I just hope future generations don't forget![/img]
The "forgetting" has already begun, and seems to be by design.
Many young people (born post 1980) have never learned the significance of 12/7/41. The know, or at least heard of the place, "Pearl Harbor", but many cannot link that date and place together, unless prompted.
Some cannot tell you what took place, others can't tell you who was involved, and still others have no idea at all. Those young people who do know the date, what happened, and where, and what it meant in US and World history are a minority of today's youth.
"Pearl Harbor", and "Dec.7, 1941" are being relegated to places and dates in history that MOST people born after 1980 will not hold in reverence.
This place and date will soon join the ranks of historic moments, places,and events as:
"The Boston Massacre"
The various "Acts": (Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Quartering Act, Tea Act, Townshend Act, etc,)
"The Boston Tea Party".
"Concord and Lexington"
"The Shot heard round the world"
"The battle of Bunker Hill"
"The Battles of Camden", "Trenton", "Princeton", "Long Island", and "the Invasion of Canada".
"Washington Crossing the Delaware"
How many recall:
"Fort Sumter".
"Bull Run"
"Shiloh"
"Antietam"
"Fredericksburg
"Chancellosrville".
"Chickamauga"
"Cold Harbor"
"The march to the Sea".
We all know the names, but, what do they mean? What happened there? Where are they? When did they come into historical significance?
At one time all of these things were known by school children, I'd wager many adults here, and most of the young people here can't tell you the significance of most of these places and names.
Pearl is among the historical places and events that is slipping into historical oblivion, and, unfortunately, there are many in today's society who prefer that to be the case. Pearl was a dark moment in American history, that "Awoke a sleeping giant", and believe it or not, there are those Americans who believe, and are propagating that WWII was America's fault, just as the preach that 911 and the world's ills are America's fault. The troubling part is, these people have grown in prominence and in clout, and now are setting the curriculum the not only casts shadows on America, but also allows the youngest generation to "forget".
I agree with you Bruce, "Let us never forget", That's my hope, too, but the reality has a different course in mind.
Sorry for the rant, I'm just thoroughly disgusted with the course this country's, so called, "leaders", have set for our youth, and our future.