Hello! Thank you for putting your ear to the Listening Tube! I’m your host, Bob Woodley. On this episode, we’ll hear about electric cars, sex disqualification, and nuts…..but first, (not the headlines)!

It’s episode two of season four. Yea, four seasons. Winter is just around the corner. I prefer one season myself: warm and sunny, with occasional rain that I don’t have to shovel. I don’t like the kind of rain that pelts my scalp like buckshot from God. But it’s late December in Pennsylvania, and other than move to Guam, what’re ya gonna do? It’s that time of year when people start to hunker down where the weather gets cold, and that means a different lifestyle for millions of people who reluctantly cope with living in a cold-weather climate. Instead of gathering at the beach, we’ll gather indoors at holiday parties and office gatherings. While some may thrive on cold-weather activities like skiing and snowmobiling, humans in general have designed our world to avoid the cold. Some of us loathe the cold, to the point that the first chill in the air, back in early autumn, was a foreboding sign of things to come. Cold weather can be weaponized, as it is by Russia and the tyrant Putin against the citizens of Ukraine. It can also be utilized as a tool to dissuade dissent, in as much as mass protests are less likely in colder climates. It’s harder to display your beliefs to the public when the temperature is below freezing. There have been exceptions, though, and we’ll hear about them later in this episode. Because of the recent cold weather in the mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania and Virginia, you probably won’t hear about a lot of protests against the recent decisions about two statues. The statue of Christopher Columbus in Philadelphia, which had been covered with a plywood box since June of 2020, was once again revealed to the public by the order of a judge. The statue of the famous explorer was there since 1876, but became a flash point during the violent summer of the riots that began in Minneapolis. The city of Philadelphia justified covering the statue as a means of promoting public safety. The judge declared the city failed to prove the removal of the statue was needed to protect the public. Philadelphia’s mayor still wants the statue removed from its place in the Marconi Plaza. Oh, that’s classic. The Christopher Columbus statue is in the Marconi Plaza. Aren’t they both Italian? Do you know how badly I wanted to say that with an Italian accent, but I didn’t because I’m afraid that it would someday come back to haunt me? Well, what are ya gonna do? You see, Philadelphia has a deep Italian heritage, and the Italian community there would like to honor their contribution to America, even though we now know he wasn’t the first to land in America. But he blazed the trail across the Atlantic for the many who came later. The controversy exists with people who often view exploration as an intrusion into other societies. Magellan is another explorer who opened up the world to those who didn’t have the bravado to seek it out themselves. Many consider men like Columbus and Magellan conquering hero’s, while others now consider them invading monsters. The truth lies somewhere in between, as without them, modern civilization wouldn’t be where it is today, while because of them, modern civilization is where it is today. It’s kind of like Columbus and Magellan went back in time and stepped on a bug, and changed the course of history, except that they didn’t have to go back in time and step on a bug, because they were already back in time. But somehow, we’re blaming them for where we are now, even though they did what they did, and what they did was dare to prove the world wasn’t flat. Now we think that we’re somehow responsible for how convoluted it is. Well, you can’t go back and unstomp the bug. Magellan and Columbus might not deserve to be honored for their donations to charity, but certainly their bravery, leadership and confidence to convince world leaders to finance the journey and recruit men to risk their lives to go where no one had before is certainly admirable. Is it statue worthy? Many Philadelphians believe it is.

Another statue, in Richmond, Virginia, recently experienced a very different fate. The former Capital of the Confederate States of America has removed its last city-owned statue honoring a Confederate hero. He was a Confederate General, and it’s been two years since the movement to get rid of the statue began, as the General himself is buried beneath the statue. So, who is this General?

