Dave2112
Level of Cherry Feather
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2001
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This week, the North Country of New York State relives one of the pivotal events in the American Revolution as the Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration weekend gets underway. We remember how less than 5,000 New York and Vermont patriots repelled a British invasion force out of Quebec almost 20,000 strong. Had the British taken Lake Champlain, they would have had access to and control over much of the Northeast, almost certainly changing the fate of the Revolutionary War. That distant battle, which took place on September 11th, 1814, had far-reaching geopolitical implications for both America and Great Britain.
Sometimes it's difficult to contemplate the past when real life pulls us back to the present. The airwaves and media are flooded, as they should be, with reports of the recovery efforts of the Gulf Coast states. This, too, is history and history in which each of us can play a part, however small. North Country families worry about thier friends, aquaintences and loved ones in Iraq, Afghanistan and other troubled places that have temporarily dropped off the radar screen as the scope of Katrina's wrath is revealed. And then there are those occasional blips on the radar, those to whom the majority of us have no connection, who face famine in Niger, or neglect and corruption in tsunami-ravaged countries. They seem to garner little attention under the best of circumstances until a crisis is well underway.
There are also competing memories of our not-so-distant past, memories of the other 9/11...for many the only 9/11. Natural disasters notwithstanding, humanity's ability to generate misery seems without bounds and would appear to give us little to celebrate.
However, our simple celebration offers a bloodless reminder that there are no permanent enemies in this world, no permanent ranks and no permanent grievances. Sworn enemies and competitors on the global stage can master thier animosities and minimize confrontation through concerted efforts in diplomacy and trade. Nowhere is that more evident than in the ceremony that will take place Thursday afternoon at Plattsburgh's Riverside Cemetery. There, the descendants of those who once clashed in mortal combat meet to honor the fallen. They do not celebrate death; they honor those who unwittingly made history...the winners and losers alike...any one of whom could have been us.
In 1814, it may have been inconceivable to some that the British Empire and the fledgling United States would ever form a solid economic and cultural alliance. In 1945, many believed that German and Japanese societies were intrinsically militaristic and thus, beyond redemption. In the mid-1970's, many Americans saw little hope of rapproachment with Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia.
Perhaps these examples and celebrations, these memories and comparisons will allow us to imagine that those with whom we are in conflict with today will one day be peacetime partners.
😎
Sometimes it's difficult to contemplate the past when real life pulls us back to the present. The airwaves and media are flooded, as they should be, with reports of the recovery efforts of the Gulf Coast states. This, too, is history and history in which each of us can play a part, however small. North Country families worry about thier friends, aquaintences and loved ones in Iraq, Afghanistan and other troubled places that have temporarily dropped off the radar screen as the scope of Katrina's wrath is revealed. And then there are those occasional blips on the radar, those to whom the majority of us have no connection, who face famine in Niger, or neglect and corruption in tsunami-ravaged countries. They seem to garner little attention under the best of circumstances until a crisis is well underway.
There are also competing memories of our not-so-distant past, memories of the other 9/11...for many the only 9/11. Natural disasters notwithstanding, humanity's ability to generate misery seems without bounds and would appear to give us little to celebrate.
However, our simple celebration offers a bloodless reminder that there are no permanent enemies in this world, no permanent ranks and no permanent grievances. Sworn enemies and competitors on the global stage can master thier animosities and minimize confrontation through concerted efforts in diplomacy and trade. Nowhere is that more evident than in the ceremony that will take place Thursday afternoon at Plattsburgh's Riverside Cemetery. There, the descendants of those who once clashed in mortal combat meet to honor the fallen. They do not celebrate death; they honor those who unwittingly made history...the winners and losers alike...any one of whom could have been us.
In 1814, it may have been inconceivable to some that the British Empire and the fledgling United States would ever form a solid economic and cultural alliance. In 1945, many believed that German and Japanese societies were intrinsically militaristic and thus, beyond redemption. In the mid-1970's, many Americans saw little hope of rapproachment with Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia.
Perhaps these examples and celebrations, these memories and comparisons will allow us to imagine that those with whom we are in conflict with today will one day be peacetime partners.
😎
