“From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli; we will fight out country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Many will recognize that refrain as the opening words of the Marines’ Hymn; I became aware of the song and the music at an early age because, as I have mentioned before, in 1943 my mother was in the second group of 20 women recruited into the newly formed United States Women’s Marine Corps.
I was young enough to know most of the words, but was ignorant of where the Halls and Shores were located nor why battles were fought there. I now know that during the Mexican-American War the Marines captured the fortress of Chapultepec, also known as the Halls of Montezuma, he being the ninth emperor of the Aztec Empire, aka Mexica Empire. But it is the shores of Tripoli I want to touch on today.
There is a link with the battle that took place on the African coastline and the present situation in American culture, more prominently now in cultural politics. A little history and geography are needed here: The north African coastline of the Mediterranean Sea was known as the Barbary Coast and during the early 1800s the Muslim rulers of coastal countries raided merchant ships that passed through the Straits of Gibraltar heading for various trade partners. Many countries paid a cash or gold tribute to these men, including the newest nation to become victim of their greedy power, the United States of America.
When hostilities increased, President Thomas Jefferson said enough is enough and revitalized the naval fleet, sent a couple ships under the command of a young lieutenant named Stephen Decatur to the region, sicced the Marines on Tripoli and then cut a deal with the Muslim leaders with a treaty based on The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, the Treaty of Tripoli.
Because much of the plundering and extortion employed by the Barbary pirates was in part retribution for years of attacks on Muslim adherent by Christians dating as far back as the Crusades, and because Jefferson had coined the term “separation of Church and State,” this in keeping with the First Amendment’s “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise of,” he included in the treaty Article 11 as one of the reasons supporting a mutual agreement. The article reads:
“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Muslims; and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mohammedan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.” While the Treaty of Tripoli is still technically in affect, it is too bad the voices of our founders are no longer heard. When a government makes its populace subject to, and punished for violations of, the dogmatic precepts of any one religion, when religious freedom is gone, then separatism and revolt will follow and that nation may not survive.
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Some 2,400 years ago, give or take a weekend, a Greek named Plato, you’ve heard of Plato, wrote a biography of sorts about a man named Socrates, you’ve heard of Socrates, too. In one writing Plato quoted Socrates: “I have no mean teacher of oratory,” meaning his speech teacher was rockin’. The great speaker had no natural oratory skills so he relied upon a rhetorician, a teacher, whose instruction resulted in speeches establishing some of the greatest philosophical precepts in history. The teacher’s name was Aspasia. If that name sounds female to you that is because it is. Socrates had a lady teacher. Who knew?
(If the above two entries have awakened you to something priorly unknown, fear not. You will not be accused of being “woke,” you are just a bit more informed.)
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For those aware and those who wish to become aware, read on. Nearly a year ago the idea sprung up that it would be a nice gesture to honor a lady who influenced many in her time as the King City High School librarian. Chattanooga, Tenn.-born Theresa Reed was a young graduate holding a master’s degree in library sciences in 1959 when she accepted a job at little ol’ KCHS. I word it that way because in the latter Eisenhower years and early Kennedy years, America was a burgeoning nation and anyone with such credentials could easily have had their choice of big city high schools and junior colleges and even some universities, but Miss Reed chose a small town in the midst of cattle and crops with a population of a little under 3,500 residents. She then spent most of the remainder of her days right here.
It wasn’t long before Miss Reed met Corky and became Mrs. Richardson, and for the next three decades she oversaw the destruction of the Old Library, pre-1969, to the designing and original stocking of the New Library we all know today. The board of trustees approved the request for honoring and on the evening of Wednesday, May 28, there will be an unveiling of one of two plaques, which will be attached near the two main library entrances. This will take place during a school board meeting, will be an agenda item, when board members and family and supporters of this wonderfully influential lady will step outside and witness the unveiling.
I encourage all who are local and able to attend this honoring to be there for this giving honor where honor is due. Again, the date is Wednesday, May 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the KCHS library; do try to make it.
Take care. Peace.
