Louisiana
Am I us? Or am I them? Do I have to answer that? To call the 3.8 million square miles that is the United States united is dismally laughable. We’re always fighting the ‘them’, whether that’s conservatives, liberals, Mexicans, Muslims, blacks, whites. It’s daunting to be in a constant state of asking, ‘Who’s ruining the country today?’ “To learn from history you have to listen.” Wanda Lee is sitting at a small table wearing a bonnet, a long dress and a white apron, all of which have gone out of style. The farmhouse doors are open, exposing the men in military blues sitting under a tree reloading their muskets with blanks. Our conversation is interrupted by kids on field trips meant to interest them in the history of Chalmette, Louisiana, where Americans defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans, uniting the nation in a bid for continued westward expansion and control of the mighty Mississippi River. “I think we do learn from history,” Wanda Lee says. “But most people only pick out what suits their beliefs, positions and race.” But it’s only both sides of a story that will help us see the full picture. For instance, in the War of 1812, Americans attacked the British first. It seems we have a history of aggression. About that time, a man, maybe late 30s or early 40s comes...
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