Saturday, May 27, 2006
Now There Is An Anniversary Worth Celebrating!
As the irreverent folks from *Twisted History* kindly reminded us today ~
1647: First Salem, Massachusetts, 'witch' executed today. (No, Joe McCarthy isn't there.)
For those of you who crave more traditional accounts of historical facts, check out the main link provided today, from which the following is extracted:
1647 - Alse Young, a widow, hanged for witchcraft in Hartford, Connecticut. Hers was the first trial and execution expressly for witchcraft in the colonies. Her daughter Alice was accused of witchcraft 30 years later, in MA.
1648 - First witch execution in MA colony. Midwife Margaret Jones hanged in Boston.
Joe might not have been around - but I sure wish I had been!
No, not to enjoy popcorn while observing the sad spectacle - NO.
If I had been around, and allowed to handle the proceedings too, I would have made sure that the investigation had been meticulously carried through and that there had been no shadow of a doubt that these "witches", male or female (for, originally, the term "witch" was genderless) were not in reality the object of envy and hatred from their accusers who then would be the true guilty parties here...
Nothing as "witch-like" as the envious, I tell you!
The "original sin" as the "crime of witchcraft" are two expressions that have suffered from misrepresenting over the years, especially due to the attitude of disbelieving blowhards and foolhardy skeptics out there...
The "original sin" is simply that of DISOBEDIENCE whereas the "crime of witchcraft" is that heinous act by which an individual will cause harm to another being - by whatever means available.
This is not to say that poisoned apples do not exist - because they surely do, as many a trick-or-treater has found out over the years, mainly through the old "blade at the apple's core" trick... (but not only that)
Likewise, the occult exists - alas. Native Americans, South Americans, Africans and Europeans know all about it; what do North Americans know? Ah, yes, of course; they know how to pollute the planet in more concrete ways...
Far more pleasant an anniversary to remember today, and a bonafide birthday to celebrate too, is that of the wonderful human being named Rachel Carlson - a kind soul like we have so very few left nowadays indeed...
Rachel Carlson (born on May 27th, 1907)
Carlson was an American writer and marine biologist. Her well-known books on sea life—Under the Sea Wind, The Sea Around Us, and The Edge of the Sea—combine keen scientific observation with rich poetic description. Her Silent Spring, a provocative study of the dangers of certain insecticides, is generally acknowledged as the impetus for the modern environmental movement.
Why aren't there more persons of her ilk on this Earth anymore?
I am, by the way, the proud owner of a first edition copy of her book "The Sea Around Us" - and that will only be bequeathed to someone really really really worthy on my list of potential heirs, I can tell you this much right here and right now! ;)
Link
1647: First Salem, Massachusetts, 'witch' executed today. (No, Joe McCarthy isn't there.)
For those of you who crave more traditional accounts of historical facts, check out the main link provided today, from which the following is extracted:
1647 - Alse Young, a widow, hanged for witchcraft in Hartford, Connecticut. Hers was the first trial and execution expressly for witchcraft in the colonies. Her daughter Alice was accused of witchcraft 30 years later, in MA.
1648 - First witch execution in MA colony. Midwife Margaret Jones hanged in Boston.
Joe might not have been around - but I sure wish I had been!
No, not to enjoy popcorn while observing the sad spectacle - NO.
If I had been around, and allowed to handle the proceedings too, I would have made sure that the investigation had been meticulously carried through and that there had been no shadow of a doubt that these "witches", male or female (for, originally, the term "witch" was genderless) were not in reality the object of envy and hatred from their accusers who then would be the true guilty parties here...
Nothing as "witch-like" as the envious, I tell you!
The "original sin" as the "crime of witchcraft" are two expressions that have suffered from misrepresenting over the years, especially due to the attitude of disbelieving blowhards and foolhardy skeptics out there...
The "original sin" is simply that of DISOBEDIENCE whereas the "crime of witchcraft" is that heinous act by which an individual will cause harm to another being - by whatever means available.
This is not to say that poisoned apples do not exist - because they surely do, as many a trick-or-treater has found out over the years, mainly through the old "blade at the apple's core" trick... (but not only that)
Likewise, the occult exists - alas. Native Americans, South Americans, Africans and Europeans know all about it; what do North Americans know? Ah, yes, of course; they know how to pollute the planet in more concrete ways...
Far more pleasant an anniversary to remember today, and a bonafide birthday to celebrate too, is that of the wonderful human being named Rachel Carlson - a kind soul like we have so very few left nowadays indeed...
Rachel Carlson (born on May 27th, 1907)
Carlson was an American writer and marine biologist. Her well-known books on sea life—Under the Sea Wind, The Sea Around Us, and The Edge of the Sea—combine keen scientific observation with rich poetic description. Her Silent Spring, a provocative study of the dangers of certain insecticides, is generally acknowledged as the impetus for the modern environmental movement.
Why aren't there more persons of her ilk on this Earth anymore?
I am, by the way, the proud owner of a first edition copy of her book "The Sea Around Us" - and that will only be bequeathed to someone really really really worthy on my list of potential heirs, I can tell you this much right here and right now! ;)
Link
