ENGRAVED ON AMERICA'S TOMBSTONE?

In 476 AD, Rome vanished into the history books. It was a heck of a run: Rome began as a Republic; it conquered most of the known world; it became an empire; it enjoyed slavery; it built lavish architecture still admired into the 21st century; Rome constructed the Coliseum where one million men suffered slaughtering in 200 years of the ‘games’; it partied with decadence in wine, women and song; Mark Anthony and Cleopatra’s passions became the stuff of legends; finally, Julius Caesar took knives in his gut; et tu Brutus?

You’ve read Rome’s demise in history books. Shakespeare immortalized great moments. You’ve seen the movies with Charlton Heston, Yul Brenner and Elizabeth Taylor. Rome’s greatness stretched for centuries, but it declined to its grave on the Boot Hill of history.

We see the similarities of Rome manifesting in America in the early years of the 21st century. Republic to empire; military bases in 100 countries around the world; Donald Trump nauseates us with his skyscrapers; 100,000 seat NFL stadiums entertaining the masses with outrageous salaried ‘gladiators’ and booze; Brad and Angelina’s endless nothingness; young men dying without reason in the contrived Iraq war; et tu Bushtus?

What will be engraved on America’s tombstone if it doesn’t stop an endless immigrant invasion? Who will write the words? Why did it happen? Who aided it within America’s borders? Will they be brought to justice? Why did they do it to their own country? To their own children? To the future?

A noble citizen wrote me last week with quotes from the late Ayn Rand, “Which of these two variants of statism are we moving toward: socialism or fascism?”

“To answer this question,” she said, “one must first ask: which is the dominant ideological trend of today's culture?

“The disgraceful and terrifying answer is: there is no ideological trend today. There is no ideology. There are no political principles, theories, ideals, or philosophy. There is no direction, no goal, no compass, no vision of the future, no intellectual element of leadership. Are there any emotional elements dominating today's culture? Yes! One! Fear!

“A country without a political philosophy is like a ship drifting at random in mid-ocean, at the mercy of any chance wind, wave, or current, a ship whose passengers huddle in their cabins and cry--"Don't rock the boat!"—for fear of discovering that the captain's bridge is empty. (Bush is our captain)

“It is obvious that a boat which cannot stand rocking is doomed already and that it had better be rocked hard, if it is to regain its course—but this realization presupposes a grasp of facts, of reality, of principles and a long-range view, all of which are precisely the things that the "non-rockers" are frantically struggling to evade.

“Just as a neurotic believes that the facts of reality will vanish if he refuses to recognize them (Bush’s current path)—so, today, the neurosis of an entire culture leads men to believe that their desperate need of political principles and concepts will vanish if they succeed in obliterating all principles and concepts. But since, in fact, neither an individual nor a nation can exist without some form of ideology, this sort of anti-ideology is now the formal, explicit, dominant ideology of our bankrupt culture. This anti-ideology has a new and very ugly name: it is called "Government by Consensus." Ayn Rand, Ford Hall Lecture, 1965

The noble citizen explained, “At some point in our history, we are going to have to deal with the “Mexicanization” of our Southwest and the Left Coast. The issues are pretty simple, but they are too complicated for politicians because they involve money.

“When mobs of illegals congregate in an American neighborhood, who is surprised that crime goes up? People who come illegally from Mexico often bring the “culture” of their home town with them, and that culture is the corrupt, immoral and scofflaw type that persists in Mexican cities. In Mexico, the cops are corrupt too, and whoever has the payola to keep them away--rules the neighborhood. The government is a bunch of “rich good old boys” in the Mexican sense, who aspire to greatness on top of a garbage heap. Only tourism and money sent home by illegals maintains stability.

