On 29 December 1170 Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered by four knights acting on Henry II's orders. The murder set off a blizzard of books, plays, poems, and stories that has not stopped since.
On 29 December 1890 the US 7th Cavalry massacred over 400 Indian men, women, and children at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. This was the last major conflict between Indians and US troops, mainly because the US troops had already killed almost all of 'em.
On 29 December 1607 Indian chief Powhatan spared John Smith's life in answer to the pleas of Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas. Sound sentiment, but maybe bad judgment, considering the long term.
On 29 December 1998 *Khmer Rouge leaders apologized for the 1970s Cambodian genocide in which they killed over a million people. None of the murdered millions was around to accept the apology, but it sure made the Khmer Rouge feel better about themselves. (I don't get the whole apology thing, unless the point is shameless, cynical, cheap propaganda. If I didn't do the harm, I ain't apologizing. If I did, what good is an apology without restoration & repentance?)
| *Kerry And His Mystical Khmer Dau (Rouge) |
Oh, hang on just a sec now.
ReplyDelete;-)
The popular version of history is rather one sided in reference to the European/Native struggle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starving_Time
It was cruel on, to, and by both sides.
Had the natives triumphed, the trail of tears may have taken place, in reverse. Or worse.
Retroactive apologies to dead people are PR, nothing more or less, I agree.
Let's try this again.....
ReplyDeleteSeems like I read something in the last year that stated according to the ring growth on the trees during that time it meant there was very little rain then. I haven't heard anything more about it.
Cruel life was/is.:)
http://www.namsouth.com/viewtopic.php?t=119&highlight=koonce