As a disclosure, as a grad student I studied medieval history under Ellen Friedman, Virginia Reinburg, Nancy Netzer and Robin Fleming at Boston College. Especially under Friedman, I studied Spain and Jewish medieval and early modern history. Under Netzer, I studied medieval manuscripts. Under Reinburg and Fleming, I studied religious history. Because Boston College is a Catholic University, we pay particular attention to Jewish history. It’s important. Very important. But as historians we are bound to our primary sources and remembering to present the bare facts in conjunction with our modern interpretations. That’s what historians do. You can’t just make shit up.

I’m sad to say, Gingrich has decided to ignore the primary sources in favor of his need to present information to the modern world. That’s called “ahistorical.” Or, bluntly, untruthful. It’s weird, as a historian, to contemplate someone doing this. Especially if they know better. WTF? is my reaction. I mean, if he really is a historian, the sources guide him. He comments on the information he gathers, not how he wants it to play out. Either that or he is just a political researcher not terribly different from the Nazi assholes who used “research” and “history” to advance their fucked up ideological shit.

Co-Opting Jewish, Muslim and Christian (Catholic) history for the sake of American political expediency is abhorrent to me. It’s not only ahistorical (which Newt G. would understand) but seriously smacks of (and I’m dead serious here) of inserting one’s moral or racist “feelings” in lieu of basic, secular, everyday movements in this world.

I’m saddened by this. I love NY. I was born there. Raised there as an infant and then later in Fairfield County. I’ve always felt that NYC is what it is. Take it on it’s own terms. Of all cities to get freaking airplane bombed, they could move on. Understand. Analyze. Not fall prey to political maneuverings. And they are trying so hard to do so. The rest of America seems to not be able to catch up.

The people who bombed NYC were assholes and terrorists. They were not “Muslims” or “Arabs” or any other generically described group. They were just fucking idiots who deserved none of our time but some of our physical manpower. I don’t know what to say about our continuing war overseas. Do I think it’s going to help? No. Hurt? Yes. Is there a different answer…there must be. But squashing a community center in NYC???? Will that help? No. It will just help create “sides” and “factions” and *prove* who believes what. Which is sad.

Really sad.