History & Comment for April 18, 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 18th of April 2025

There is a lot going on today.  So hang on let’s see what we can pack into 1300 words.    

King Aethelred the First of Northumbria is murdered in a political coup.   This is in the year 796.   The point here is names in England were spelled and sounded funny in the 8th Century and people were people.   Our flaws have existed since the dawn of time.  

Today is Good Friday.   They day Christians mark the death of Christ.    While the overarching plan is redemption of a Spiritual plane.   It was also a travesty of Jewish and Roman justice to protect the power and position of the High Priest.   Since the earliest days of his ministry, Jesus had taken direct aim at the religious establishment.    They knew this and instead of repenting they fought back.  Then resorted to diabolical means to murder him.    Any common criminal of the day was allowed a series of public trials.   Yet Jesus’ crucifixion happened most likely within twelve hours, with much of the proceedings in the early morning hours.  The whole affair was counter to the Jewish idea of justice.    While we often point out that people always resort to personal gain.   The other principal is when things get messy, they will also resort to the concept of the ends justify the means.    If you want to see this on full display,  observe the Police.   

Lets go back to Good Friday for one more important point.   The existence, death on the cross, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most supported event in that historical time period than any other.    Unbelievers want to scoff and dismiss it as myth, because they do not want to deal with the logical conclusion.    But that ignores the historical facts.   Set the Bible aside as evidence. There remains a very large body of evidence from a number of sources, including some that are hostile, yet they attest to the facts.   

The Cornerstone of St Peters Basilica is laid in 1506.   The idea of an extremely grand edifice as a form of worship was central to the Catholic Church in the middle ages and it continues to this day.   I’m not sure I am totally against the idea.   We can see elements of it in the building of the Old Testament Temples.   But it does imply that God can only be worshiped within elaborate trappings.   I will contend that a sincere prayer on a rough hewn log is more powerful than a rote ceremony in splendor.   

In a related event, Martin Luther’s trial at Worms is in its second day in 1522.   One source list that he risked excommunication.   Folks, he knew well it was his life at stake, maybe literally and with a pile of burning wood at this feet.    One of the points that drove Luther to protest was the selling of indulgences. I do not mean to sound trite but they were essentially a get out of hell free card.    Give us money and we will forgive your sins or get Grandma out of purgatory.   Luther found the practice deplorable and wrote the Pope in protest.  What he may not have know at the time was the Pope had approved the broad concept to fund the building of St Peter’s.   Again the end justified the means.      

Henry Wadesworth Longfellow got many of the facts wrong when he wrote the famous  poem that begins: “On the 18th of April in ’75”   he went on to describe events that took place in the early morning hours where Paul Revere and four or five other riders roamed the Country side warning of the advancing British Troops.   That was 250 years ago today.  

The 3/5’s idea enters legislation in 1783 and will later appear in the Constitution.    For government purposes it counted black slaves as 3/5s of a person.   The South wanted to count them as full persons despite the fact they did not have voting rights among a long list of other rights.  Counting them inflated their population and increased the number of seats they held in the House of Representatives.   Tipping the balance of power.   The North contended that since they did not have rights they should not be counted.    The 3/5s idea was a compromise.   One of a very long list that did little to defuse the debate.  

Continuing the theme of human flaws, most major political debates in the period and far beyond were essentially a debate over who would have the controlling power.    You can see that in every news cast today.    

Can someone explain why a Democrat Representiave is so interested in an illegal immigrate that he makes a trip to El Salvador to lobby on his behalf?   It has nothing to do about the person but at least the appearance of support of a body of people that may someday have voting rights.   And the suggestion of voting opens a whole bulk tote of examples where a bias is being inserted.   Ask yourself why the idea of voter identification is so abhorrent?   Ever legal voter should be encouraged to vote.   But assuring every voter mets those criteria is not a bad plan.   It should be a no-brainer.    Ask yourself why one party resist any effort to validate a voters eligibility?

Superman debuts in Action Comic Issue No 1 which was on newsstands on this day in 1938.   

During WW II,  Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle, planned and lead the first bombing run on the Japanese homeland.   The attack was more psychological than effective.  It made for a positive headline in the American Press and for the first time, took the war directly to the Japanese.     We do not often consider the resolve of the Japanese people.    The casuality numbers had to have a massive effect.   Compared to American losses it was staggering.  Yet they intended to fight in the street until the last man was killed.     We often condemn President Truman for the nuclear bombing,  but forget that despite two cites being nucked,  there was still reluctance to surrender.   

Alfred Lord Tennyson was a member of the British House of Lords and also a noted poet.    He wrote the line: “In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”   And someone here in American modified that from Love to Baseball.   The American pastime was a perfect way to get outdoors after a long winter huddled inside.     Even if it is not baseball, folks are invigorated to get outside and soak up the first warm rays.    

In 1946, Jackie Robinson makes his regular season debut with the Montreal Royals of the International league.  Breaking the racial barrier in place since the late 19th Century.   The international Leage is Triple-A and one-step below the Majors.    Robinson will make his ML debut the next Spring.    The choice of Robinson was maybe more on his personality than skill as a ballplayer.   Larry Doby, who broke the race barrier in the National League the same year comments that Robinson was not the best player. He gives that title to Josh Gibson.  Gibson was eventually inducted into the HoF, but never played in the Majors.     Satchel Paige get an honorable mention.   

The Social Media feeds are being filled with clips of Banana Ball.   The original Savanah Bananas now have a league of their own with two more teams being added this year.    I have an analogy in mind but some might consider it irreverent.    The concept is pure entertainment genius.   A blend of Baseball and the circus.   While the stiff, hoity purest may deride it as a mockery.   The fast paced version is filling stadiums and large ones at that. 

I tend to play things pretty close to the vest and not venture out too far.   Banana Ball as it is called is all about fun, maybe bordering on reveree.    That will get a look down the nose from a lot of prudish folks in baseball and the pew.  

It would be folly to equate the game with worship and church.   But I do flirt with folly.   In the Church world the word Hallelujah is common as a high form of worship.    The word is pure Hebrew.  One of very few that have worked into English.    There is an interesting dive in the first part or the word  halle.     The simple suggestion is to Praise.   But it is more than that, it is to shine like a star and the deep suggestion is with exuberance and more than hints at expression to the point of irrational and comic.     When David dances before the Ark in the Old Testament. His wife Michael called him foolish with the verb Halle. 

Now we can see that Banana Ball is intend to be fun and have the crowd participate.   Should church be MLB or Banana Ball?     The phrase Halle Lu Yah.   Halle you God.   Suggest the latter.    

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