“It is inevitable that politicians arising from this mass will manifest the culture from which they come. It’s already happening, and the “what’s in it for me” attitude of a lot of Hispanic politicians who cultivate the illegal “vote” and establishment of “citizen’s rights” for illegals in places like southern California is subject to become epidemic in areas of high Mexican concentration. It’s already costing the Southwestern states billions every year, just for infrastructure adjustment. So much for the “desirability” of having people who “do jobs Americans won’t do.” Americans are capable of mowing their own lawns and taking care of their own homes and children. This is a superfluous and specious argument, and does nothing to rationally support the millions of illegals establishing themselves every year on American territory.

“Yes, there are good people among them. But they are all illegals, and searching for a better life has different meanings depending on the level of cultural awareness and desire to assimilate. A separate Mexican community adds little to any city, and creates a lot of law enforcement problems. They bring corruption with them, and some of the problems are those of very dangerous and violent gang nature.”

He warned, “Don’t think it can’t happen. It is happening. Not even the United States can assimilate this many third world people at this rate.”

To say the least, Bush exhibits incompetence and constancy. Better that he were competent so he would change course much like the Captain of the Titanic should have! Ayn Rand and this reader’s words might be a sobering description of America’s tombstone. How is it that an entire nation got fat, stupid and lazy within 50 years of WWII? How is it that half the nation doesn’t vote in national elections and less than 10 percent in local elections? How come their remote control garners more importance than participating in their republic’s course?

What more will historians write on America’s tombstone?

“Here lies America. In 231 years, she won all her battles. She safeguarded mankind’s yearning for freedom. She created the greatest opportunity for the most people in the history of the world. She brought the world foreign aid, the Red Cross, Peace Corps, food to tsunami and earthquake victims, and health care. For 230 years, she maintained her sovereignty by guarding her borders. But something happened during the last fateful years of her existence. She, like Rome, left her borders open. A massive horde of foreigners broke into her inner being. Like a cancer, that multitude dismantled every aspect of her political and physical being. America lost its language and fractured into rival ethnic factions bent on destroying her. America’s armies fought contrived wars elsewhere while her leaders pandered for yet more money and power at the expense of integrity. Her president and Congress violated their oaths of office while ignoring the U.S. Constitution. Her people neglected to participate in their Republic. Massive demonstrations of lawless illegal aliens trampled the American flag in the streets of Los Angeles. Where America sustained laws, she became lawless. Where honor once guided America’s government, malfeasance reigned.”

What good can come from adding 100 million people via immigration to the United States by 2040? What do you resolve to reverse this tombstone and reclaim your country?

World War II History Center opens headquarters

The World War II History Center Foundation has opened its temporary headquarters to the public for the purpose of offering information and services to the public and allowing volunteers to help complete projects.

The World War II History Center Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was incorporated in April 2006. Its mission is to build, operate and maintain a regional-level museum and research library dedicated to the World War II era. The board of directors is made up of people who all share an interest in recognizing the conflict as a key to our country's development. They also believe that the generation of Americans that helped win the war should be recognized for their sacrifices as an example of what this country is capable of.

The purpose of the museum can best be described by the History Center's motto which is: “Remember, Honor, Educate.”

The intent is to remember what happened, honor the sacrifices made, and educate all generations that come after about the lessons learned.

The Foundation's charter membership drive began in August of 2006.

Phase I of the capital fundraising campaign began in February of 2007. However, the board of directors felt that in order to show real progress, it needed to have a physical presence in a community near to where the museum will be built.

The site for the museum has not yet been chosen, but has been narrowed down to the Wichita Metro area because of other neighboring attractions, and proximity to major interstate highways.

The temporary headquarters, located on the fourth floor of the Commerce Bank building at 100 N. Main in downtown El Dorado, was chosen because of the space available and because of the generosity of the building's owner.

The World War II History Center, which already offers several services through its Web site, intends to offer additional services at its headquarters. It will be offering its quickly growing research library, World War II movie collection for rent, and a few exhibits for the public's utilization. The purpose is to bring the public in to inform them about the museum project and its goals, while offering a taste of what the World War II History Center will provide once it is built.

Visitors to the World War II History Center are encouraged to call ahead at 322-8753 to arrange for a visit. As soon as enough volunteers are found willing to donate their time, regular operating hours will be established.

