Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to honor the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan declared in General Order No. 11 that:
The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Today... I will post a thing of beauty....
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went
down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy bosom
turn all golden in the sunset.
"The Negro Speaks of Rivers," by Langston Hughes
Monday, May 23, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
This is Who I am..... right now !!!
Happy, sewing and at peace!
borrowing . . . .©2008-2011 All contents of this blog are the property of Susan E. McConnell. Please do not reprint text or photographs without prior written approval.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
But ... continue to Pray... WE MUST!
And now, at the dawn of springtime, President Obama has secured the jewel in the crown of every American president since the defeat of Hitler in WWII: conquering the darkest evil this generation has ever experienced.
Obama has done more than demonstrate leadership, he has proven it
a mixed, domestic political climate.
The loud voices of Tea Party sideshow stars and carnival barkers, have dominated headlines with anti-Obama rhetoric for far too long.
These days, strategically-laced racism and ambiguously xenophobic innuendo is fodder for the field in the forum of American politics. Even the outrageous antics of newly ascendant Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, has become the de facto talking point in political punditry.
Since these sentiments began to take root in 2008, a vast majority of the conservative establishment sought to frame the duly-elected U.S. president with terrorist, radical Islamic connections, and anti-American, foreign ties. Obama was even forced to publicly release his long-form, U.S. birth certificate last week, in an effort to put to rest growing challenges -- mostly from far-right conservatives -- that his American citizenship was somehow questionable....
Unlike his predecessor, George W. Bush, who led the American economy into the depths of a vast recession, Obama has been misrepresented and attacked for making Americans "less safe". These attacks began with former Vice President Dick Cheney, and parroted by the likes of Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, former Bush adviser Karl Rove, republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, and countless Fox News correspondents.
The result: many voters believed the hype -- that somehow, the president was soft on terrorism -- if not a secret Muslim operative himself. The lie grew more dangerous for both Obama and the millions of patriotic Muslim-Americans, as it equated extremist terrorism, Islamic faith, and Afro-Arab Muslim identity in the same, falsely construed paradigm.
Now the tide has turned.
Early in his presidential campaign, Barack Obama noted his personal opposition to the war in Iraq. He expressed concern that there was no plausible evidence of any involvement by Saddam Hussein in the attacks against the United States in 2001, and questioned America's justification for a declaration of war.
In contrast, Obama stood by his belief that military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan were credible, because of clear links to Al-Qaida's founder and leader, Osama bin Laden. To that end, President Obama fulfilled his campaign promise to bring an end to combat forces in Iraq, but expanded the war in Afghanistan with the express aim of bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, and dismantling Al-Qaida. That decision, however, did not come without its critics and risked alienating members of his most loyal, Democratic and liberal base.
Obama was accused by members of his own party of being too easily persuaded by conservatives, or changeable: following in the footsteps of his war-mongering predecessor.
The president stayed the course, justified by conviction. Following up on intelligence reports of Osama bin Laden's exact location, the president directed Leon Panetta, head of the CIA, to make capturing bin Laden the top priority. Last week the President unilaterally instructed covert military forces to capture and kill him.
Obama, widely accused of being incapable of leadership, weak on foreign policy and inconsistent in his diplomatic aims -- may have now written his own ticket to victory in the 2012 presidential campaign.
The field of Republican candidates remains weak and wanting: full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. But Obama presides over an improving economy and declining unemployment rates. He has already delivered notable victories in socially progressive legislation and a landmark health care reform bill.
These days, strategically-laced racism and ambiguously xenophobic innuendo is fodder for the field in the forum of American politics. Even the outrageous antics of newly ascendant Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, has become the de facto talking point in political punditry.
Since these sentiments began to take root in 2008, a vast majority of the conservative establishment sought to frame the duly-elected U.S. president with terrorist, radical Islamic connections, and anti-American, foreign ties. Obama was even forced to publicly release his long-form, U.S. birth certificate last week, in an effort to put to rest growing challenges -- mostly from far-right conservatives -- that his American citizenship was somehow questionable....
