tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036023315487420134.post193780072359032364..comments2024-03-04T03:16:17.490-05:00Comments on Interpreting the Civil War: "With high hope for the future": Holy Temples of DemocracyJohn Rudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613203957933442701noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036023315487420134.post-83275060195289704212012-11-08T17:03:04.843-05:002012-11-08T17:03:04.843-05:00I agree. I think you're right that our nation...I agree. I think you're right that our national identity is constantly shifting and changing, and that these places are sites of continuity. But they also have this amazing potential to be sites of understanding discontinuity as well. The best example is the newly crafted Caesar Chavez National Historic Site, an Hispanic-American history site which would have been unconscionable as a thematic addition just a decade or two ago. I think the power of these spaces as temples or churches of civic religion is also as places of collaboration and healing, much as traditional temples and churches are. They have the potential to be safe places where *all* Americans find not only themselves within the narrative, but their fellow Americans as well.John Rudyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05613203957933442701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036023315487420134.post-57525466112190242972012-11-08T11:45:40.778-05:002012-11-08T11:45:40.778-05:00John--
Great post and well said. As you know, I a...John--<br /><br />Great post and well said. As you know, I am not a professional historian, or even an academically-trained amateur one. I do think you raise some important points here. The United States, unlike many other countries, is not so much about a particular "nationality" as it is about a shared national identity rooted in our history and our ideals. The ethnic face of America may change, and is changing, but our existence as a country depends on keeping alive the idea that is our country. If future generations don't have an understanding of who we are and where we came from, then what happens to our American identity, and by extension, our country? It is essential that historians keep our national identity alive through effective communication, outreach, and teaching.Ron Baumgartenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12449787740945022061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036023315487420134.post-10799891922414488862012-11-08T10:57:28.438-05:002012-11-08T10:57:28.438-05:00Scott-
Thanks for the kind words! I think that t...Scott-<br /><br />Thanks for the kind words! I think that that amazing question, the fundamental question of, "How do we share all this interesting shit with the other 99% of the population?" isn't one we try to embed within our students in the academy by-and-large. I make sure my students are exposed to the question, "So What?" which *is* a perennially embedded question within our Department (at least from me and Dr. Guelzo). Occasionally, I phrase it far more derisively with my students to get across the potential for failure: "Why do I give a shit?"John Rudyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05613203957933442701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6036023315487420134.post-85420090320028189712012-11-08T09:13:02.013-05:002012-11-08T09:13:02.013-05:00John, superb post! I shudder to think that I ever ...John, superb post! I shudder to think that I ever shared history with someone and did not connect (it happens!). Whether I am dragging someone to a battlefield or providing an anecdote in the office, I cherish the moments to recount history with folks. <br /><br />I agree with you that the history profession should start strongly considering, “Hey, how do we share all this interesting shit with the other 99% of the population?” Perhaps we should call them the 99ers. There is an art to comprehending whether the person is “getting it.” We have to be able to read people. Regardless of their level of knowledge, do they understand the interpretation we are providing? Do they care? Are they bored? For the love of god (Clio?), do NOT bore them! We have to meet them on their level in terms of knowledge, interest, and their life experiences, among other things. While I can gain experience through socializing, I have yet to encounter a history course that teaches these concepts, or at least stresses them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com