Category Archives: History

The concept of the innocent civilian

Posted on January 30, 2024 by politicswestchesterview

When in the course of human events one nation kills, besieges, imprisons, and deprives another people of food and vital supplies, are citizens of the attacking nation innocent of those offenses? Or are those citizens guilty when they choose their … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Peace and War, Terrorism, US | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Bayard Rustin exhibit at CCHS (first posted 2/12/2012)

Posted on January 1, 2024 by politicswestchesterview

[Because of the success of the much-admired 2023 film Rustin, I decided to go back and repost here all 2011-12 posts on Rustin from my previous blog site, hosted by the Daily Local News. They are given in chronological order. … Continue reading →

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“The Life and Legacy of Frederick Douglass in the America of 2022”

Posted on November 5, 2022 by politicswestchesterview

Anyone reading this likely knows Andy Dinniman, County Commissioner and State Senator for a total of 30 years, and before that school board Director and chair of the Chesco Democratic party as well as a long-serving and now emeritus WCU … Continue reading →

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Frederick Douglass and the 4th of July

Posted on July 3, 2022 by politicswestchesterview

The statue of Frederick Douglass on the West Chester University campus (through the archway at the corner of High St. and University Ave.) shows him symbolically having broken the chains of bondage. This work by faculty member Richard Blake is … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Race | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Once and Future Ruler: from King Arthur to… 2024?

Posted on June 20, 2022 by politicswestchesterview

Do you remember T. H. White’s 4-part novel The Once and Future King? It’s about the legendary British ruler King Arthur, possibly based chieftain of around 600 AD. White’s contribution to the vast Arthurian literature is partly derived from Sir … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Literature | 1 Comment

Haiti: the tragic heritage of imperialism

Posted on June 5, 2022 by politicswestchesterview

The Sunday May 22 New York Times contains a remarkable multi-author 16-page section entitled “The Ransom” (search the Times site to find excerpts and related materials spread out over many days). Remarkable, because it uses lengthy research in original documents … Continue reading →

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Ukraine and Chester County

Posted on March 27, 2022 by politicswestchesterview

It has become so painful to read the newspaper or watch TV news this month… one can almost envy the Russian people who, by and large, apparently aren’t allowed to find out that there is a war going on or … Continue reading →

Posted in History, International | Leave a comment

Lincoln / Biden

Posted on November 20, 2021 by politicswestchesterview

158 years ago, on November 19, 1863, Lincoln delivered his famed address dedicating the Soldiers’ National Cemetery 100 miles to our west in Gettysburg. As co-orator Edward admitted, Lincoln came closer to “the central idea of the occasion” in 2 … Continue reading →

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Learning that history does not end

Posted on July 18, 2021 by politicswestchesterview

In high school, I was under the misimpression that the US was always right, in war as in peace. Back in the 1950’s, not long after World War II, there wasn’t much diversity in curricula, textbooks, or class discussion. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, History | Leave a comment

Juneteenth 2021, a day to remember

Posted on June 19, 2021 by politicswestchesterview

The US Congress actually did something to feel good about on Thursday, voting to create Juneteenth as a federal holiday (observed this year on June 18th). Chester County got there first, because earlier this year the Commissioners Juneteenth a County … Continue reading →

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