20-Copius Guilt?

     Today's reflection comes from the two places I visited on London's south bank; the Imperial War Museum and the Tate Modern, plus a little personal experience.  The subject is violence: when is it necessary, when is it voluntarily.

   The Imperial War Museum had display cases galore filled with Victoria Crosses (like Medals of Honor), every one of them extending violence. Did all that violence have to be extended?  Probably not!  When the Twin Towers came down and America counter-punched in Afghanistan, was that necessary?  I believe so. 
      We had more options in Iraq and Vietnam.  Violence was more voluntarily, the decorations still piled up.  Which brings me to the Tate Modern.

     There are two visions of Vietnamese youth I would like to offer.  One is the scared youth in the mural.  I'm sure there were some, but not many.  They were just too smart!  Sure, they had to choose sides (Yankees or Ho).  And some got caught up in re-education camps when they couldn't flee.  The mural is trys to make a "Scream", Vietnamese-style.

     It just doesn't work!  So I give a second vision.  We had a student from  Hanoi stay with us for a year.  He studied a fifth year in high school while he scholarshipped for an American college.  He found one, stuck around for a masters and was last heard of wheeling and dealing in Hong Kong.  

     If the first vision is true, it leads to copious amounts of guilt across our fruited plains.  If the second version is true, then we are still helping reshape that proud country toward liberty and freedom.  

     Sometimes violence is mandatory, sometimes it is voluntarily.  But if the lions lay down with the lambs too quickly, it's another case of lamb chops for dinner!

     

   

19-Soap Bubbles

     Welcome to Trafalgar Square!  Trafalgar is the 1804 sea battle that confirmed Britain would rule the waves for another century.  Napoleon got a few toes chopped off when he tried to wade into the Atlantic.  All very civilized, save the fact that Admiral Nelson did not come back alive; but his press agent had a field day!

     Speaking of the good Admiral, there he is over my right shoulder.  I believe that is the greatest phallic symbol this side of the pond.  But I digress.  I came to Trafalgar Square to be swayed and influenced by paintings in the National Gallery.  I spent a full day getting through about 3/4 of the collection.  When I finally came out, I saw this:  

 

     Now I have to ask myself, "Is that influence, is that sway going to stand for years and years like the good Admiral over my shoulder?  Or is it like so many soap bubbles, tickled to see, fun to pop?

     I have no idea!

     

18-Independent Contractors?

Cafe Du Monde is a New Orleans institution. They are nestled on the edge of the French Quarter with their back to the Mississippi. Famed world-over for their 'beignets' (French donuts). They are good! They are yummy!! We have had some wonderful food on this trip. Nothing beats a beignet!
All the servers are Vietnamese. All the managers are not. The servers have to fill an order and buy each purchase before they serve it to the customer. That's right! They buy each individual beignet before you get served!!
Do I applaud the system for showing initiative? Are the servers "independent contractors" so management does not have to pay benefits? I was here a year and a half ago. The work force was mainly black. What happened? Were the blacks out hustled? Can I even ask the question without being called a racist?
I am not close enough to the situation to form an opinion, but the questions still are tantalizing!

17-Grand Theft Joy

When a journey takes its final steps on New Orleans' Bourbon Street, the odyssey must be called successful. Nothing is as it seems on Bourbon Street. Men can appear as small yellow cars. Sweet young girls can be brazen in their nudity. All outdoors is joyously endowed with a fragrance of day-old beer.
There is no better portal to the 21st Century than Bourbon Street. I came through it a couple of hours ago. It reminded me there is no problem, historic or current, so large, so intimidating, that it can steal our joy, our confidence and our sense of humor.

16-Oversized Eating Utensils

Oak Alley was a very special plantation. Our paddle wheel tied up at the levee and we came down the gangway in awe! The most fantastic scene emerged with twelve Virginia Oaks on the right, twelve on the left. They stood as sentinels leading us up to the main house. It was breathtaking!
This is a Cajun plantation. Built below Baton Rouge, it's Catholic owners grew sugarcane. Above Baton Rouge, the Scottish Protestant owners grew cotton. Cajun owners were small, barely 5'4". Women were under 5'. But they had oversized eating utensils. That was how they announced their prosperity to the neighborhood.
I was intrigued by a mirror at one end of the parlor. It was a fish-eye, any seat in the room saw the entire room. It's name...the Chaperone Mirror!

15-Slave Culture

'Ask and you shall receive.' I was whining that the river plantations decided if they couldn't keep their slaves then they wouldn't keep slave history. Little did I suspect that Louisiana State University has a Rural Museum where they actively study slave culture. 
They have built a complete slave village from decaying slave quarters of surrounding plantations. It was rewarding to find our past venerated with such care!

14-Stairs of Drudgery

                                               

These are the back steps. For a hundred years there was no light in them. A hand rail wouldn't have helped because chamber pots and linens were so heavy they took both hands.

The gracious home is Rosedown Plantation of St. Francisville Parish, Louisiana. Built in the 1830's, it would have over 400 people...who weren't people. The plantation would accommodate the master, his wife and 11 children. Then there were 400 people...who weren't people.

In the 1950's, a decision was made. The slave quarters were torn down and bulldozed. These 400 people...who weren't people, now had no history. If these people, who aren't people and have no history, why should we give them a second thought

13-Chasm of Character!

Natchez-In 1861, a convention in Mississippi voted to secede from the Union. All the delegates from Natchez voted to stay with the Union.
In 1863, Grant had Vicksburg under siege 43 days. The city ran out of food. Dogs, cats, even rats were not safe. Gracious homes were torched by advancing Union armies. The hunger, the homelessness were a source of great pride for the citizens surviving the siege.
Down the river in Natchez, gracious living remained gracious. When Yankees arrived on the dock, they were met with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. The Yankee general was provided a river front mansion. Only two homes were destroyed. The provisions and graciousness were a source of great pride for the citizens surviving the occupation.
Only 75 miles might separate the cities, but a very wide chasm of character!

12-The Very First 'Teddy' Bear

Vicksburg-This painting is almost accurate. Teddy Roosevelt came to Vicksburg in 1902 to shoot a bear and shore up his base. He hunted several days and found no bears. Finally his guide tracked a mangy old bear into the middle of a pond, called Teddy away from his lunch indicating it was the best he could do.
It was lucky day for the bear. Teddy was disgusted! He refused to shoot and went back to Washington empty handed. I don't know where the original of this painting is. It might be a composite from old pictures. I photographed it off the sea wall in Vicksburg.

11-That's 43 to 1!

This gator is the first thing to greet you as you enter the Magnolia Lounge on the Mississippi Queen. I came on board wearing a "Cal" cap. I found a gaggle of 43 Stanford alums boarding at the same time. 
43 to 1? Those are good odds! Go Bears!!