Subject: [civicprep] It May Have Happened Once Before
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 14:58:46 -0700
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History has a way of repeating itself, thus the following:

IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE

[NOTE - As we approach Y2K and the need to appropriately prepare, an alert young librarian recently found in the archives of the Boston Public Library the following article, yellowed and brittle with age, from the now-defunct "Boston Chronicle."]

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Headline: 'CRAZY PAUL' RIDES TO WARN NEIGHBORS

Subhead: Claims "British Are Coming!"

By: T. James Hansford, Neighborhood Correspondent

BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 19, 1775. Goldsmith Paul Edmond Revere, 47, now known by his neighbors as "Crazy Paul," rode madly through rain-swept Boston neighborhoods last night on his horse "Victory," allegedly attempting to warn skeptical neighbors that British troops were approaching.

According to an eye-witness interviewed by this correspondent, the exchange between Revere and at least one neighbor became quite heated:

REVERE: (dismounting in haste from Victory and pounding on neighbor's cottage door) "Wake up, neighbor, wake up, I say! I've seen the signals on the old North Church! The British are coming, the British are coming!"

NEIGHBOR: (emerging groggily from front door, in night gown and cap) "What are you jabbering about, Revere? Don't you know this is the middle of the night, man? Decent citizens are sound asleep - and we want to stay that way!"

REVERE: "But the British are coming, the British are coming! You need to prepare!"

NEIGHBOR: "The British aren't coming, you crazy fool! Nothing is going to happen! Besides, if the British were coming, President Washington would have told us! Now leave us alone and let us sleep!"

REVERE: "But...."

NEIGHBOR: "Besides, you know the rules in this neighborhood - no messengers with bad news! If citizens thought the British were coming, why, it could cause panic in the neighborhood! If they listened to you, they might even take their money out of our new banks, hoard food and water, fill their horses with hay... just cause all kinds of trouble."

REVERE: "But this isn't 'bad news,' Neighbor," this is a FACT - the British ARE coming! Experts have seen them! They..."

NEIGHBOR: "And I say if you know what's good for you, Revere, you'll take your doomsday message out of here! Go home and get some sleep - and let your neighbors continue to do the same! GOOD NIGHT! !"

[Neighbor goes back indoors, slamming the door so loudly behind him that lights come on in several nearby cottages.]

When last seen by this correspondent, "Crazy Paul" was on foot, head down, slowly leading Victory back towards the center of Boston. As the echo of Victory's hoofs on the wet cobblestones faded away, lights in the tidy cottages flickered out one by one, and peaceful quiet once again descended upon the neighborhood.

But as this correspondent listened, in the distance the steady cadence of marching troops was slowly getting louder.

- 30 -

As performed by "The Late Edition," Santa Fe, NM

Transcribed by Doug Stewart

Our sponsor says that "Insanity" can be defined as "Doing what you've always done, but expecting a different outcome."

Douglas Stewart * Stewart@rt66.com

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 01, 1999

Answers

Mayhaps they should check out a history book or two form the local library before they write..."President Washington would have told us! Now leave us alone and let us sleep!" ???

Perhaps the author meant President Clinton would have told us?

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), December 01, 1999.

Thank you ma'am.

At more than one point in his life, Winston Churchill had most of British Parliament against him.

He was outvoted.

Politically outgunned.

Neville Chamberlain even took the limelight with the best news possible against this old kermudgeon: "PEACE IN OUR TIME!"

Churchill was right after all. And the "disaster mitigation effort" from Britain's political folly cost over 40 million lives.

CAN'T YOU HEAR THE STORM COMING?

-- (Kurt.Borzel@gems8.gov.bc.ca), December 01, 1999.

George Washington wasn't president at the time of Revere's ride. The title of President wasn't even determined at that time, as far as a national president was concerned.

-- Check Your Facts (History@is.rewritten.com), December 01, 1999.

Revere didn't say 'The British are coming,' because all the colonists already considered themselves British. He might have said 'the regulars' are coming, or something. Who were coming were the duly appointed federal armed forces, and what they were coming after was the militia, and why they were coming was to seize arms and ammo. The Revolutionary war was not a war of the Americans vs the British... It was rather a REVOLUTION- an uprising of British subjects against their ruling forces.

-- S W Lametree (Swanee@Sunshine.fla.us.gov), December 02, 1999.

SW Lametree: I believe Mr. Revere was heard to be shouting "The Redcoats are coming!".

-- J. Henry (shotgun12@att.net), December 02, 1999.

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Truth will ultimately prevail...its just stubborn. Winston Churchill said, "Truth is incontrovertible, ignorance can deride it, panic may resent it, malice may destroy it, but there it is."

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-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), December 02, 1999.

Diane,

[["And I say if you know what's good for you, Revere, you'll take your doomsday message out of here! Go home and get some sleep - and let your neighbors continue to do the same! GOOD NIGHT! !"

[Neighbor goes back indoors, slamming the door so loudly behind him that lights come on in several nearby cottages.]

When last seen by this correspondent, "Crazy Paul" was on foot, head down, slowly leading Victory back]]

Thanks Diane for the smiles ;-) and a word now and then.

-- maid upname (noid@ihope.com), December 03, 1999.