Footnotes on the War of 1812
Thanks, Mark Roessler, for giving us a heads-up regarding the new documentary, The War of 1812 [“When American Forces Burned Toronto,” September 8, 2011]. And it’s going to be interesting to see how far this more nuanced narrative goes.
Is it going to describe why New England didn’t join in and, in fact, seriously threatened secession when its people saw the war as an effort to expand slaveholding? With slaveholding Virginians elected as the third, fourth, and fifth presidents creating executive policy in the years before, during, and after the war, expanded slaveholding was clearly their goal as well as that of the so-called “War Hawks.”
Let’s not forget that it wasn’t until 1828 that New York ceased to be a slave state!
Filmmaker Diane Garey is quoted as stating that “(t)he next war America fought was against itself” (referring to the Civil War), which overlooks that other “forgotten” war. Ask any of our Mexican friends about the Mexican War (1846-48), a replay of the War of 1812’s efforts to expand slaveholding territory, this time in the Southwest.
Finally, I enjoyed Mark’s use of the term “colonials” for Americans who had ceased to be colonial subjects 36 years before the War of 1812 began. Such an appellation would warm the hearts of our Canadian cousins.
Rich Colton
Montague
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The War of 1812 was not the U.S.’s first international war of choice. The actual first was as dramatic, was as full of serious ambiguities, was longer lasting (though desultorily fought, from 1785 to 1816), and was similarly important in establishing our earliest reputation abroad.
Its most significant and colorful fights also took place in lands and against enemies coincidentally relevant today.
The Barbary Wars against Muslim despots in North Africa: Tunis, Tripoli, and Algiers, brought us a kind of peace from the enemies’ depredations upon American shipping, but also a kind of condescension toward Muslims. They also brought, due to the exploits of Stephen Decatur, the phrase in the “Marines’ Hymn:” “from the shores of Tripoli,” to go along with the War of 1812’s “Bombs bursting in air.”
They also brought brave but unwise interventions: for instance, Brimfield’s own William Eaton gathered some Arabs and a few Marines and marched from Egypt to Tunisia to create an American ally.
But, finally, their potentially most important lesson, raised in many contemporary American texts and some political addresses, was heard and soon dropped: that enslavement of white Christians in Africa was no more reprehensible than enslavement of black people in America.
Allan D. Austin
Professor Emeritus
Springfield College
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Our Amazing Almost-Hero
Ted Rall’s provocative guest column in the September 8-14 issue of the Valley Advocate says many things that need saying and hearing. However, he surely knows that Barack Obama was not elected to the U.S. Senate until November, 2004. He could not have voted for President Bush’s push for war. We cannot make up facts to create a good story.
As progressives we can continue to take pot shots and sling slurs and arrows at the president, but we undermine the very causes we proclaim. Our ideal super hero/heroine is unlikely to emerge, so we’d jolly well better support the amazing almost-hero we have. The Supreme Court is at stake!
It would seem that there are those in leadership who would rather our country continue in a depressed state than support our legitimate president and see him get any credit for providing leadership and strategies to bring us back to economic health.
However, he can’t do anything alone. He needs us to talk up his positions, his priorities and his positives. Others are emphasizing his negatives far better than we ever can. But we must hold them to facts, not made-up “almosts” or “might have beens.”
Clara Joe Fisher
Amherst
Clarification: Barack Obama was not elected to the Senate until 2004, after the initial vote that empowered President Bush to invade Iraq. But he later voted for at least 10 bills authorizing some $3 billion in funding for the war. That’s in contrast, for example, to the record of Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who opposed the war and all bills to fund it.
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What Doesn’t Prove Global Warming?
Cold weather and heavy rain is proof of man-made global warming [“Finding Meaning in Irene,” September 8, 2011]. Warm weather and a lack of rain is proof of global warming.
Deep snowfall is proof of man-made global warming. Lack of snowfall is proof of man-made global warming.
Cooler than normal temperatures are proof of man-made global warming. Hotter than normal temperatures are proof of man-made global warming.
High hurricane and tornado activity is proof of man-made global warming. A lack of hurricane and tornado activity is proof of man-made global warming.
Exactly what weather pattern or phenomenon would be considered a sign that man-made global warming does not exist?
Mike Jacobson
via Internet
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Music of a Survivor
Excellent article [“Behind the Beat,” September 8, 2011]. It brought tears to my eyes because I have known Eva [Capelli] through the years, and the tears.
She has always been my hero because she managed her hardships with such great dignity.
If all of that is what she had to endure to get where she is and is going now, I have nothing but the utmost respect for her, and well wishes for her success.
If anything is to be learned through Eva’s life and music, it is, “It’s never to late to become who you really are.”
Debby Fusco
via Internet
Correction: Last week’s article “Worldwide Rally for Climate Change” incorrectly mentioned Pulaski Park in Northampton as the venue for the Fossil Fuel Funeral to be held in connection with the global Moving Planet event. The meeting place for the Fossil Fuel Funeral is behind the Woodstar Cafe at 60 Masonic Street.
