Author Archives: Jimi 971

Since I was a kid I’ve always been fascinated by history. Especially early American history. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live “back then”. I’ve always been amazed with the hard times and struggles that people throughout history h

ave overcame and also I suppose it’s an escape for me into a search of simpler times
as well.
I’ll never forget when I was in sixth grade I got to go with a group of students to stay overnight at Ft. Massac in southern Illinois. We got to sleep in one of the bastions and were able to see Kentucky across the Ohio river. Looking back what a strategic location and picturesque as well. I’ll never forget the gentleman and ladies dressed in Colonial clothing and military uniforms or the smell of fire wood burning and the reenactments and the authentic Colonial foods (apple fritters) and hot chocolate in the morning. See their site here. http://dnr.state.il.us/Lands/landmgt/parks/R5/frmindex.htm

Fort De Chartres. Illinois

My wife and I used to take a monthly road trip to “wherever”. We would just get in the car and drive and stop and see anything and everything that was interesting. One of our favorite drives was down Illinois’ Great River Road where we found Fort De Chartres which is pictured above. Unlike Fort Massac (a wooden structure) this fort is an enormous stone structure. We made this trip several times and it’s reenactments and museum are really a must see in early American history.

Cahokia Mounds, Illinois.

Although at times I take it for granted I suppose and drive by it twice a day to and fro from work but another great part of American history is at Cahokia Mounds. Home of the largest ancient earthen structure in North America. Acres of amazing mounds. Mounds that are the only thing left of what was once a huge population of Mississippians or some times called Cahokian or Kahoka. I grew up in the town in which this legendary part of American history resides. Years ago it just had a small museum and now it has an elaborate interpretive center and it’s free to the public. I encourage visits and donations Here’s their site. It’s a good one. http://www.cahokiamounds.org/ .

A short distance away is St. Louis. St.Louis itself was once known as Mound City. St. Louis once had mounds on its riverfront. Settlers built homes and go figure, taverns on top of some of them. There are remnants of that age in a riverfront street named Mound street and also in its turn of the century advertising on it’s riverfront buildings.

Nearly ten years ago we moved out into “the sticks” built a home nestled in farmland. Far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the great city of St. Louis (which I love as my own) but close enough that I can make the trek into work every day. I’ve heard a couple people in town mention a place called Cox Monument. I never gave it much of a thought until my neighbor mentioned it again and in asking him about it he told me there was a massacre there. I looked into it and found it was just a very short distance from where I live.

I went online and found out where it was. After Church this morning I took my kids down a long gravel country road to show them the history in their “backyard” I told them the story about the Cox massacre along the way.

In 1808 the Jesse Cox family settled in what this area and worked to clear and cultivate the land. They built a log cabin and were in the process of building a mill to grind their corn meal. In 1811 while away from their cabin. Some say working on their mill and others say they were at nearby Hill’s Fort to gather supplies. http://www.fortsofillinois.org/ While away a party of Pottawatomie Indians found 16 year old Rebecca Cox and her 20yr old brother Elijah Cox left alone.

They murdered Elijah, cut his heart out and placed it on his head. They put Rebecca on a horse and started heading North. Rebecca left strips of her apron along their path so she could be traced. Rangers from Hill’s Fort and surrounding areas tracked down the Indians near Litchfield, Il. Rebecca it is said in seeing the trailing Rangers jumped off the horse but not before receiving a blow from her captor’s tomahawk to her hip.

The Rangers caught up to them and rescued Rebecca and then killed the band Pottawatomie. Rebecca would recover and later marry her boyfriend William Gregg and then move to Arkansas where he was also killed by Indians. The tension was building at this time in the country and it was a time in history leading up to the War Of 1812. Many of these native tribes were encouraged and often paid to kill or rob American settlers. Which may have been the case in the Cox murder.

The kids and I pulled up to this tiny area deep in America’s heartland. I was disappointed to see the surrounding property junked up with old cars and farm equipment and well…junk. I was grateful at the same time however that the property owner allowed this easement in his property for people to see this forgotten place and place of American history. The grave of Elijah Cox was on the property of where the family cabin once stood and owned. I was also disappointed in that the local cemetery who is in charge of care of this monument has allowed it to be covered in leaves and debris. I’m going to offer to clean it up myself for free.

This is the original head stone for Elijah Cox, I wasn’t able to get close enough so that it’s legible here.

