Possibly apocraphal story about Enola Gay display

Paul Tomblin opined

In a previous article, "Bill Denton" said:
The problem is, that's the same sort of revisionism being taught to American
school children.

I'm still bewildered at how many USian adults don't know that the US
tried to invade Canada during the Revolutionary War, and lost, and tried
to invade Canada again during the the War of 1812 and lost, or that
during the Wo1812, British and Canadian troops actually burned the White
House, and that's why it's white - to hide the smoke stains on the marble.

Could you guys come back and finish the job? And get the Capital building this
time too.


-ash
Cthulhu for President!
Why vote for a lesser evil?

I'm still bewildered at how many USian adults don't know that the US
tried to invade Canada during the Revolutionary War, and lost, and tried
to invade Canada again during the the War of 1812 and lost,


What is the significance of that? Canada was not an independent nation at
those times, it was part of the British empire and the US was at war with
Britain.

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:

What is the significance of that? Canada was not an independent nation at
those times, it was part of the British empire and the US was at war with
Britain.

Right and wrong: the war was against Britain, not Canada, but Britain and
the U.S. were *not* in a continual state of war from 1776 to 1815. The
Paris Peace Treaty ended the American Revolution in 1783, and Congress
declared war against Britain again 29 years later to start the War of 1812
(I think that's where the terms "hawks" and "doves" originated, describing
the pro- and anti-war factions in Congress leading up to the declaration).
The two wars get quite muddled in U.S. pop history, but they were futher
apart than World War I and World War II: the young lieutenants on both sides
in the American Revolution were the old, grey-haired generals of the War of
1812.

The Treaty of Ghent ended the second war in 1815, so as far as I remember,
there have been only two relatively short periods in history that Britain
and the U.S. were actually at war:

1776-1783
1812-1815

(Apologies if I missed something in-between -- this is all from memory.)

We suffer from just as much propaganda about the War of 1812 here in Canada
as you do in the U.S. I wouldn't suggest turning to the schoolbooks of
either Canada or the U.S. for an honest evaluation.


All the best,


David

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
hlink.net...


I'm still bewildered at how many USian adults don't know that the US
tried to invade Canada during the Revolutionary War, and lost, and
tried
to invade Canada again during the the War of 1812 and lost,


What is the significance of that? Canada was not an independent nation at
those times,

Is it even completely independant today? I notice stuff I have from Canada
(maps, etc) have some gibbersih about "Her Majesty the Queen"...

it was part of the British empire and the US was at war with
Britain.

Quite. That's called "attacking the enemies rear".

In article , "Ash Wyllie"
wrote:

Paul Tomblin opined

In a previous article, "Bill Denton" said:
The problem is, that's the same sort of revisionism being taught to American
school children.

I'm still bewildered at how many USian adults don't know that the US
tried to invade Canada during the Revolutionary War, and lost, and tried
to invade Canada again during the the War of 1812 and lost, or that
during the Wo1812, British and Canadian troops actually burned the White
House, and that's why it's white - to hide the smoke stains on the marble.

Could you guys come back and finish the job? And get the Capital building this
time too.


That's what the hijackers on UA 93 were trying to do!

Orval Fairbairn opined

In article , "Ash Wyllie"
wrote:

Paul Tomblin opined

In a previous article, "Bill Denton" said:
The problem is, that's the same sort of revisionism being taught to
American school children.

I'm still bewildered at how many USian adults don't know that the US
tried to invade Canada during the Revolutionary War, and lost, and tried
to invade Canada again during the the War of 1812 and lost, or that
during the Wo1812, British and Canadian troops actually burned the White
House, and that's why it's white - to hide the smoke stains on the marble.

Could you guys come back and finish the job? And get the Capital building
this time too.


That's what the hijackers on UA 93 were trying to do!

Okay, don't kill any innocent civilians while you are at it. Is there such a
thing as an innocent politition?


-ash
Cthulhu for President!
Why vote for a lesser evil?

"Paul Tomblin" wrote in message
...

I'm still bewildered at how many USian adults don't know that the US
tried to invade Canada during the Revolutionary War, and lost, and tried
to invade Canada again during the the War of 1812 and lost, or that
during the Wo1812, British and Canadian troops actually burned the White
House, and that's why it's white - to hide the smoke stains on the marble.


The color of the White House has nothing to do with the burning of the
structure by the British in 1814. The building was first made white with
lime-based whitewash in 1798, when its walls were finished, simply as a
means of protecting the porous stone from freezing.

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message thlink.net...

The color of the White House has nothing to do with the burning of the
structure by the British in 1814. The building was first made white with
lime-based whitewash in 1798, when its walls were finished, simply as a
means of protecting the porous stone from freezing.

My sentiments exactly.

http://www.snopes.com/language/colors/whithous.htm

On Fri, 28 May 2004 14:13:57 -0500, "Bill Denton"
wrote:

The problem is, that's the same sort of revisionism being taught to American
school children.

But that means the future should be interesting: If our biased teaching and
reporting becomes revisionist history who knows how it will come out!


My father worked at North Island NAS Coronado.
He worked on Hellcats to Helicopters and patted
the first F-14 on the base the day he retired.
Baa Baa Black Sheep was on TV back then.
I loved it and Lowell Thomas news reels on PBS.
My Father took me to airshows, and I saw and knew
where my freedom came from at a young age.
I built models of the planes constantly.
My father told me all about Jimmy Dolittle and
the Dambusters, wing warping by the Wrights, etc.
He passed on not very many years after retiring.
He always told me I could learn to fly someday if
I wanted. Funny he only flew once in his life!


I dont remember being taught much about
these things in public school at all. I know I lean heavy
on aviation history but damn its so important and
the public school system then didnt teach much. I expect
today is no different. I wish every kid
could be taken out on a field trip and see, touch
and hear a B-25 or Corsair or any war bird and
KNOW that is part of their freedom right there
cast in aluminum. Instead god knows what
their teaching them instead. I dont have kids
but I have to live with everybody elses and how they
will vote someday. I sure hope they learn this stuff
somewhere.

Amazing, if true, although it isn't the first time I've heard of the
Japanese style of blindered teaching of this period of their history.

I don't necessarily blame the Japanese for glossing over their own sordid
history. They have to shave every morning, too.

My only worry is that *their* warped perception somehow becomes *our* view,
rather than the other way around. If we ever allow this to happen, and
we -- for instance -- "tone down" the Enola Gay display, we dishonor our
veterans and lose the moral high ground.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"