American Ideals – Blue Cereal Education https://bluecerealeducation.com Sun, 04 Jun 2023 20:20:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://files.bluecerealeducation.com/2023/06/BowlIcon.png American Ideals – Blue Cereal Education https://bluecerealeducation.com 32 32 John Ross vs. the 1835 Treaty of New Echota (from “Well, OK Then…”) https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/john-ross-vs-treaty-new-echota-1835/ Thu, 22 Nov 2018 15:12:09 +0000 http://localhost:8888/bluecerealwp/blog/john-ross-vs-treaty-new-echota-1835/ Chief John Ross was a “mixed-blood” Cherokee who nevertheless became the best-known and arguably the most effective tribal leader of his generation. His supporters tended to lean traditional – they were conservative, and old-school – wanting little or no contact with whites and uninterested in their version of “progress.” 

Because he would not agree to voluntary removal, the U.S. found others in the tribe who would. They plied them with land and money and the argument that this was going to happen one way or the other – so they might as well make it as painless as possible. The signers of the Treaty of New Echota (1835) violated the most sacred of Cherokee laws while lacking the status to even speak for the tribe to begin with.

]]> 483 This Land Is Whose Land? (From “Well, OK Then…”) https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/land-whose-land-well-ok-then-0/ Thu, 22 Nov 2018 13:21:20 +0000 http://localhost:8888/bluecerealwp/blog/land-whose-land-well-ok-then-0/ People wonder why to this day Oklahoma is one giant inferiority complex, with a side of paranoid delusion. Texas proudly waves its ‘six flags’ representing various stages of its history. Oklahoma had three prior to statehood, playing ‘hot potato’ with us like the homely friend of the popular girls they were really looking to – um… "homestead."

But finally, a nation that needed us! That could appreciate us! Say what you like about the early U.S., they were some exploring and expanding fools! President Jefferson sent out Lewis and Clark and Co., who began mapping the entire area of – 

Hey! Where are you going? Meriwether! Bill! Down here, big fellas! It’s me, Okla –

*sigh*

]]> 482 Land Ownership and the Foundations of Democracy, Part Two (Westward, Ho!) https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/land-ownership-and-foundations-democracy-part-two-westward-ho/ Thu, 22 Nov 2018 12:37:48 +0000 http://localhost:8888/bluecerealwp/blog/land-ownership-and-foundations-democracy-part-two-westward-ho/ My son would fill his tray with everything he could fit in, including that cafeteria classic – brightly colored, cubed Jello. My daughter was much pickier, but inevitably she chose the wiggly cubes as well. The boy would snarf down his selections in minutes; the girl would take hours if we let her. 

It is worth noting that she didn’t usually eat the Jello. 

She liked to look at it. The table would inevitably get jostled a bit, or otherwise nudged, and the Jello would wiggle. It’s what Jello does. She loved that. And, to be fair, that’s just as valid a use for Jello as any other. (Just because something is edible doesn’t mean it serves no other function – otherwise, neither houseplants nor family pets would be around long.) 

But that’s not how my son saw it.

]]> 481 Why Republicans Should Love Public Education https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/why-republicans-should-love-public-education/ Thu, 31 Mar 2016 21:25:49 +0000 http://localhost:8888/bluecerealwp/blog/why-republicans-should-love-public-education/ Continue reading Why Republicans Should Love Public Education]]> 290 MLK, Wobblies, and National Insecurity https://bluecerealeducation.com/blog/mlk-wobblies-and-national-insecurity/ Mon, 18 Jan 2016 14:39:33 +0000 http://localhost:8888/bluecerealwp/blog/mlk-wobblies-and-national-insecurity/ Continue reading MLK, Wobblies, and National Insecurity]]> 251