ran 4.0 miles
On this day in 1776, Hessian Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen and 3,000 of his mercenaries alongside 5,000 Redcoats attacked Fort Washington, stationed at the highest point of Manhattan Island.
In a matter of hours, the garrison commander, Colonel Robert Magaw, surrendered. Nearly 3,000 Patriots were taken prisoner and a wealth of ammunition and supplies were seized. A large number of the prisoners died soon after the siege from deprivation and disease locked aboard British prison ships in New York Harbor.
Among the fifty-three dead and ninety-six wounded Patriots leading to the surrender were two individuals who will live forever in American history; John and Margaret Corbin of Virginia. When John died in action, his wife took over his cannon. She cleaned, loaded and fired her husband’s cannon until she was wounded to submission. Earning her place as the first known woman to have fought for the Continental Army, she survived but lost her left arm.
Fort Washington was erected at the current location of Bennet Park in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, near the George Washington Bridge, at the corner of Fort Washington Avenue and 183rd Street.
Back to the present, George Bush has emerged in the news lately after laying low for two years to promote a new book, his memoirs. I’ve watched some of his interviews recently and hearing him speak reminded me of the arguable failures and successes of his presidency. Bush’s terms had both strengths and weaknesses just like any other man’s character or any other president’s legacy. But his decisions and actions concerning September 11, I think, are what will be remembered most. He did what he had to do, which was make decisions that best protected Americans at a critical time. Now that so much time has passed, it is so easy and redundant to point out all of the things that went wrong, but the simple fact is that his post-9/11 measures, speculations and actions had to be done. This country was more united than it had been in decades. Everyday people were drawn to one another in a way we have not seen in a long time and even Washington came together and voted “Yes” for something to be done. Eventually, probably years beyond George Bush’s last breath, I think he will be regarded as a successful president who did the best job he could with the moxie he had to do what had to be done.
After reflecting on George Bush’s possible legacy and in what ways history will remember him, I can’t help but think what Barack Obama’s legacy and historical interpretation will be. He will be remembered for passing health care reform, which the overwhelming majority of American’s do not want. He will be regarded as the president that attempted to socialize major private sectors. He will be remembered for outrageous stimulus packages that served no purpose other than to warm up monopoly money presses. He will be remembered as a president who did not believe in American elitism. He will be the president in American history that apologized to the world for being American.
I could go on and on, but if you really think about it, unless Barack Obama corrects most of the decisions he’s made, which he likely won’t, can you imagine what his legacy and his record will look like.
In the most concise and brief terms I can think of as a thorough description of President Barack Obama, I would have to say he is an absolute savior and hero for thirty percent of America. Unfortunately for him, the other seventy percent that don’t need or want his policies or programs are keeping this country moving forward despite all of his efforts to stop us.
1,867.1 miles to go.
On this day in 1776, Hessian Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen and 3,000 of his mercenaries alongside 5,000 Redcoats attacked Fort Washington, stationed at the highest point of Manhattan Island.
In a matter of hours, the garrison commander, Colonel Robert Magaw, surrendered. Nearly 3,000 Patriots were taken prisoner and a wealth of ammunition and supplies were seized. A large number of the prisoners died soon after the siege from deprivation and disease locked aboard British prison ships in New York Harbor.
Among the fifty-three dead and ninety-six wounded Patriots leading to the surrender were two individuals who will live forever in American history; John and Margaret Corbin of Virginia. When John died in action, his wife took over his cannon. She cleaned, loaded and fired her husband’s cannon until she was wounded to submission. Earning her place as the first known woman to have fought for the Continental Army, she survived but lost her left arm.
Fort Washington was erected at the current location of Bennet Park in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, near the George Washington Bridge, at the corner of Fort Washington Avenue and 183rd Street.
Back to the present, George Bush has emerged in the news lately after laying low for two years to promote a new book, his memoirs. I’ve watched some of his interviews recently and hearing him speak reminded me of the arguable failures and successes of his presidency. Bush’s terms had both strengths and weaknesses just like any other man’s character or any other president’s legacy. But his decisions and actions concerning September 11, I think, are what will be remembered most. He did what he had to do, which was make decisions that best protected Americans at a critical time. Now that so much time has passed, it is so easy and redundant to point out all of the things that went wrong, but the simple fact is that his post-9/11 measures, speculations and actions had to be done. This country was more united than it had been in decades. Everyday people were drawn to one another in a way we have not seen in a long time and even Washington came together and voted “Yes” for something to be done. Eventually, probably years beyond George Bush’s last breath, I think he will be regarded as a successful president who did the best job he could with the moxie he had to do what had to be done.
After reflecting on George Bush’s possible legacy and in what ways history will remember him, I can’t help but think what Barack Obama’s legacy and historical interpretation will be. He will be remembered for passing health care reform, which the overwhelming majority of American’s do not want. He will be regarded as the president that attempted to socialize major private sectors. He will be remembered for outrageous stimulus packages that served no purpose other than to warm up monopoly money presses. He will be remembered as a president who did not believe in American elitism. He will be the president in American history that apologized to the world for being American.
I could go on and on, but if you really think about it, unless Barack Obama corrects most of the decisions he’s made, which he likely won’t, can you imagine what his legacy and his record will look like.
In the most concise and brief terms I can think of as a thorough description of President Barack Obama, I would have to say he is an absolute savior and hero for thirty percent of America. Unfortunately for him, the other seventy percent that don’t need or want his policies or programs are keeping this country moving forward despite all of his efforts to stop us.
1,867.1 miles to go.
No comments:
Post a Comment