There is however a recent plaque placed last year in honor and in memorial of this young man’s death and local history. It doesn’t take much effort to see that we are surrounded by great history and can easily witness the struggles and triumphs of the American spirit anywhere. Stories like the Cox Family story. Stories like this are strewn across the country if you look around. Many say today that we are in need of a change in our culture. I’m convinced history is where to find it. The notion of getting back to our founding is talked about now more than ever. History is all around us. Take your kids.Take your grand kids there or just revisit it yourself. It’s everywhere. You don’t have to look very far or dig very deep because our history is really right in our back yards, no matter where you live.

Jimi

It should be as no surprise that anyone running for any given office would bring up the name of Harry S. Truman. He’s Missouri’s only President and an a President asked to fill the shoes of FDR. A President that made probably the to

ughest decision in history in dropping atom bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima to ultimately end World War II. Truman is an incredible story in American history regardless of what political persuasion you are.

A few days ago the St Louis Post Dispatch posted a story ” Akin andMcCaskill both seek the mantle of Harry Truman” There is so much in this story that stood out to me. Hypocrisy and spin of all sorts wrapped up into one tiny post. Let’s start with Newt Gingrich and his endorsement of Akin. While at the time when most GOP establishment types were nervous to back Akin largely in fear of affect on their own careers, Newt Gingrich stepped up and readily backed Todd Akin and freely did so. Gingrich backed him on television shows, radio, and at an Akin fundraiser. In most of these events Gingrich compared Akin’s underdog fight to Harry Truman’s underdog fight from 1940.

Here is what Gingrich said as written in St Louis Post Dispatch article. (which I will post in closing)

Gingrich said
Newt Gingrich, the former Republican speaker of the House, spoke in St. Louis last month and said Akin’s uphill battle “really reminds me of Harry Truman in 1940 running for the Senate.”

The comical yet predictable thing about how the Post Dispatch disregarded a simple fact and quote in what Gingrich said is even made more ridiculous in Claire McCaskill’s response.

Claire said…
“Today in St Louis Newt said Todd reminded him of Harry Truman!?! I believe Harry would have a few choice words for Newt Gingrich.”

What Claire and the Post Dispatch so conveniently leave out is that Newt Gingrich NEVER said that “Todd Akin reminded him of Harry Truman” as McCaskill claims. He said ” Akin’s uphill battle really reminds me of Harry Truman in 1940 running for Senate” See what they did there? I guess it’s all in where a quotation mark is placed and how the Post Dispatch wants one to read a quote and Claire as one that cares not about the spoken word as it is of course, twists Gingrich’s quote into something it was not. Twists it in something to suit her. Newt Gingrich did not compare Akin to Truman, he compared the race at hand to Truman’s Senate run.

Claire McCaskill didn’t end there with her political tap dance. Claire somehow managed to channel the thoughts of Harry Truman. Claire in her vast knowledge of Truman channeled Truman’s thoughts on the Tea Party.

Claire said
“He wasn’t afraid to make decisions that weren’t popular,” McCaskill said in Jefferson County. “And he said things very plainly and simply. And he was courageous. And you know what he would say about the Tea Party? Well I would not say it out loud, but it would involve some curse words. He would call them out for not being the kind of person we need in the country to help people. They want to shut off the lights and go home.”

I guess when one who is a learned scholar on Truman like Claire one can channel thoughts. I mean she has claimed to have read every published book about Truman. Who am I to judge? I find it comical and actually disturbing that Claire who calls Truman her idol would use her idol to attack grassroots conservatives. A group that obviously has gotten under her skin so badly that she would use an historic President, a Missourian, and her “idol” to advance her disdain for a group of American voters. Not much humility displayed there. I think Claire is concerned and she’s not even the underdog in this race. Good job grassroots.

When one speaks of humility Harry Truman most certainly is a great example of it. Truman’s mother in law didn’t think he would amount to anything. Truman had several failed businesses before rising into the political realm and he never expected to enter it successfully. With the help of the establishment he eventually found himself as President of The United States. When Truman left the office as President in 1952. He drove himself and his wife Bess home in their own car back to Independence Missouri. There was no motorcade, secret service, just he and his wife Bess. Upon retirement the only salary he had was $13,700.00 an Army pension. Congress later granted him a $25,000 pension. Truman was offered corporate jobs but felt they only wanted “the office of President” and declined them all. Even as our President, Truman paid for his own food and travel. Humble in his living and humbling to me just to think about it in regards today’s standards. Today’s politicians. Politicians who over the course of decades have figured out a way to cash in on holding high office.

