Our friend John Knauth died last month. John was an important member of this community for many years and contributed much to our welfare. He was also a dedicated and visible member of the County Democratic Party. I am taking the liberty of quoting today's Town Dock's article:
"If you called 911 here in Oriental a few years back, chances are John Knauth would’ve come to your door, his EMT
kit in hand. He was part of Oriental’s First Responders, which was a
continuation of the volunteering he’d done in Connecticut. In
retirement here, John also helped get the Pamlico Musical Society going.
And was on the Pamlico Arts Council and active with the Pamlico
Amateur Radio Society. As we write this, we’re certain we’re leaving
something out.
"John and his wife Ilona Forgeng moved from Oriental to New Bern a
few years ago. John died there last month and this Saturday their
families and friends are gathering at the Unitarian Church in New Bern
to remember him. That’s from 4-7p on April 5 at 308 Meadows Street."
We'll be there.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Elections For Sale To The Wealthiest And Most Powerful
The US Supreme Court earlier today ruled in McCutcheon v Federal Election Commission that FEC ceilings on how much money a wealthy donor can donate to political campaigns are unconstitutional. Today's ruling completes the coup by the Supreme Court of the United
States begun with their ruling in Bush v Gore in 2000. It was hard in
2000 to explain to voters that the most important issue in that election
was "who gets to appoint Supreme Court justices for the next four or
eight years." Justice Sandra Day O'Connor understood this when she heard
the networks had called Florida for Gore and immediately commented
"that's terrible." Now America's elections are blatantly for sale to the
highest bidder. Unless voters catch on. The vote is all we have now,
and in NC the GOP is doing its best to impede the franchise.
Lincoln's statement that "government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish...." has been replaced by "government of the wealthy by the wealthy and for the wealthy."
Get out and vote. Let the lackeys of excessive wealth in our legislatures, Congress and Governor's mansions spend more time with their families!
Lincoln's statement that "government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish...." has been replaced by "government of the wealthy by the wealthy and for the wealthy."
Get out and vote. Let the lackeys of excessive wealth in our legislatures, Congress and Governor's mansions spend more time with their families!
Cox v Town Of Oriental
Oriental's Town Attorney, Scott Davis, updated the Board on the status of my suit against the Town. In a nutshell: the Court of Appeals hearing by a three-judge panel is docketed for April 23. There will be no oral arguments. It may be a couple of months more before we hear the results.
Town Of Oriental - Town Board Meeting April 1, 2014
Good Town Board meeting tonight. Everyone got to meet the new Town Manager - Diane Miller. My assessment: we are lucky to have her.
As for the Board, they did well. Tonight was the first quasi-judicial hearing by this board.
Just a suggestion - I think it is generally a bad idea for Town Board members to sit in on Planning Board meetings, especially meetings reviewing permit applications. Best to do that business at arm's length.
As for the Board, they did well. Tonight was the first quasi-judicial hearing by this board.
Just a suggestion - I think it is generally a bad idea for Town Board members to sit in on Planning Board meetings, especially meetings reviewing permit applications. Best to do that business at arm's length.
Monday, March 31, 2014
The Navy Way: USS Houston, April 1 1944
As April began, USS Houston (CL-81) was preparing to be deployed to the Pacific. Over the next weeks and months I will try to explain what was involved. 'Round the clock work, training, and cramming stuff into storerooms.
Years ago I concluded that the world would be a better place, at least more effective, if it were run like the Navy. I will explain later. But at least it should be clear that the US Army and the US Navy were very different organizations.
How to explain?
I just came across this passage in a 1941 essay by the British author, George Orwell about what it means to be British:
"It is quite true that the English are hypocritical about their Empire. In the working class this hypocrisy takes the form of not knowing that the Empire exists. But their dislike of standing armies is a perfectly sound instinct. A navy employs comparatively few people, and it is an external weapon which cannot affect home politics directly. Military dictatorships exist everywhere, but there is no such thing as a naval dictatorship. What English people of nearly all classes loathe from the bottom of their hearts is the swaggering officer type, the jingle of spurs and the crash of boots. Decades before Hitler was ever heard of, the word ‘Prussian’ had much the same significance in England as ‘Nazi’ has today. So deep does this feeling go that for a hundred years past the officers of the British army, in peace time, have always worn civilian clothes when off duty."
So. Did you ever hear of a naval dictatorship?
By the way, the dislike of standing armies Orwell refers to already existed in America in 1776. Our constitution attempted three ways of limiting the size of the Army: (1) by limiting the budget for the War Department (Army) to no more than two years at a time. There is no such limit for the Navy budget; (2) by stipulating that "the people's" military will consist of "well-regulated militia." The purpose of the Second Amendment was precisely to prevent a large standing army; (3) by requiriing a declaration of war by the Congress before calling up the militia and sending it off to war.
Most of our military actions from 1776 to 1940 were carried out by the Navy/Marine Corps team. Such small wars were viewed as within the executive power of the president to pursue and did not require a declaration of war.
We abandoned that constitutional arrangement with the so-called unification of the armed forces in 1947.
Years ago I concluded that the world would be a better place, at least more effective, if it were run like the Navy. I will explain later. But at least it should be clear that the US Army and the US Navy were very different organizations.
How to explain?
