History for December 18 - On-This-Day.com
Saki (Hector Hugh Munro) 1870, Ty Cobb 1886 - Baseball player, Willy Brandt 1913
Keith Richards 1943 - Musician (Rolling Stones), Steven Spielberg 1947 Movie producer-director, Brad Pitt 1963 Actor
1865 - U.S. Secretary of State William Seward issued a statement verifying the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment abolished slavery with the declaration: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
1898 - A new automobile speed record was set at 39 mph (63 kph).
1912 - The discovery of the Piltdown Man in East Sussex was announced. It was proved to be a hoax in 1953.
1916 - During World War I, after 10 months of fighting the French defeated the Germans in the Battle of Verdun.
1940 - Adolf Hitler signed a secret directive ordering preparations for a Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Operation "Barbarossa" was launched in June 1941.
1950 - NATO foreign ministers approved plans to defend Western Europe, including the use of nuclear weapons, if necessary.
1956 - "To Tell the Truth" debuted on CBS-TV.
1998 - The U.S. House of Representatives began the debate on the four articles of impeachment concerning U.S. President Bill Clinton. It was only the second time in U.S. history that process had begun.
1 comment:
Mr. Riley, Do you think that it makes any difference anymore if we interact with our congressmembers? I write often to my state and national representatives and senators, and most often get form letters back, with some exceptions. One being Carl Levin, when he was in office. I am a conservative, and a supporter of gun rights. I wrote to him expressing an opinion that he differed with me on, and he was kind enough to write a personal letter to me, explaining why he felt the way he did, and why he would be voting the way he would on the bill in question. I immediately wrote back, thanking him for his answer, and expressed to him that in any other election that he stood for, he had my vote. I don't ask for someone to be a parrot for me in their position, I merely desire that they do what they feel is best, given the knowledge that they are privy to that I am not, and to then make sure that we are also aware of said knowledge, and also to listen to us before making those decisions. I used to think that all candidates worked that way, but of course, I now know that very few are like that.
I think that the one thing that Michigan has done that is actually good is term limits. Some might argue that it takes away experience, but what it also takes away is career politicians who build dynasty's that set up things in Lansing to work for the good of themselves and not the good of the people of the state. I wonder if this thing on a national level, with perhaps 3 terms instead of 2 might not be a good idea. I am sure that if the founding fathers had an inkling that things would go the way that they are today, they would certainly have written it into the constitution.
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