Unlike his predecessor, George W. Bush, who led the American economy into the depths of a vast recession, Obama has been misrepresented and attacked for making Americans "less safe". These attacks began with former Vice President Dick Cheney, and parroted by the likes of Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, former Bush adviser Karl Rove, republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, and countless Fox News correspondents.
The result: many voters believed the hype -- that somehow, the president was soft on terrorism -- if not a secret Muslim operative himself. The lie grew more dangerous for both Obama and the millions of patriotic Muslim-Americans, as it equated extremist terrorism, Islamic faith, and Afro-Arab Muslim identity in the same, falsely construed paradigm.
Now the tide has turned.
Early in his presidential campaign, Barack Obama noted his personal opposition to the war in Iraq. He expressed concern that there was no plausible evidence of any involvement by Saddam Hussein in the attacks against the United States in 2001, and questioned America's justification for a declaration of war.
In contrast, Obama stood by his belief that military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan were credible, because of clear links to Al-Qaida's founder and leader, Osama bin Laden. To that end, President Obama fulfilled his campaign promise to bring an end to combat forces in Iraq, but expanded the war in Afghanistan with the express aim of bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, and dismantling Al-Qaida. That decision, however, did not come without its critics and risked alienating members of his most loyal, Democratic and liberal base.
Obama was accused by members of his own party of being too easily persuaded by conservatives, or changeable: following in the footsteps of his war-mongering predecessor.
The president stayed the course, justified by conviction. Following up on intelligence reports of Osama bin Laden's exact location, the president directed Leon Panetta, head of the CIA, to make capturing bin Laden the top priority. Last week the President unilaterally instructed covert military forces to capture and kill him.
Obama, widely accused of being incapable of leadership, weak on foreign policy and inconsistent in his diplomatic aims -- may have now written his own ticket to victory in the 2012 presidential campaign.
The field of Republican candidates remains weak and wanting: full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. But Obama presides over an improving economy and declining unemployment rates. He has already delivered notable victories in socially progressive legislation and a landmark health care reform bill.
CHICAGO (AP) -- Barack Obama says he wants to be the president who restores people's belief in the American dream.
In an interview, Obama also expresses disappointment over sharp-edged Washington politics and his failure to soften it as he'd promised. He complains that life inside "the bubble" is depriving him of precious, memorable moments with his growing daughters.
Meanwhile, daughter Malia has to start doing laundry, her mother said. Obama and his wife, Michelle, revealed these tidbits on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during an interview they granted to help a dear friend and major political supporter close out her top-rated, syndicated program on a high note after a quarter-century on the air. It was the first time a sitting president and first lady have appeared together on the show, which Winfrey has said will end May 25. Taped last week at Winfrey's Chicago studio, the interview was to be broadcast nationally on Monday.
Asked what he wants his legacy to be if he is re-elected next year, Obama said he wants people to feel that opportunity is there for them if they work hard and do the right things. He said there's a general sense that the American dream is "slipping away."
Obama sat for the interview last week hours after releasing a detailed version of his Hawaiian birth certificate in a bid to end distracting speculation, fueled by prospective Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, over whether Obama is U.S.-born.
Obama said the controversy is an example of the blurring between politics and entertainment, as "carnival barkers" seek attention by calling on him to show his birth certificate to prove he is a citizen and therefore constitutionally qualified to hold office.
"Reality TV is seeping into how we think about our politics," Obama said in the interview. While he has described the birth certificate as "silliness," he said stories he hears about people's fears of losing their homes or unsuccessful efforts to find a job are not funny.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
In an interview, Obama also expresses disappointment over sharp-edged Washington politics and his failure to soften it as he'd promised. He complains that life inside "the bubble" is depriving him of precious, memorable moments with his growing daughters.
Meanwhile, daughter Malia has to start doing laundry, her mother said. Obama and his wife, Michelle, revealed these tidbits on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during an interview they granted to help a dear friend and major political supporter close out her top-rated, syndicated program on a high note after a quarter-century on the air. It was the first time a sitting president and first lady have appeared together on the show, which Winfrey has said will end May 25. Taped last week at Winfrey's Chicago studio, the interview was to be broadcast nationally on Monday.
Asked what he wants his legacy to be if he is re-elected next year, Obama said he wants people to feel that opportunity is there for them if they work hard and do the right things. He said there's a general sense that the American dream is "slipping away."