I just came across this passage in a 1941 essay by the British author, George Orwell about what it means to be British:
"It is quite true that the English are hypocritical about their Empire. In the working class this hypocrisy takes the form of not knowing that the Empire exists. But their dislike of standing armies is a perfectly sound instinct. A navy employs comparatively few people, and it is an external weapon which cannot affect home politics directly. Military dictatorships exist everywhere, but there is no such thing as a naval dictatorship. What English people of nearly all classes loathe from the bottom of their hearts is the swaggering officer type, the jingle of spurs and the crash of boots. Decades before Hitler was ever heard of, the word ‘Prussian’ had much the same significance in England as ‘Nazi’ has today. So deep does this feeling go that for a hundred years past the officers of the British army, in peace time, have always worn civilian clothes when off duty."
So. Did you ever hear of a naval dictatorship?
By the way, the dislike of standing armies Orwell refers to already existed in America in 1776. Our constitution attempted three ways of limiting the size of the Army: (1) by limiting the budget for the War Department (Army) to no more than two years at a time. There is no such limit for the Navy budget; (2) by stipulating that "the people's" military will consist of "well-regulated militia." The purpose of the Second Amendment was precisely to prevent a large standing army; (3) by requiriing a declaration of war by the Congress before calling up the militia and sending it off to war.
Most of our military actions from 1776 to 1940 were carried out by the Navy/Marine Corps team. Such small wars were viewed as within the executive power of the president to pursue and did not require a declaration of war.
We abandoned that constitutional arrangement with the so-called unification of the armed forces in 1947.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Good Friday Earthquake Fifty Years Ago - Alaska
I had forgotten that today is the fiftieth anniversary of the Good Friday earthquake that devastated Anchorage, Alaska. Until NPR mentioned the anniversary.
I had been stationed at the US Naval Communication Station on Adak in the Aleutian Islands until September of 1963. Liz and I and our two boys landed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, rented a car and took a few days to explore Anchorage, Palmer and the Matanuska Valley and then drive up to Fairbanks to visit my sister and her children.
My previous connection with Alaska is that I lived in Anchorage from 1951 to 1954, graduating from Anchorage High School in 1954.
Anchorage in 1963 was much the same as it had been in 1954.
I haven't visited there since 1963, so I remember it as it was.
Not like this:
I had been stationed at the US Naval Communication Station on Adak in the Aleutian Islands until September of 1963. Liz and I and our two boys landed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, rented a car and took a few days to explore Anchorage, Palmer and the Matanuska Valley and then drive up to Fairbanks to visit my sister and her children.
My previous connection with Alaska is that I lived in Anchorage from 1951 to 1954, graduating from Anchorage High School in 1954.
Anchorage in 1963 was much the same as it had been in 1954.
I haven't visited there since 1963, so I remember it as it was.
Not like this:
Nikogda Ne Zabudite! Kovno, Lithuania, March 27, 1944
There are so many things done during World War II that must never be forgotten, and yet we forget. Who remembers Lidice? Nanking? Kovno?
Here is the story of the action by Germans against Jewish children in Kovno.
Here is the story of the action by Germans against Jewish children in Kovno.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Slave Deeds
Some of my ancestors owned slaves - from as early as the 1650's in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and possibly Georgia, Arkansas and Texas.
I never knew how to trace those slaves, if ever I wanted to.
I just learned of a project in Buncome County, North Carolina that shows the way.
It somehow never occurred to me that if slaves were property, there must be some sort of title deed or other government record of ownership and sale. In Buncome County, the records were kept at the Register of Deeds. The county's web site explains:
"The Buncombe County Register of Deeds office has kept property records since the late 1700’s. In our records one can find a wealth of information about the history of our community. On this page, we have compiled a list of the documents that record the trade of people as slaves in Buncombe County. These people were considered “property” prior to end of the Civil War; therefore these transfers were recorded in the Register of Deeds office. The list below shows the book and page number where the deed is located in our record books as well as the seller (grantor) and buyer (grantee) of the “property.” For your convenience, you can view each original document by clicking on the book and page hyperlink.
"The Register of Deeds Office presents these records in an effort to help remember our past so we will never again repeat it."
Here is a link to Buncome County's slave deeds.
We should all be grateful to Buncome County for showing us the way to find and preserve these records and make them available.
I never knew how to trace those slaves, if ever I wanted to.
I just learned of a project in Buncome County, North Carolina that shows the way.
It somehow never occurred to me that if slaves were property, there must be some sort of title deed or other government record of ownership and sale. In Buncome County, the records were kept at the Register of Deeds. The county's web site explains:
"The Buncombe County Register of Deeds office has kept property records since the late 1700’s. In our records one can find a wealth of information about the history of our community. On this page, we have compiled a list of the documents that record the trade of people as slaves in Buncombe County. These people were considered “property” prior to end of the Civil War; therefore these transfers were recorded in the Register of Deeds office. The list below shows the book and page number where the deed is located in our record books as well as the seller (grantor) and buyer (grantee) of the “property.” For your convenience, you can view each original document by clicking on the book and page hyperlink.
"The Register of Deeds Office presents these records in an effort to help remember our past so we will never again repeat it."
Here is a link to Buncome County's slave deeds.
We should all be grateful to Buncome County for showing us the way to find and preserve these records and make them available.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
