LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Monday, June 23, 2008

From The Wahpeton Daily News (though it isn't daily)

A long opinion piece that includes reactions of various communities in North Dakota to the January National Geographic pictoral feature, "Emptied Prairie" showing "desolate farm buildings, abandoned schools, rusting automobiles and empty houses."

[ All 210 communities with populations of 250 or less are in jeopardy. Many cannot be salvaged, but some can. Those that fail to fight back will become a future article for National Geographic called “The Emptied Prairie II”. For those interested in defying the trend, Hersrud is compiling a Rural Community Resource booklet filled with small town experiences and ideas for using school buildings, saving businesses and building communities. Her e-mail address is hersrud@fargocity.com. ]

You can find the entire letter by former North Dakota lieutenant governor and UND professor, Lloyd Omdahl, here.

This is particularly of interest now, with the number of small towns flooded out in Iowa and Illinois, this spring who are saying they may probably not be rebuilt.

Which means even more land turned over to that polluting, food stealing boondoggle of ethanol, leading to even more flooding.

2 comments:

Frank Partisan said...

Moving to a town of 250 in North Dakota, to start fresh, is like being a pioneer in the old west.

Foxessa said...

Yeah.

I never wanted to be a pioneer in the Old West, much less the Midwest.

Love, C.