “racism” is the last refuge of a scoundrel!
Pat Buchanan sure is bitter he cant win an election cycle, isnt he?
“When Americans elected & reelected a three-time draft dodger to be POTUS; I cant find much disagreement with Buchanan. Americans certainly lost a dramatic dose of credibility with me.”
Amusing you forget to mention Buchanan’s own actions bringing about what you cite as ‘evidence’....
yeah, well, mu dad can beat up your dad.....
So your answer is “yes” you have made a typographical error on occasion and “no” you don’t have ANY best sellers.
Figures...pardon the pun...but you don’t any problem criticizing others who may have made the same mistakes as you have. Now who is the “moron?”
“Amusing you forget to mention Buchanans own actions bringing about what you cite as evidence....”
And what “actions” did I forget to mention?
Amusing you forget to mention Buchanans own actions bringing about what you cite as evidence....
“And what actions did I forget to mention?”
If you have to ask, you lack the chops to continue with me.
Stuff it!
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