Obama sat for the interview last week hours after releasing a detailed version of his Hawaiian birth certificate in a bid to end distracting speculation, fueled by prospective Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, over whether Obama is U.S.-born.
Obama said the controversy is an example of the blurring between politics and entertainment, as "carnival barkers" seek attention by calling on him to show his birth certificate to prove he is a citizen and therefore constitutionally qualified to hold office.
"Reality TV is seeping into how we think about our politics," Obama said in the interview. While he has described the birth certificate as "silliness," he said stories he hears about people's fears of losing their homes or unsuccessful efforts to find a job are not funny.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
Trump/Chump
For Trump's decision to fire actor Busey instead of rock singer Meat Loaf from his TV show earlier this month, Obama quipped: "These are the types of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir."
Trump chuckled at some of the earlier jokes, but was clearly less amused as comedian Seth Meyers picked up where Obama left off.
"Donald Trump often talks about running as a Republican, which is surprising," said the Saturday Night Live actor, entrusted with providing some of the comedy for the evening. "I just assumed he was running as a joke."
Trump has spent the last several weeks hunting down President Obama's past with as much furor as the CIA had in chasing Bin Laden himself. Obama first struck down Trump's conspiracy theories by releasing his long-form birth certificate. As if that weren't enough, he then roasted him like a piece of chicken at the Correspondents Dinner this weekend, joking about the fact that Trump's next great mission will be to find the whereabouts of Biggie and Tupac.
But out-trumping Trump would have to go deeper than simply ridiculing him in public. Some would say that there is a direct incentive to hit him where it hurts. Whether it is coincidental or not, President Obama's decision to announce the Bin Laden finding right in the middle of a highly-rated episode of Celebrity Apprentice is nothing short of scandalously debilitating.
If you recall, Sunday night's episode was the one where Nene Leakes and Star Jones were set to go at it in one of those 'let's watch the angry black women fight' episodes that millions of viewers love to see. The show is one of Trump's prized financial assets, this was his big night and his advertisers are likely calling him to get multi-million dollar refunds. Even Nene vs. Star won't sell more tickets than Obama vs. Osama.
So, this has been a great week for President Obama.
Obama has proven that he was certainly smart enough to get into Harvard.
But out-trumping Trump would have to go deeper than simply ridiculing him in public. Some would say that there is a direct incentive to hit him where it hurts. Whether it is coincidental or not, President Obama's decision to announce the Bin Laden finding right in the middle of a highly-rated episode of Celebrity Apprentice is nothing short of scandalously debilitating.
If you recall, Sunday night's episode was the one where Nene Leakes and Star Jones were set to go at it in one of those 'let's watch the angry black women fight' episodes that millions of viewers love to see. The show is one of Trump's prized financial assets, this was his big night and his advertisers are likely calling him to get multi-million dollar refunds. Even Nene vs. Star won't sell more tickets than Obama vs. Osama.
So, this has been a great week for President Obama.
Obama has proven that he was certainly smart enough to get into Harvard.
Sleep Well - Prez. May God keep you and family safe - always
The president will also sleep well, knowing that he's put several major adversaries to bed. At this point, Trump will either come out swinging like never before, or he will walk away with his tail between his legs. Either way, Obama has proven that he was certainly smart enough to get into Harvard.
From taking on Trump to taking out Osama: Obama's click here... timing is impeccable....
From taking on Trump to taking out Osama: Obama's click here... timing is impeccable....
Quit Killing.... VERBALLY ---- My MOCKINGBIRD Obama
My grandson of 16 must have required reading.... and he left his paperback copy of To Kill A Mockingbird (released back in 1960.... in my jeep last week. I opened it to the middle and Scout's voice pulled me into reading it to the end. Because it is narrated by young Scout, we are able to grow up and come to an understanding about the world in the same way that she does, creating order from the chaos of her everyday life.
A weekend trip to Texas.... prior week....
they was 'killin my Obama with BIRTHER words over his live certificate..... hmmmp! So he produced it. My inner anger boild such that if I get on the elevator or step a curb.... my nature is excuse me... hello. And do you know half of the Oklahoma peck-a-woods won't say a word..... at all!!! Well excuse the hell out of me. Jesus keep me near the cross.