Which brings me back to Truman’s most rabid fan..Claire McCaskill. Claire has done pretty well for herself. I don’t knock anyone who can make every honest buck they can. It’s the American dream. Claire’s achieved that endeavor and kudos to her for it. Last year she was listed as number 18 out of Top 50 Richest Members Of Congress by Roll Call. http://www.rollcall.com/50richest/the-50-richest-members-of-congress-112th.html

No harm no foul with honest money made and honest money reported to the American people. I do however have an issue with what is happening to the American taxpayer and the fact that she and her husband took in 40 million dollars in stimulus money for their properties. Properties which are said to be for “low income housing” I do have an issue with that. Claire has offered little clarity in this matter and the media has offered little into what should be a huge story but is being slowly brushed under the rug. We shouldn’t be surprised. Claire has voted against an overwhelming number of Missouri voters with her deciding vote on ObamaCare. She’s threatening Missouri coal jobs with following Obama’s failed Green Energy policy. Claire McCaskill needs to know that these sort of actions are not “unpopular” decisions like Truman made. Her decisions are the wrong decisions for Missouri and the country as a whole and do not represent the will of the people she swore to represent. The decisions she is making seem to only represent she and Obama’s will. Not the people of Missouri’s best interests.

When Claire channeled Harry S. Truman I think she got the wrong number. Senator McCaskill didn’t claim she was like Harry Truman by channeling his thoughts I suppose but I don’t think Truman told her that he would have some curse words for Tea Party. I think Claire told Claire that she has some curse words for the Tea Party. Claire McCaskill should know that grassroots in Missouri have a few choice words for her as well. Forty Million of them. Harry Truman gave us a famous quote ” The buck stops here” I just wonder where the buck stops with Claire McCaskill.

Here is complete St. Louis Post Dispatch article
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/akin-and-mccaskill-both-seek-the-mantle-of-harry-truman/article_69802c2a-84e4-51dd-bbad-3ac90f865cfc.html

To be continued…..

Jimi

Well by now everyone has heard about the blatant smear attempt by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Mitt Romney’s “WaWa” speech in Pennsylvania. Andrea Mitchell has been known to be liberal leaning but likes to take on the persona of an objective hard nosed

journalist. Andrea has been around a while she’s no fool. However, Andrea had an opportunity today to clean up her hit job this morning on her show, but just played the entire Romney speech without an apology or a word about her sorry attempt to make Mitt Romney look like a baffoon. Who really does look like the baffoon here? It’s not Mitt. Andrea?

If you haven’t heard or seen this I’ve linked it here. I linked it from our local radio station http://www.971talk.com/blog/glover/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10396263

I remember a time as a kid watching Harry Reasoner, or later Peter Jennings doing the news. They seemed okay, but I was too young to tell. ( Andrea was around then) I remember Dan Rather, you know what his scandal was. Shame given he did such a good job in Vietnam coverage with Cronkite…Cronkite who may have started the demise of objectivity with his denouncing the war effort and tugging on LBJ’s heart strings. Today? It seems these days we have to have a half a dozen opinions to filter through the bullshit to get even one ounce of truth. It takes a bit more work these days to get the truth from mainstream media.

I am a media and radio junkie. I admit it. I love it. I got online just because of that. I have friends that are heavy players in said media. They as well are just as frustrated with our “MSM” as I am. What about the left? It’s gotten so bad that even those that agree with the slant that MSM gives? They see and are commenting on the shoddy reporting as well. It’s lazy these days. Not lazy in just the newbies coming along but it’s infected the standards…standards like an Andrea Mitchell. Shoddy and more so shady reporting forced a person like Dan Rather who would otherwise be the next Cronkite, into retirement. It’s gotten out of hand. It really has.

I’m not going to sit here and write and tell you that there is not bias on the right in news or the blogosphere. However, I will sit here and tell you that there is a mainstream media holding onto the strings of the less informed portraying unbiased and objective reporting and quite frankly it’s bullshit and they know it.

There is not just an information highway these days, there is an information speedway and the story of the day, the bitch of the day and it comes and goes..but we have a real problem in media that needs addressed. Does MSM hit the conference room at 7am to “create” the news or do they meet to report the news? In the example of Andrea Mitchell’s Romney “WaWa Speech” there is something obvious here. Either Andrea thinks you are stupid, her producers and editors are stupid, or she and they just don’t care. You be the judge.

This issue will disappear with the news cycle and we’ll move onto the next “BIG THING” but there is a real problem with our media and if a concerned American citizen has to dig and dig and dig for the truth, we have a problem. Rest assured Americans will “dig and dig and dig” and charlatans like Andrea Mitchell will be exposed. This time she made it easy for us. She made it easy for us because she beleives she is high and above the people she reports to and is a slave to the “office” she reports