By John Young.
I thought that I would never agree with the right wing in the Republican Party, but I do on one point – we should teach American History, especially to them.
Just a few examples show exactly how much history these people have forgotten. Let’s look at the brouhaha in Nevada – the showdown between a rancher and the Bureau of Land Management.
According to reports, the rancher has been grazing his cattle on BLM land, refusing to pay grazing fees. Disregarding court orders, he continued to violate laws pertaining to grazing.
Because of his refusal to pay grazing fees – even after court orders – BLM officials decided to take some of his cattle. A confrontation ensured and, eventually, the BLM officials released the cattle. The rancher argues the land belongs to the State of Nevada because current residents were not in the negotiation process of Nevada becoming a state.
The lesson of history is lost on him. He forgets that the land that is now Nevada did belong to the United States government. As part of Nevada entering the Union, the federal government set aside a portion of the territory for federal purposes.
The rancher violated the law; he grazed his cattle on property not his.Yet, many of the right wing are screaming that the federal government is infringing on the rights of the rancher. Huh? How many ranch owners would allow grazing on their own land without payment.
Another example of forgotten history? Some Republicans have forgotten the history surrounding the Second Amendment. Remember that the British were marching to take the weapons from armories, not individual gun owners. Thinking back to even more modern times, most towns in the West required weapons to be deposited at the sheriff’s or town marshal’s office when the country folk or cowboys came into town.
Just reading a bit of history would show that “open carry” has not been the law of the land. As a matter of fact, it was a Republican President – their own hero Ronald Reagan. Those who have forgotten need to go back no longer than the 1960s to see that there was a cry to license weapons, especially in the South.
We hear the constant cry of “wanting our country back” or “we want our Constitution back.” Are they really willing to really go back to the Constitution? Remember that the Amendments are just that – amendments to the Constitution. Are they willing to go back in history when people of African descent were considered three/fifths of a person? Are they willing to go back where states had religious requirements for the privilege of voting? Are they willing to go back where women were considered subservient to men?
Sure, we need to teach American History to our students.
But I say today’s students are getting a truer picture of American History than their grandparents or parents ever received. We might have had flaws in our heritage and we still do. Amendments are the tool whererby we correct those flaws.
Perhaps some modern folks need to take a refresher course in America History before decrying those Amendments.
jdlinden@satx.rr.com