Look that up liner…

General Ambrose Powell Hill, Junior, according to wikipedia, died in the American Civil war. He was a career soldier; officer. He worked his way up through the ranks, under the tutelage of well-known historical figures like Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee. His service was often interrupted by illness, and he was killed shorty after returning to battle near the end of the war in April of 1865. The General’s remains were buried beneath the statue in 1891. That was the second time he was relocated post mortum, and now he’ll be moved again to a cemetery in Culpepper, Virginia. Now, I’ve been to Culpepper, Virginia, and I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say it’s a nice place to be buried. But if you want to take the train from Culpepper to Washington, D.C., keep this in mind: You can’t walk in to the Culpepper train station and buy a ticket to get on the train from the lady behind the widow at the train station. Now, you would think that in America, or let’s face it, anywhere in the world, you would be able to walk in to a train station and buy a ticket to get on the train to go from one city to another. Nope. You must buy your ticket on-line! But the train was leaving the station in a few minutes, and my wife was still trying to find and download the Amtrack app to purchase the tickets. The conductor instructed us to go ahead and get on the train, buy the tickets enroute, and he would come around in a little while to make sure we were able to buy the tickets that would allow us to be on the train to Washington, D.C. Luckily, my wife was able to buy the tickets, as I don’t know what would have happened if she wasn’t able to buy the tickets. I guess the moral of the story is that you should no longer expect to be able to buy a train ticket at the train station. I don’t know if that’s progress or not. But getting back to the General who’s statue is being removed from Richmond and his remains being moved to Culpepper, after looking at his biography, one has to wonder why he got a statue in the first place. He was often too sick to lead any troops, and when he finally made it to the battlefield in the waning days of the Civil War, he got himself killed. The only reason this statue was still standing is because the General was buried beneath it. Richmond’s Mayor marked the occasion by saying, “This is, I would say, the last day of the Lost Cause.” referring to the Confederacy. “Now Richmond can turn the page-fully turn the next page.” Well, maybe not entirely. The General’s family want the statue to be relocated to the cemetery in Culpepper, along with the remains beneath it. The city of Richmond plans to donate the statue to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, which is where all the other Civil War monuments have gone. There will be cries from those who favor antebellum about history being erased, but we know that’s not the case, as you can’t erase history. But Richmond has set the example for the rest of the former Confederate territory. Personally, I don’t think there should be any Confederate monuments in the United States of America. It’s only because this is America that those statues were allowed in the first place. But statues are for winners, and the south lost. There aren’t any Hitler statues in Berlin. Confederate statues, especially the ones erected a hundred years after the war ended, are just a tool of intimidation, and a reminder that there are still people who wish to enslave other human beings. It’s ironic that only in America can a secessionist movement that divided the country itself is allowed to put up statues to honor the men who tried and failed to ruin the country. Just as the German people came to understand the horrible goals of the Nazi’s, it’s time for Confederate sympathizers to let go of the inhumane agenda of slavery. Removing monuments to the leaders of the Confederacy is a good start. Banning the Rebel flag at NASCAR events was another step forward to end the romanticization of antebellum. If you don’t think confederate hangers-on are a problem, listen to what happened to me a few years ago. Every Independence Day, the town in which I live has a great celebration, produced by the company I work for. It’s an all-day event, with the grand finale of a fireworks show set to music. As part of the attraction, we had what was until recently the largest flying American flag in the world, stretched between two cranes, it’s certainly a sight to see. On that day a few years ago, a Pennsylvania National Guardsman was helping me block off one of the streets as the festivities were getting underway. When we got the work done, we both stood there admiring that giant American flag. After a few moments, this soldier, this American soldier of the Pennsylvania National Guard, turns to me and says, “Wouldn’t it be great if that was a big ol’ Rebel flag up there?” I was shocked and disappointed. I was almost at a loss for words, but not quite. I said, “As long as that flag, meaning the American flag, flies over this country, you’re welcome to fly any lessor flag you wish.” I don’t know why he felt comfortable expressing his confederate sympathies to me. Did he assume that because I’m a white guy, I would share his viewpoint? Did he not realize he was north of the Mason-Dixon Line? This goofball American soldier seemed to have forgot the oath he took to become a member of the military. And that’s why removing Confederate monuments should be removed. It’s not going to change anyone’s history, but it can certainly improve our future.

Oddly enough, while our society strives to rid itself of bigotry and racism, it seems to pop up where you might not expect it. It’s as if racism has become a kind of whack-a-mole game where as soon as you knock it down in one area, it pops up its ugly head in another. Case in point, a Willow Grove, Pennsylvania school board member who opposed the vote of a fellow member of the school board to become president of said school board only because he was a white heterosexual male. After declaring that the man would make a fine school board president, she declared that she could not vote for him because he is a white male who practices a heterosexual lifestyle. In other words, he was declared male at birth and he continues to believe he is still a male. And he’s a white male. Therefore, he cannot become the president of the school board. That would send the wrong message, she said.

