History & Comment for March 7, 2025

A look at historical and current events on this day, comment and humor so dry it would make a camel thirsty. 

Transcript

This is History and Comment for Friday the 7th of March 2025

Lets open back in the year 1277 the University of Paris issues the last of a series of condemnations covering a list of philosophical and religious thoughts.   Over a couple of centuries this had been common, to look at writings and proclaim them to be heresy.    The activity had the approval of the Pope but may not have been official Church Positions.   Still, reading or studying the listed works could result in excommunication.    The Greek Philosopher Aristotle was one broad topic that received scrutiny.    Others consider the Universities review to be in fact an application of science and encouraging scientific rigor.   

Maybe it would be worthwhile to take a moment to review exactly what is science.   At the most basic it is research and conclusions that are peer-reviewed.   The scientific methods include seven steps.   Observe & Question;  Research the topic, what do we already know ?   What plants are green is pretty well established.  Suggest a reason or cause.    Test with experiments,  this step is maybe the second most critical,  you want to test only a single variable at a time.  This is where many experiments go astray, the experiments are too complex to give clear data.   Analyse the data, this might be the most critical step, even a good experiment is of little value if the data is not properly handled and interpreted.    There is a concept here that many folks have never considered.   Are the results a cause or a co-incidence?   I can conclude that drinking water and eating apples is bad for your health.    And report that of everyone who consumed both between the years of 1800 and 1850 died,  so it must be the apples and water.   Yes the data might suggest that but it is co-incident and not the cause. It is also an example of multiple variables.   Report your Conclusions, put them out in public where others can evaluate your methods, data and conclusions.  Then the most important step, repeat. 

Beyond the scientific method, the events of 1277,  also bring up the topic of banning thoughts and books.    The Meadival Church was not big on the open airing of views.   For that we can fault them.    On the same topic we hear folks talk about banning books.   That is fairly rare in America today.   There is a major difference between banning and limiting what appears on the school book shelf.  The later is applying a community standard and protecting the innocence of minors in a public setting.    There is a long list of subjects where we can debate what is age appropriate.   Schools, Libraries and any public venue should work to uphold the community standard. I would go so far as to suggest that it would be wise to not push that boundary either.    

This is a short step from the subject of prayer in schools.    It is easy to point to the decision in 1962 that made it unconstitutional as a crossing the Rubicon moment.   I will give you that.    The issue today is how should it be handled?   Do we say a Protestant Prayer, the Rosary, or some wiccan incantation?  Or any one the multitude of other beliefs systems.   The topic was much easier in the time period when communities were more isolated and beliefs were more uniform.   

Rob Roy Mac Gregor was born on this day in 1671.   There was a great deal of political intrigue in 17th Century Scotland,  and a few battles for control.   Rob Roy was certainly in the fray.   The highlands get a lot of press, but the lowlands had a lot going on too.   There Cattle were common as were rustlers, and extortionist.  Making a living by demanding protection money was common.  We might argue there were as many of the later as the former.   Rob Roy was in this mix also.  When he lost his cattle, he had to default on debts.    Twice he was offered a reprieve, if he would align politically.    Both times he refused.  He was not going to be bought.    We can give him points for that.    

Branding Rob Roy an outlaw might well be a case of the winners write the narrative.    

Yesterday, we talked about the Compromise of 1820, thirty years down the road that did not solve the problem and we are discussing the compromise of 1850.  Senator Daniel Webster gives a speech endorsing the plan.   Just what was the plan?   There were five points, admit California as a Free State, a major concession by the south as it would tip the balance of power in the North’s favor.   Set the Boundaries of Texas and set-up territorial Government is New Mexico and Utah.    It did not mention if the territories would be free or slave.  Based on the 1820 Compromise, New Mexico would be slave and Utah Free.   Or at least largely so.  Their borders did not comply with the 1820 law as they are about 34 miles too far North.    

The Telephone is patented in 1876

If you followed motorsports in the late 1970’s, Janet Guthrie is 86 today.   She raced in three Indy 500, finishing 9th in  1978. The same year she was running Nascar and finished 10th at Atlanta.    Not much is published about her life over the past 4 and half decades.   A film adaptation of the 2017 book Speed Girl is reported to be in production. 

It might be easy to brush Guthrie off as just trying to make waves in a male dominated enterprise.   That would be short-sighted.   She earned a private pilots license at the age fo 17 and a degree in physics in 1960.    Her racing career began on Sports Car Club of America circuit in 1963.   

Hill Street Blues Fans might like to know that Actor Daniel Travanti is 85 today.   

A very long discussion could be held about the tortured relationship between creatives and functional society.     While society as a whole likes them, on a personal level creatives are difficult to deal with.   Plagued with introspection, self-doubt and near mental illness is common.    Maybe none more classic that Songwriter Townes Van Zandt, who was born on this day in 1944.   Super intelligent, plagued with bouts of depression, he had a long history of self medication with drugs and alcohol.   Van Zandt died at the age of 52.   He is often cited as one of the best songwriters ever.  

This day in 1965 is known as Bloody Sunday. Civil Rights marchers are beaten in Selma, Alabama.    This was not some riotous mob.  The marchers were largely peaceful, and that was not by Democrat usage of that term.   They in fact were.   And the Attackers were state and local police.  Certainly, well over the line of exuberant.

Iran and the United Kingdon break diplomatic relations in 1989 in a fight over author Salman Rushdie. 

There is a story this morning reporting a study out of John Hopkins that indicates the patients who under go gender reassignment surgery are at a much greater risk of suicide than other patients.     I did not find the cited study but one on the National Institute of Health website from last year concluded “Patients who have undergone gender-affirming surgery are associated with a significantly elevated risk of suicide, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive post-procedure psychiatric support.”

Maybe the medical community should consider evaluating folks who want to mutilate themselves in such manners for mental illness before the surgery?   The argument across society is, is this some new right or is it a mental condition?   Maybe the effort would be more effective if we treated the root causes rather than resort to radical surgery.    Clearly.   There is a case, for claiming mal-adjustment or not being in touch with reality.  

Some folks have posted on-line that we should reaffirm a variety beliefs to prevent mental trauma and possible suicide.   It is more compassionate, to reaffirm a mental illness or try to treat it?  Now certainly,  not all medical treatments are not effective,  Townes Van Zandt, suffered long-term memory loss from a radical insulin shock treatment for his depression.  In retrospect, it was not a good course of treatment,   but what would the outcome had been with no treatment?     

The fact is the smart folks in the room are still practicing medicine.   While it is science it is nearly impossible to isolate the number of variables to a manageable number. 

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