A Small Grace In the spring of 2000, we left Union County for a farm near Goreville. We left behind friends whose company had shaped our days, and we left behind Sheriff Jim Nash—a man who understood that his work was not merely enforcement but service, a tending to the community as one might tend good land. Moving always brings uncertainty. We wondered what kind of place we were coming to, whether we would find neighbors who knew the old obligations, whether the county's servants would understand that their work was owed to actual people, not to abstractions. The answer came quickly, in the way such things do in small places. Julie had driven to town for the mail. When she came out, one tire was flat. She called, and I started for town, but I needn't have hurried. By the time I arrived, the Johnson County Sheriff, Elry Faulkner, had already pulled over, positioned his vehicle to shield her from the road, and changed the tire himself. This was not duty. This was neighborlines...
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January 30 - A Sad Day In History Pick a sad event from the following list and learn more from the links at the bottom. Gandhi is assassinated Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany Winston Churchill was Laid to Rest Gandhi Assassinated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Mahatma_Gandhi Hitler Named Chancellor of Germany https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/adolf-hitler-is-named-chancellor-of-germany Winston Churchill Laid To Rest https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/january/state-funeral-of-sir-winston-churchill/
January 15th is coming, the day we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Around this time of year, as an old white man, I find it useful to reread a letter addressed to these old white men back in April 1963: C.C.J. Carpenter, Joseph A. Durick, Rabbi Hilton J. Grafman, Bishop Paul Hardin, Bishop Nolan B. Harmon, George M. Murray, Edward V. Ramage, Earl Stallings. They are the Eight White Clergymen who wrote “A Call for Unity,”* an open letter that criticized the Birmingham protests, and are the implied readers of King’s “Letter from A Birmingham Jail.” King refers to them as “My Dear Fellow Clergymen,” and later on as “my Christian and Jewish brothers.” These men were Birmingham religious leaders from the Episcopal, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches as well as a Jewish temple; during the Birmingham protests, they met to discuss their concerns and ended up publishing their open letter, in which they questioned the timing of the protests and recommended that African ...
August 31, 1888 -Jack the Ripper The first victim of Jack the Ripper, "Mary Ann Nichols" a prostitute from London's East End, was found mutilated and murdered in London's East End close to Whitechapel Rd. Because of this and other murders in the area, the police file was called "the Whitechapel Murders." Jack the Ripper is thought to have murdered 11 prostitutes from 1885 to 1891 but as he was never caught, it is possible some of the murders were committed by others. "Mary Ann Nichols" and four others were definitely identified as the work of a single serial killer. "Attacks ascribed to Jack the Ripper typically involved female prostitutes who lived and worked in the slums of the East End of London. Their throats were cut prior to abdominal mutilations. The removal of internal organs from at least three of the victims led to proposals that their killer had some anatomical or surgical knowledge. Rumors that the murders were connected intensi...
August 1, 1900 the 1st Michelin Guide
August 1, 1900 - The Michelin Guide Édouard Michelin On August 1, 1900 the 1st Michelin Guide is published by the brothers Édouard and André Michelin as a hotel and restaurant reference guide to encourage more road travel and thus boost tire sales "Considered by many to be the hallmark of global fine dining and quality cuisine, the Michelin Guide wields immense power over chefs, restaurateurs and foodies the world over. It may divide opinions across the food service industry, but its influence is undeniable. French chef Paul Bocuse, a pioneer of nouvelle cuisine, once said, “Michelin is the only guide that counts.” The birth of the famous little red book, however, was anything but glamorous. The Michelin tire company was established in 1889 by brothers André and Édouard Michelin in France. It was a time when driving was perceived as a novelty to most, with less than 3,000 cars in all of the country. However, the brothers were quick to recognize driving and mobility as a lasting ...