InTheWeeds

100 Greatest Americans

The Sunday version of Discovery Channel is running a show about the 100 greatest Americans. The unfortunate part about it is that they have allowed viewers and AOL users to nominate the people who are to be named the greatest.

One cannot help but be underwhelmed by the abundance of media types from movies, television, sports and the like. I am sorry, but outside of people like Bob Hope who gave so much of himself outside of his media work, there are not many or any that should qualify as Greatest Americans.

The other glaring outcome of a review of the nominated list, is that there are very few people any more that have a grasp of American History. Huge gaps in the listing are found in areas like US Grant, Tecumseh of the Shawnee, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, John Adams, Merriwether Lewis and William Clark, Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, Omar Bradley, Henry Clay and I am sure that those with a broader knowledge of American History would add others. A good look at the "list" and the "list of omitted" can be found at Professor Bainbridge's site: www.professorbainbridge.com where he has made a good list.

When Bret Farve, Bill Cosby, Clint Eastwood, Ellen Degeneres, George Lucas, Jimmy Stewart, Johnny Carson, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, Martha Stewart, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Sam Walton make the list, something is wrong with our perception of greatness.

We are all being overtaken by the plastic cover from Hollywood, we live in a fantasy world of dreams that come from a box in our living rooms. More of us need to get a life, get over our illusions and start living the dream, a reality that life is wonderful and it is living day by day.

Apologies to the bold, the brave, the noble, and the spirit of those who gave their all for this Country and who are not remembered, known or taught. We should have enough respect not to forget, we say we will never forget, but we have too much plastic in us to actually live it.

LivingtheDream

posted by livingthedream @ 2:03 PM