A student of history

We all have our hobbies. History is one of mine. And mostly it is local history about where I live today on the Upper Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.

Now just because it is a hobby does not make me an expert. I still am not sure if anyone is an expert, as opposed to thinking they are an expert. And certainly some humans are better historians than others.

Now what I pursue is the human aspect of history. I have always wondered what many people were thinking during the time of the American Revolution. My premise is that what humans did in their times can give me a hint as to what we humans may do in this time that I am living. Certainly, the technologies and communication means have changed, but we humans have been pretty much the same for a long time, I think.

I always wonder about when parents report how much smarter their kids are than they. If this were correct, then we should have a bunch of little Einsteins running around, and most know that is not correct. Better educated perhaps, but smarter, I don’t think so. And all the other human factors, like from the Ten Commandments, are pretty much the same, I think.

And then there is my experience, which is mostly as a US Marine. Mostly, for this post, it means don’t come up with a problem without offering solutions. I still buy that idea.

Now for a long time I have been wondering about the implications of the present situation in the USA. For example, is it like, from a human point of view, what our USA ancestors experienced during the time of the American Revolution? For now, I don’t think so. I keep in mind that many resorted to revolt, and I just don’t think we are there as an American culture today. For example, when I want to drive to shop at Wal-Mart 15 miles away, I don’t think I should pay a bribe for gas for my car, or carry a gun to make it through a road block, or be shot at. I have experienced such human things elsewhere, and it was not a fun human experience.

Yet I also wonder what we humans will do these days if some ruling class arises in the USA to tell us how to live and solve our human problems. The patterns of behavior are disturbing to some when things remind them of the Weimer Republic times in Germany (when citizens still voted), or King Louis the 16th in France. One recent news article tripped me off about circulating ideas about circumventing the legislature in regards the immigration debate in the USA. Now if some rulers want to take away our votes, then history suggests reaction in the USA. Said another way, voting is a big deal, and if you don’t like the outcome, vote later in time, but support the vote.

Now the historical problem question I have been trying to avoid comes up. What if we have a situation like the times of the American Revolution. And my experience says I must offer solutions.

So here it is. Vote vice revolt. If the vote is taken away (or stolen is how it might be done), then think about revolt. Even I might then take up arms and interrupt my Wal-Mart shopping trip. Even then I might selectively quit paying some taxes, and see what happens.

But that should not happen. Our USA culture, will correct things in our own rule of law way. No wonder so many humans in the rest of the world want to come here. The alternatives in the rest of the world are not so good as the USA.

Last, I don’t accept our USA culture has evolved to the point where our elected legislatures pass human laws, and the elected executive signs these laws to enact them, and then hired bureaucrats, all who take oaths to support the laws, can selectively decide which laws to enforce. Now it does happen, I believe, but as a way to govern, it should not happen. And if we need bigger bureaucracies to get the job done, then let we humans vote and pay for it.

It is fun being a student of history. What is not fun is thinking or imagining what we humans may do.