“I feel that electing the only cis white male on this board president of this district sends the wrong message to our community: a message that is contrary to what we as a board have been trying to accomplish." she said, after saying the same guy would make an excellent president. So what message was the school board trying to send? That racism and sexism is ok as long as it’s directed at white men? Was the school director suggesting that heterosexuals are somehow bad? How is it that someone who appears to be so politically correct can turn out to be so racist and sexist and heterophobic? Well, we might never know, as the woman who said those atrocious things resigned from the school board, effective January 2nd. The rest of the school board distanced themselves from her statement. The subject of her comments says that he “supports diversity, but these comments did not further diversity and reflected poorly on the community.” As well they should. Sometimes the reaction to racism, sexism and other types of division is too extreme, and what ends up happening is more of an over-correction than a correction. Instead of making it right, we go back just a little bit further to make it even. And as long as we keep doing that, we’ll never be even and we’ll never make it right. If you think reparations for descendants of slaves is a good idea, just wait until the descendants of Native Americans come calling. There has to be a way for us to move forward without looking back and blaming each other for where we are now. We’ve come a long way in the last 300 years, and we’re all better for it. We’re not going to accomplish as much as we can if we keep expecting some kind of favor due to us for past actions. We have to look forward with positivity, just as a young girl named Madeline did recently. You see, Madeline is so sure that she’ll someday own a unicorn, that she wrote to the Los Angeles animal control office to make sure she’s allowed to keep it in her yard. Here’s a forward-thinking little girl who understands the role bureaucracy plays in our everyday lives, and she took a step to get in front of a problem before it became a problem. Because she acted in such a responsible manner, the L A. County director of Animal Care and Control issued a one-of-a-kind heart-shaped Permanent Unicorn License. The rose-colored metal tag didn’t come without a hitch, though. If Madeline is able to find a unicorn to keep in her yard, it must be given plenty of sunshine, moonbeams and rainbows, as well as a horn polish with a soft cloth at least once a month. Also, any sparkles or glitter used on the unicorn must be non-toxic and biodegradable. Not that cheap stripper glitter! Oh, and it also has to be fed watermelon at least once a week. Huh, I didn’t know unicorns liked watermelon. I guess you’re never too old to learn!

Let’s go back liner

This week in 1606,

The Virginia Company ships The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery depart England carrying settlers who found, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States.

Fourteen years later, this week in 1620, William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims land on what is now known as Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

1776

George Washington and the Continental Army cross the Delaware River to attack the Kingdom of Great Britain’s Hessian mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey. Planned in utmost secrecy, the crossing of the icy Delaware river from Bucks County, Pennsylvania into New Jersey was a risky and dangerous operation. But General Washington’s plan worked, and his army was able to surprise and defeat the German troops quartered there in support of the British forces. Washington’s men were able to return to Pennsylvania with both prisoners and armaments captured in Trenton. The British thought the fighting had ended for the winter, and had quartered to re-group and plan for renewed fighting in the spring. Washington didn’t wait for spring, and his attack renewed the morale of his troops and led to other victories. Another morale-booster was published this week in 1776. It was Thomas Paine’s pamphlet called The American Crisis. It begins with the now-famous line, “These are the times that try men's souls;” It goes on to say, “the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

General Washington ordered that the pamphlet be read to all of his troops within a day of it’s publication.

1868

U.S. President Andrew Johnson grants unconditional pardon to all Civil War Confederate soldiers. Because that’s how America rolls. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of Confederate sympathizers out there, not willing to give up on a lost cause.

1878

John Kehoe, the last of the Molly Maguires is executed in Pennsylvania. The Molly Maguires were a secret society of Irish coal miners. The Molly Maguires are also considered by many to be the first labor organization or union. Coal mining was, and still is, a dangerous job, and between 1840 and 1845, a half million immigrants came to the United States from Ireland because of the potato famine. Many of them found their way to the coal mines of eastern Pennsylvania, and were subsequently underpaid and ultimately controlled by the mining companies that also owned the towns in which the miners lived. The Molly Maguires took it upon themselves to initiate a type of vigilante justice to combat their living and working conditions. A railroad company hired a spy to infiltrate the group, and over a two-year period, he heard a number of confessions of murder and other crimes. Twenty of the Molly Maguires were sentenced to death, and 10 of them were hanged in one day. But John Kehoe, the alleged king of the group was the last to go, a year and a half after the first 10. More than 100 years later, in 1979, John Kehoe was granted a full pardon by the state of Pennsylvania. As it turns our, the man who hired the spy was also the chief prosecutor in the trials of the accussed. Many historians, according to History dot com, now believe the trials and executions were a “perversion of the criminal justice system.”

