Month: April 2013

  • Blood on the threads

    Blood on the threads Yesterday, initial reports from Bangladesh tell of how, so far, 256 souls perished in a garment factory collapse. The death toll will no doubt rise as more bodies are uncovered. As history is truly prologue, there is little chance that any substantive change will result from this most recent loss. Free…

  • Griffin tornado

    Griffin tornado

    Here, we call it the Griffin Tornado The history books refer to it as the Tri-State Tornado of 1925. Meteorologists have named it the Murphysboro (Mo.) Tornado, after it’s general point of origin. However, in Posey County, Indiana, the devastation wrought on March 18, 1925 defies the distanced terms of scientists and newspaper writers. In…

  • Social studies, civil rights and the bigger picture

    Social studies, civil rights and the bigger picture There have been three presidential administrations, including the Obama Administration, since I last participated in a social studies methods class. Over the years, I’ve focused on units and lessons that support those broad themes of social studies without much deliberate thought given to those stemming concepts. Like all fundamentals…

  • Downtown Richmond Explosion – April 6, 1968

    I was nearly seven when I noticed the agitation in my parent’s voices and motions. It’s how youngsters interpret events beyond their limited world. The date was April 6, 1968 and the downtown area of our county seat, Richmond, Indiana, was devastated by a powerful explosion. I also recall seeing from 8 to 9 miles…