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

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Hatred to Be Uprooted From Metairie Lawn

Full story here.

[ Wednesday July 02, 2008, 8:24 PM

The symbols of racial intolerance seared into the grass of an African-American family's Metairie front yard almost two months ago will finally be removed Friday -- Independence Day -- during an interfaith service held by local Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders.

Organizers of the "Uproot Hate" service will join neighbors and friends of Travis and Kiyanna Smith to resod the area where the letters KKK and the shapes of three crosses were chemically burned into the grass just days after the family moved into their house at 1500 Homestead Ave. in a predominantly white section of northeast Metairie.

"It's almost like an exorcism by the taking away of the evil or the bad that was done and hopefully replacing it with something fresh and new and good,"said the Rev. Dana Krutz, executive director of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference. ]

1 comment:

K. said...

How is the Grant/Twain book? A few years ago, I read Lincoln and Whitman: Parallel Lives In Washington, DC(Epstein). Highly recommended -- I even slowed the pace of reading so that I could savor it.