1898

Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat sets the first officially recognized land speed record of 39.245 mi/h in a Jeantaud electric car. That’s right, folks! The electric car has been around since the 1800’s. They reached their peak in popularity around 1900, but by the roaring 20’s, interest began to wane until in 1935, they were practically gone. Why? Because of the more economical internal combustion engines that were now the favored power source for transportation. Porche had a hybrid vehicle in 1901. BMW introduced an electric car during the 1972 Munich Olympics. General Motors had a working electric car in 1973, as a result of the Energy Crisis and pollution. And now, electric cars are making a comeback. High gasoline prices are one reason, and some also believe that electric vehicles are also cleaner to run than cars that run on gas. I guess that would depend on how the electricity is generated. Either way, we’ve been here before. While today’s technology makes electric cars work better than before, it’s only a matter of time until somebody comes up with a better way, and the electric car will once again be abandoned. Personally, I’m hoping the next power source for our cars and trucks will be hydrogen.

This week in 1914, five months after the start of World War I, during what is now known as the Christmas truce, troops on the Western Front temporarily cease fire. French, British and German soldiers ventured into no-man’s land to exchange food and souveniers, as well as holiday greetings. There were joint burial ceremonies, prisoner swaps, and even a football game. Enemies sang Christmas carols together. There was never another truce like it during the rest of the years of the Great War, as the ever-increasing death toll made the war more personal and soldiers more bitter toward the enemy.

1919

Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 becomes law in the UK. Prior to that, being a woman, or being a married woman, prevented you from holding certain jobs. Sometimes a woman would have to leave a job she had simply because she became a man’s wife. But the Sex Disqualification Act aimed to correct that. It stated, “A person shall not be disqualified by sex or marriage from the exercise of any public function, or from being appointed to or holding any civil or judicial office or post, or from entering or assuming or carrying on any civil profession or vocation, or for admission to any incorporated society (whether incorporated by Royal Charter or otherwise), and a person shall not be exempted by sex or marriage from the liability to serve as a juror”. So, more freedom also came with an added responsibility. Seems fair. But the act didn’t solve everything. For example, according to gov dot uk, while women could now work for the post office, they did so in a separate, lower-paying “Women’s Branch.” And for some reason, women still had to resign those jobs if they got married. It wasn’t until 1946 that that exemption was eliminated.

1924

Hitler is released from Landsberg Prison. He had been in there for about 9 months as a result of his arrest after a failed coup attempt. While there, he created Mein Kampf, or My Struggle.

1932

The Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth Spartans 9-0 in the NFL Championship Game. Because of the threat of a blizzard, the game is moved from Wrigley Field to indoors at the Chicago Stadium. Because of the small size of the arena, the field would measure only 80 yards long and 45 yards wide. The Portsmouth Spartans would later become the Detroit Lions.

This week in 1944, just 20 years after Hitler was released from prison, during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, German troops demand the surrender of United States troops at Bastogne, Belgium. The letter, delivered to General Anthony McAuliffe, read as follows:

To the USA Commandere of the encircled town of Bastogne. The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Ourthe near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.

There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.

If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.

All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.

The German Commander.

Having read the letter, he crumpled it up and threw it away. Meanwhile, his officers were trying to come up with an official reply. Surrender was not part of the plan. A Lieutenant Colonel at the command post suggested the reply should be what the General said as he tossed away the letter demanding surrender. And so it was agreed. The letter with the official response was as follows: To the German Commander.

“Nuts!”

The American Commander.

The response was delivered and confused the German commander. When asked what it meant, the Colonel who delivered the response said, “In plain English? Go to hell.” The American 4th Armored Division arrived four days later to provide reinforcement, and the defense of Bastogne resulted in General Patton awarding McAuliffe the Distinguished Service Cross and a promotion.