Keeper of history gets A's in our book

When Carol Harbison-Samuelson was a student at Medford Senior High School, she failed a history test.

Actually, failed is being euphemistic. She bombed. Big time.

"I got a big fat 'F,' " she says before breaking up into her well-known contagious laughter.

History buffs who know the research library manager and photo archivist at the Southern Oregon Historical Society can't help but chuckle. We know her as one of the brightest, most knowledgeable and engaging people in the region when it comes to local history.

She has been there to cheerfully guide us through one historical maze after another. Like her laughter, her energetic enthusiasm for all things historical is infectious. You couldn't help but walk away from one of her history lessons filled with inspiration.

Sadly, Friday was her last day at SOHS. After 21 years with the society, she is taking a break.

"With any good artifact, you got to give it a rest, and I need a little rest," she says. "I hate to go, but it's time."

But she consented to sitting down for a chat about why history and local historical societies, many of which are in dire need of financial and volunteer help, are important.

"We all are the keepers of the history," she explains. "We have the responsibility to make sure it is not lost. And if you don't take care of it, it will be lost."

Born Carol Hjorten on June 4, 1948, in Astoria, she moved with her family as a little girl to Medford, where she graduated from high school in 1966, the one bad history score notwithstanding.

History is in her genes. Not only was she born in the Pacific Northwest's most historical town, but so were her parents.

"My (maternal) grandfather Otto Owen helped found the Clatsop County Historical Society," she says. "My mother didn't understand the joy I got from history but my father loved history. He was first generation native Oregonian. His father got off the ship from Norway in 1903."

And there was her grandfather, Owen, a history buff's buff.

"When we moved down here, my grandfather took me out to the Jacksonville Museum to meet the Hanley 'girls,' " she says. "That's what he called them."

She was referring to the pioneering Hanley family which would eventually donate the historic family farm to SOHS. By then, the Hanley sisters were elderly folks with gray locks. While poring over material left at the Hanley house, the SOHS staff found a note from Otto Owen to then aging Mary Hanley about Oregon's centennial celebration in 1959.

"Grandpa died when I was 13 but I've always thought he would be tickled pink that I am now the gray-haired old lady at the place," Carol observes. "I had such fond memories of going out to the museum with grandpa. I always wanted to be a volunteer at the Jacksonville Museum."

She volunteered a little over two decades ago, participating in its first docent-training program.

"That was it — I was hooked," she says. "I read everything I could get my hands on about local history."

She became the sleuth who could connect the historical dots, be it a name to a face on a faded photograph or a date to an event lost in time.

"You can take it from wherever you want to take it from, but I believe these people who were before us want their stories known," she says. "After 21 years of doing this, I know there is some force out there. And, by golly, it has been such a joy to help tell their stories. But when a story is lost forever, that just hurts my soul."

Just as it warms her soul when she can connect the dots to a family's story. She recalls a man once contacted the SOHS office from New Jersey, looking for distant relatives who had come west to Oregon.

"He had an uncle, a priest, who had come out here," she says. "The man had a postcard dated around 1917 his uncle had sent his family."

With that, she eventually tracked down a family member, thus continuing that family's story down through history.

"If you don't have historical societies that are keeping that history alive — oral history, newspaper articles, photographs — then it can die and be lost forever," she says. "Guarding the books that tell the stories, the oral histories, the three-dimensional artifacts, is so very important."

While lauding those who are volunteering at local historical societies, she urges the rest of us to get off our duffs to support those societies.

"But if you don't have a deep passion for history, you shouldn't be working at an historical society," she stresses. "Without that passion, you can't find the rest of the story."

It matters not a whit to her that your family has deep roots in the region or that you just fell off the potato truck: She will tell you we all have a stake in local history.

"History is five minutes ago," she says. "We are all making history. It tells us who we are. We will always need people who are keepers of that history."

People like Carol Harbison Samuelson, one who aced history's ultimate test.