Ok cool it Bev... let that antidepressant work. So I keep going. And this book has helped me... so, so relevant for today. UNIVERSAL....tale of how understanding can triumph over old and evil mindsets.!!!
To Kill a Mockingbird is a modern-day morality tale of how prejudice must be met, fought and overcome--no matter where it is present or how difficult that task might seem.
WHO IS ATTICUS.....father, a lawyer and widower....He became the voice of moral conscious in the age that the book was written and represented the ideals and hopes of the liberal classes who hoped to see the end of segregation and racism.
The novel has a courageous and powerful political message about the downtrodden lives of African-Americans in 1930s America, and the prejudice and fear they faced every day, So SAD, but so TRUE is the plot involving a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus takes on the case, despite the vitriol this arouses in the largely white, racist townsfolk, because he believes that there has been a serious miscarriage of justice. Given the cold-shoulder by their white neighbors, the Finches are welcomed into the black community, and Scout is amazed by the feeling of cohesion and happiness that this poor, oppressed people are able to muster. When the time of the trial comes round, Atticus proves that the girl that Tom Robinson is accused of raping actually seduced him, and that the injuries to her face were caused by her father, angry that she tried to sleep with a black man.
A weekend trip to Texas.... prior week....
they was 'killin my Obama with BIRTHER words over his live certificate..... hmmmp! So he produced it. My inner anger boild such that if I get on the elevator or step a curb.... my nature is excuse me... hello. And do you know half of the Oklahoma peck-a-woods won't say a word..... at all!!! Well excuse the hell out of me. Jesus keep me near the cross.
Ok cool it Bev... let that antidepressant work. So I keep going. And this book has helped me... so, so relevant for today. UNIVERSAL....tale of how understanding can triumph over old and evil mindsets.!!!
To Kill a Mockingbird is a modern-day morality tale of how prejudice must be met, fought and overcome--no matter where it is present or how difficult that task might seem.
WHO IS ATTICUS.....father, a lawyer and widower....He became the voice of moral conscious in the age that the book was written and represented the ideals and hopes of the liberal classes who hoped to see the end of segregation and racism.
The novel has a courageous and powerful political message about the downtrodden lives of African-Americans in 1930s America, and the prejudice and fear they faced every day, So SAD, but so TRUE is the plot involving a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus takes on the case, despite the vitriol this arouses in the largely white, racist townsfolk, because he believes that there has been a serious miscarriage of justice. Given the cold-shoulder by their white neighbors, the Finches are welcomed into the black community, and Scout is amazed by the feeling of cohesion and happiness that this poor, oppressed people are able to muster. When the time of the trial comes round, Atticus proves that the girl that Tom Robinson is accused of raping actually seduced him, and that the injuries to her face were caused by her father, angry that she tried to sleep with a black man.
For a minute....due to a good read...there was suspense and evidence provided at the trial??? But the all white jury convicted Robinson; and he is later killed whilst trying to escape from jail.
Meanwhile, the girl's father, who held a grudge against Atticus because of some of the things he said in court, waylays Scout and Jem as they walk home one night. It is clear that he wants to them harm, but they are saved by the mysterious Boo, who disarms their attacker and kills him dead.
Scout finally comes face to face with the enigmatic figure of which she was so scared, and realizes that he is just a kindly man, who has been kept away from the world because of a mental retardation that makes him appear simple. The lesson that Scout learns from both Tom Robinson's fate and her new found friend, is the importance of seeing people how they are, and not being blinded by the fears and misunderstandings of prejudice.
Scout finally comes face to face with the enigmatic figure of which she was so scared, and realizes that he is just a kindly man, who has been kept away from the world because of a mental retardation that makes him appear simple. The lesson that Scout learns from both Tom Robinson's fate and her new found friend, is the importance of seeing people how they are, and not being blinded by the fears and misunderstandings of prejudice.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee. The book depicts the experiences of a young girl, Scout, and her family in a Southern town. This controversial work deals with aspects of racism, and involves other aspects of violence and alienation,
"The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box. As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it - whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash."
- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
- "Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand."
- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
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