1968

Apollo program: Apollo 8 launched from the Kennedy Space Center, placing its crew on a lunar trajectory for the first visit to another celestial body by humans. Sixty-eight hours later,

the crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history. During the broadcast, the astronauts read the first 10 verses of the Book of Genesis. Astronaut Bill Anders began: We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

Jim Lovell picked it up from there:

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Then came Frank Borman: And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.

After 20 hours of orbiting the moon, still this week in 1968, Apollo 8 performs the very first successful Trans Earth Injection maneuver, sending the crew and spacecraft on a trajectory back to Earth from Lunar orbit.

Four years later, this week in 1972, the last manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, crewed by Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt, returns to Earth. After that, moon exploration became a thing of the past. Now, interest in the moon has resurfaced. NASA recently sent another rocket to orbit the moon, albeit without astronauts. It’s an entirely new system, so it’s still being tested, but returning humans to the moon is the near-term goal, with a long-term goal of establishing a colony there. Just maybe, a new generation of kids will decide that they want to be an astronaut when they grow up.

1988

A bomb explodes on board Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, killing 270. One man was found guilty of the bombing in May of 2000, almost 12 years after the disaster. Then, two year ago in 2020, the United States indicted another man for his involvement. Just this year, in fact earlier this month, the now 71-year-old was remanded to U.S. custody. As Ronald Reagan once famously said, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”

1991

Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the Soviet Union (the union itself is dissolved the next day). Ukraine’s referendum is finalized and Ukraine officially leaves the Soviet Union. Today, the tyrant Putin is attempting to absorb Ukraine once again. The resistance continues, despite missile attacks that are leaving the people of Ukraine without power during this cold time of year.

1996

The Oakland, California school board passes a resolution officially declaring “Ebonics” a language or dialect. Originally known as Jive talkin, ebonics was a way to legitimize slang words most commonly used by African Americans of the time. Respected linguists don’t recognize the term, and some Black linguists maintain the term does more to hinder black academic achievement that help it.

Phone and email liner...

You know what else is this week? Christmas. And with that in mind, I’d like to talk about a social media meme I saw recently. Some pessimist named Rachel created a meme that says, “Sorry to say this but, being a good person doesn’t get you loved. It gets you used.” Other than the comma in the first sentence being misplaced, I’d have to say it’s well written. But let’s examine it a little more closely. It begins with, “Sorry to say this but,” First of all, Rachel isn’t sorry to say it, otherwise she wouldn’t have said it. So why was this meme created? I would have to say because somebody doesn’t want us to be nice to each other any more. Maybe she’s bankrolled by George Soros. She says being a good person doesn’t get you loved. Well, in my experience we aren’t good people because we want to be loved. If you’re being a good person only if you get a reward, in this case, being loved, then you might not be a good person at all. Being a good person isn’t about being reciprocated. Being a good person is being willing to give another human being the benefit of the doubt. Being a good person is about doing what’s right, not about what the reward might be. If you’re only good because you get loved, you might want to take another look at the people who’s love you seem to need. Sure, you might get loved for being a good person, but if that’s the condition of the love, it’s not love at all. The meme finishes by saying that being a good person gets you used. Well, it might. That’s a chance we all take when we’re good to somebody who doesn’t appreciate it, or takes advantage of a person’s goodwill. Ultimately, we can only be used as much as we will allow it, and sometimes it provides a valuable lesson. People eventually show their true colors, and you have to decide if they still deserve your niceties. You don’t have to be nice to everyone. It’s a shame the person who created the meme feels that way. She may have been used by somebody to whom she was nice, and extrapolated it out to an illogical conclusion. Some people agreed with the meme, though, and I feel badly for them. Many others defended being a nice person, and I feel good about them. I hope there are still a lot of people out there who are nice to other people just because being nice is the right thing to do. I hope you’re not deterred by this type of social media garbage. If you’re a nice person, continue to be so, if you’re not a nice person, you might want to try it. Although it’s not something you do expecting a reward, as it turns out, there is one. It’s called feeling good about yourself, and making the people around you happy and feeling good about themselves. If more of that were happening, the world would be a much better place, and we could count on our fellow citizens instead of suspecting them. So be a good person! And if the mood strikes, create a meme suggesting others do the same.