This Week in American History- The Fourteenth Amendment

On July 28th, 1868 following ratification by the necessary three-quarters of U.S. states, the 14th Amendment, which guaranteed to black Americans citizenship and all its privileges, was officially adopted into the U.S. Constitution. The amendment stated that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States...are citizens of the United States and of the state in which they reside." The amendment then reaffirmed the privileges and rights of all citizens, and granted all these citizens the "equal protection of the laws." Our great Nation has not always been perfect, but it has always recognized its flaws and, over time, has corrected them. It is important when studying history and when teaching it to our children to focus on that fact and not on the flaws.

Great American Heroes - Rush Limbaugh

This may be my most controversial post of the summer, but only because I am writing about the most vilified, misunderstood and misrepresented man on the U.S. political scene. Rush Limbaugh is a Conservative radio talk show host and the brains and driving force behind the Conservative movement. He is on every liberal/marxist/socialist enemies list and that is reason enough to admire him. He is a staunch defender of our Constitution, our Exceptionalism and our traditions, culture and storied history. He has been influential on the political scene for 22 years now, but never more important than at the present. He is often criticized by those who fear him - and they fear him because he is a threat to their agenda, which is more often than not anti-Constitution, anti-American Exceptionalism and anti-tradition, culture and storied history. His critics call him racist, sexist, and homophobic, but he is really none of those things. These are just the typical ad hominem attacks made by those who have no good arguments for their positions. Zev Chafets just wrote and published a biography of Rush. Chafets is not a card carrying member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. In fact, he probably leans left. His admiration for Rush, however, comes across loud and clear in the pages of the book. Here is an excerpt: "People who dismiss Rush as an entertainer, a pitchman, or a hot air balloon are very wrong. He is a passionate and tenacious advocate, a major political and cultural force who can't be wished away or shouted down or sniffed into irrelevance. Smart liberals will listen to his show, even if they hate what he has to say. The easily outraged will be. Those with a sense of humor will find themselves laughing despite themselves. But nobody will fully understand American politics and media culture until they get who Rush Limbaugh really is, what he does and how he does it." Too many people on the right are afraid to admit that they are fans of Rush, "Ditto-heads" as they are known. I am not. I consider him an American Hero!

Great Speeches - Lou Gehrig

One of the most memorable speeches of all time. Most of you can probably quote the most famous line from the speech - Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth - but you probably don't know that there was only a few more lines to the entire speech. It is considered a great speech because it was given by a beloved and humble man on a momentous, life-changing occasion and it was spoken with grace and dignity.

Great American Literature- Kurt Vonnegut

I can't actually say that I am a great fan of either Vonnegut's writing or his politics (certainly not his politics), but he was a very well known and influential American novelist and a veteran of World War II. As a Private with the 106th Infantry Division, he was captured in December of 1944 at the Battle of the Bulge and remained a POW in Dresden until May 1945. His experiences as a soldier and as a POW shaped his political opinions and his writing. He was also influenced by early socialist labor leaders and was a lifetime member of the ACLU. The main reason I am featuring Vonnegut today is his outstanding short story Harrison Bergeron, which surprisingly enough, given his political leanings, is an indictment of egalitarianism and totalitarianism. You can (and should) read it in its entirety here. http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html

Great Moments in American Sports - Tour de France 2001

In keeping with this week's theme, the subject of today's post is someone named Armstrong. On a Sunday in July 2001, my family and I were fortunate enough to be standing on the Champs Elysee in Paris, France, on the last day of the 2001 Tour de France. We were treated to the sight of Lance Armstrong, one of the greatest Bicycle racers of all time and an American, riding his victory laps for his 3rd Tour victory holding, alternately, a Texas flag and an American flag. Our President at the time was George W. Bush, a Texan. What a great moment for a patriotic American family traveling in France!

For those of you who are not familiar with Lance Armstrong's story, he is a cancer survivor who later went on to win seven consecutive Tours de France. He is currently wrapping up his last Tour and has said he will retire. He is also currently in the news facing accusations of fraud and doping violations. I certainly hope for his sake the allegations prove to be false. If he is guilty, it would also be a black eye for the United States, unfortunately.

Great American Artists - Louis (Satchmo) Armstrong

"I see trees of green... red roses too

I see 'em bloom...for me and for you

And I think to myself... what a wonderful world"

Louis Armstrong, also known by the names of Satchmo and Pops, was a jazz trumpeter and singer who rose to prominence in the Roaring 20's. He had a great impact on the jazz music scene and was also an influential singer, well known for his gravelly voice and deftness as an improviser. He was also able to bend the melody and lyrics of a song and was excellent at scat singing. He was a charming and captivating performer who was very popular and highly regarded throughout his career which ended in the 1960's.

Please enjoy the videos of two of Louis Armstrong's most popular songs, "What a Wonderful World" and "When the Saints Go Marching In."

Great American Heroes - Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong, most renowned for being the first man to set foot on the moon, was also a test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, and United States Naval Aviator. As a Naval Aviator, he flew combat missions in the Korean War. His first time in space he was the command pilot of the Gemini 8. During this mission, he was involved in the first docking of two spacecraft together. He was commander of Apollo 11 for his second and final spaceflight, which was the topic of yesterday's post. Armstrong also received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. And, unlike Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong did not embarrass himself on Dancing with the Stars.