Miss D. and I are visiting friend and fellow author Alma Boykin today, and speaking to her high school class about Africa and its post-World-War-II history. She likes them to get a feel for how things really were, rather than the sanitized, skimmed-over pablum served up by their textbook, and pulls in outsiders with experience to discuss such things. It’s kinda fun.
Blogging will be light for most of today, although I’ll try to post later this afternoon, travel permitting. Meanwhile, please amuse yourselves with the folks in the sidebar.
Peter
Not part of the world I know much about. I would be interested in Peters thoughts:
My guesses on Biggest issues in Africa:
1. Over population / horrible economy that is causing immigration to Europe
2. AIDS impact on families. Antivirals seems to have slowed this down.
3. China’s impact / economic investments
4. Fall of South Africa economically / White flight
5. Al Queda / Isis / Boko Haram
6. Rise of power of Nigeria
7. Corruption
8. Tribalism
Past 50 years:
1. Apartheid
2. Rhodesia economic descent
3. Congo civil war
4. Black hawk down (huge impact on us policy)
5. Bin laden attacks on us
6. Soviet / us proxy war
7. SA giving up nukes
8. Libya Ghadify overflow
9. Hutu / Tutsi genocide
10 Congo civil war – Katanga
11. End of colonism
Oh, telling the truth in a public school. See you when you get out of jail…
Had some good people tell my classes tell us the truth about:
WWI – from a gassed stormtrooper (yes, a German survivor, emigrated after the war.)
WWII – especially the war photographer who photographed lots of concentration camps. And the little old Japanese lady who gave us a very interesting perspective growing up in Tokyo during the war.
Korea
Viet Nam – The Hmuong shaman told us really horrifying stories. Quite different from what our 'teachers' and the news were telling us.
We even had an actual 'big-game' hunter from Africa tell us some interesting safari stories, quite unlike what we all saw in the films.
It's always good to get the actual 'in-country' perspective.
But when you tell these snowflakes the truth you will get reported for hurting their feelings!
Alma here. The school is a private school. We are bound by some limits, but are not micro-managed the way many public school classes are.
Will you have LawDogs book as a teaching aid?
:>)