Browsing: June 26

A Brief History Once again a fierce debate tears across the land about so-called “common sense gun control.”  Our Founding Fathers wrote in the Federalist Papers that the Government should never have more firepower than the people, and they meant cannons and military muskets, not hunting and target guns.  Today, the rabid anti-gunners show their ignorance of the intent of the Founding Fathers by ignoring their writings on the subject and the context of the times.  Other (European) countries had long denied their public free access to weapons, and this meant swords and the like before guns were common.  (Hence,…

A Brief History On June 26, 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened for traffic.  (See our other article today.)  The seaway opened the Great Lakes to ocean going freighters enhancing the economy of the region and transportation efficiency for the US and Canada.  Unfortunately, it also brought invasive species.  Sometimes invasive species are brought to a new land or water on purpose, other times by accident.  Often times, the introduction of a non-native species has unwanted consequences for their new home and neighbors, be they plant or animal.  Here we list 10 of the most irritating (to us; it is a…

A Brief History On June 26, 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened for commerce, bringing ocean going ships access to the Great Lakes.  Consisting of a series of canals and 15 locks to bypass rapids on the river and Niagara Falls between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, work on the system was started in 1954, although other canals had been dug much earlier. Digging Deeper Passing about 50 million tons of cargo per year, the Seaway has had tremendous positive impact on the industry and commerce of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region.  Unfortunately, it has come at an ecological price.  Opening passage…

A Brief History On June 26, 1409, the Roman Catholic Church reached a low point of unity when a third pope was crowned by the Council of Pisa.  There was already a Pope in Rome (Gregory XII) and another Pope in Avignon (Benedict XII) to “welcome” the newly crowned Pope Alexander V. Digging Deeper The Catholic Church had schisms before, that is, splits within its ranks, including the Great Schism of the 11th Century when the Eastern Orthodox Church split from the Roman Catholic fold.  The Reformation in the 16th Century was another great schism, resulting in many non-Catholic Christian…

A Brief History At the time of Richard’s birth, no one could have foreseen that he would one day be king for he was the 12th of his parents’ 13 offspring and only the fourth son to reach adulthood, with two of his elder brothers having children of their own. Digging Deeper So how was Richard able to become king? Actually quite legally and surprisingly peacefully. Unlike his kinsmen who attained the throne through battle, conquest or even murder, Richard was asked by the citizens of London to assume the throne after they had drawn up a petition. His right to reign…