Weather is on track. Clouds on Friday will hold the mercury down a bit and produce perhaps some generally inconsequential showers. Memorial Day Weekend looks great. Lots of sun. Mid to upper 70′s Saturday, Mid 80′s on Sunday. Upper 80′s on Memorial Day. Enjoy the weekend and don’t complain if you get hot. It’s getting toward summer.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD On this date a long long time ago, Robert B. Symon, Sr. was introduced to the world. And the world has been a better place for it. I’m hoping to one day live up to the old man but I haven’t quite gotten there. When I was a kid and he helped coach my football or baseball teams. the other guys on the team always told me that my dad was their favorite coach. They said he was nice. Today, I realize that is true. I think we all wish that we could be a person whom about people would say, “you know, I’m a better person for having known him” or “I’m just a little happier for having known him. My dad is one of the few people I know in life that I think that is the case. Come to think of it, Snow White is too. One would think that if I am surrounded and influenced by such people, some of it would rub off on me. Well, there’s always tomorrow.
On This Date In History: In 1782, there was some chaos in the new nation. There was a shortage of funds to pay foreign debts and Congress was arguing about what to do. There was a proposal afoot from officers in the army to settle the situation by proclaiming George Washington as King George I. The General quickly dispatched such notions when he said that no such occurrence in the war gave him ”…more painful sensations…” than such talk. The word of General Washington was formidable, thus saving the Democracy before it even really got started. The Constitution was adopted in 1787 and the General became the first President in 1789.
On this date in 1856, abolitionist Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner insulted South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler in a rant against slavery. Well, Butler’s nephew, Representative Preston Brooks decided to defend the honor of his uncle, and presumably slavery. He later entered the Senate chamber and beat Sumner so severely that he could not return to the Senate for 3 years! How’s that for civility in government. Turns out that Brooks had considered challenging Sumner to a duel but a South Carolina House colleague suggested that dueling was for men of social standing and that Sumner’s coarse language used toward Butler indicated his standing was that of a drunkard. In other words, “he’s not worth it.” Well, Brooks decided that if he was such a low life, that a beating was the proper coarse of action. South Carolinians sent Brooks a bunch of new canes and told him to “beat him again.” Brooks was not expelled from the House, but instead resigned. The beating was seen in the North as a sign of southern cowardice and newspaper drawings like the one above ensued. Brooks gave a interesting defense of his action as he resigned. If you are interested, it’s linked below. Once again, we complain about the lack of civility in Congress these days but, fear not, it’s been worse.
