I actually should have posted this yesterday, but April 12th was the 150th anniversary of the first shots fired upon Fort Sumter, South Carolina - marking the beginning of the American Civil War.
I post this because my foolish Brother was in attendance and took part in the remembrance ceremonies at Fort Sumter yesterday. He's one of these re-enactors who dress in period uniforms and run around playing war. I appreciate history as much as the next guy, but I never grasped the interest in re-enactments....a point in which he and I have argued before.
He's completely obsessed with the Civil War to the point that he gives paid lectures at colleges, goes to many re-enactments of battles, and is going to be releasing a book he's written this summer. The book will be released to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 2011). It's a book of his private photographic collection pertaining specifically to the part Pennsylvania played in the war.
As far as our arguments go.....I've always thought it a bit sick to re-enact something where hundreds of thousands of men were maimed and killed. If those battlefields could talk, I think they'd agree that re-enactors are crazy. He thinks of the Civil War as some type of glorious event.....but then again, he escaped the Vietnam draft and actually having to do it for real. I think his perspective might be different had he been drafted.
I post this because my foolish Brother was in attendance and took part in the remembrance ceremonies at Fort Sumter yesterday. He's one of these re-enactors who dress in period uniforms and run around playing war. I appreciate history as much as the next guy, but I never grasped the interest in re-enactments....a point in which he and I have argued before.
He's completely obsessed with the Civil War to the point that he gives paid lectures at colleges, goes to many re-enactments of battles, and is going to be releasing a book he's written this summer. The book will be released to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 2011). It's a book of his private photographic collection pertaining specifically to the part Pennsylvania played in the war.
As far as our arguments go.....I've always thought it a bit sick to re-enact something where hundreds of thousands of men were maimed and killed. If those battlefields could talk, I think they'd agree that re-enactors are crazy. He thinks of the Civil War as some type of glorious event.....but then again, he escaped the Vietnam draft and actually having to do it for real. I think his perspective might be different had he been drafted.
