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PBS

The only part of the new digital conversion process that I like is the fact that now I get 4 PBS stations. I am a self-proclaimed PBS geek, and this week the channel has regaled me with biographies of the presidents.

Here are a few things I learned this week.

1. The American people were overwhelmingly against any involvement in World War 2. They felt that it was none of their business and they didn't see the need to lose American lives to a cause that wasn't their own. Of course, all this changed with the attack on Pearl Harbor. What I found interesting is that that's not the way we remember that time period. The commentaries and reports were eerily similar to much of what we here today in regards to our current involvement in world affairs.

2. Harry Truman was a remarkable man. He was unable to go to college because his father lost everything the family had just as Harry graduated from high school. Harry took a job at a bank where he was liked and respected, but his father made him leave it to come back and work on the new family farm. He tried his hand at several businesses, and they all failed and left him broke. Once he made it to public office, he was unliked and had to claw his way to anything he achieved. His tenacity is a great reminder to us that life certainly doesn't turn out the way we always hope or plan, but we must deal with the circumstances we are given.

Comments

Christy said…
I love PBS too. We like the History Detecives :) Chris is a WWII buff - I always think that we should take our current circumstances in light of the past. No matter how unique we think our time in history is, our culture and the world's political landscape is really nothing new.
8:53 AM
frabjouspoet said…
That's so true. We always think that what we're facing is unique. Oooo, I like History Detectives, too.
4:20 PM
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