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[Peggy Noonan] Patriots, Then and Now: With nations as with people, love them or lose them.
Opinion Journal ^ | March 30, 2006 | Peggy Noonan

Posted on 03/30/2006 8:23:28 AM PST by rhema

I had a great experience the other night. I met some of the 114 living recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. It was at their annual dinner, held, as it has been the past four years, at the New York Stock Exchange.

I met Nick Oresko. Nick is in his 80s, small, 5-foot-5 or so. Soft white hair, pale-pink skin, thick torso, walks with a cane. Just a nice old guy you'd pass on the street or in the airport without really seeing him. Around his neck was a sky-blue ribbon, and hanging from that ribbon the medal. He let me turn it over. It had his name, his rank, and then "1/23/45. Near Tettington, Germany."

Tettington, Germany. The Battle of the Bulge.

(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; US: New Jersey
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To: eyespysomething
LOL, no, that's why we teach that at home!!

To their credit, some teachers teach it, following the exhortation of Walter McDougall's The Three Reasons We Must Teach History, whose first few paragraphs follow:

“If we act only for ourselves," wrote Samuel Johnson, "to neglect the study of history is not prudent. If we are entrusted with the care of others of others it is not just."

"Prudence" and "justice" are often two words conspicuous by their absence in our otherwise verbose debates on how, why, and what to teach to American children. The infamous National Standards for History, for instance, were criticized from many perspectives, but to my knowledge I was the only reviewer to question the strength of those Standards as well as their weakness. I found them altogether too inclusive, demanding, and sophisticated for high school teachers and students. For instance, I considered the Standards' repeated invitations to debunk the sainted image of Woodrow Wilson entirely legitimate, but asked whether "it is wise to teach grade-schoolers that Wilson was foolish or hypocritical to proclaim democracy, disarmament, self-determination, free trade, and a League of Nations to a war-ravaged world?" A college seminar should take a critical stance toward the icons of American history. But is it prudent to turn 11th graders into cynics with regard to the values their nation holds dear?

21 posted on 03/30/2006 12:46:24 PM PST by rhema ("Break the conventions, keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: edcoil
. . .the PC world has ensured little is taught and the unions have ensured little effort is made.

Some professional teacher organizations, notably The Association of American Educators, are making the effort. The article in my previous post is from the Association's website.

22 posted on 03/30/2006 12:49:48 PM PST by rhema ("Break the conventions, keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: rhema

Thanks for that. I'll look at the site later!


23 posted on 03/30/2006 12:52:33 PM PST by eyespysomething
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To: eyespysomething
Going from the NEA's (motto: "We're proud to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic Party") website to the AAE's is like emerging from a labyrinthine sewer system into


24 posted on 03/30/2006 1:01:00 PM PST by rhema ("Break the conventions, keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: devolve

BTTT!
Very good point!

I've been away for the last few days.
I am really looking forward to seeing what you've come up with lately.
It's always good. ;o)


25 posted on 03/30/2006 2:13:42 PM PST by dixiechick2000 (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. ~~ Will Rogers)
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To: devolve

LOL, wonder if people notice the fizzling fuse??


26 posted on 03/30/2006 2:39:50 PM PST by potlatch (Does a clean house indicate that there is a broken computer in it?)
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To: Rokke

Well, all that was controlled immigration for the most part. And most of those wanted to be Americans, for the opportunity and the freedom America provided. Holding to your roots is not a bad thing. They learned english, kept thier own language, took on new holidays and kept thier old ones.



What we have now is a hostile foriegn nation goverened by a narco-kleptocracy encouraging its dregs to come here illegally, assisting them with maps....it's army provides cover for narcotics smugglers, human smugglers, weapon smugglers. And these people don't want to assimilate, they want reconquista.

If you cannot see the difference then you're blind.

It's going to get ugly if some of the views here on FR are any indication.

Keep your powder dry.


27 posted on 03/30/2006 3:03:24 PM PST by Stopislamnow (The 2nd Amendment was written for a reason. It's the biggest fear of corrupt politicians.)
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To: Stopislamnow
"If you cannot see the difference then you're blind."

Yeah, I'll tell you what, those strawberry pickers scare the heck out of me. Thanks for your illumination and wisdom.

28 posted on 03/30/2006 6:58:37 PM PST by Rokke
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To: rhema

bfl


29 posted on 03/30/2006 7:19:24 PM PST by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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To: rhema
Peggy definitely stopped digging with this piece. No patronizing advice to Bush. No telling us how much she loves the Clintons. This is classic Noonan.

A Hollywood that promoted and exported her vision of a golden America would be a huge help.

30 posted on 03/30/2006 7:26:08 PM PST by TChad
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To: Dont_Tread_On_Me_888

You're going overboard. It's certainly arguable that her writing has been a bit weak, of late.

This piece certainly reverses that. Required reading.


31 posted on 03/31/2006 5:06:05 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Guns themselves are fairly robust; their chief enemies are rust and politicians) (NRA)
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To: Tolik

Moral clarity nominee.


32 posted on 03/31/2006 5:21:42 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Guns themselves are fairly robust; their chief enemies are rust and politicians) (NRA)
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