Americana Past and Present

[mnhtnbb]

Every morning when Snowy and I walk to the grounds of the State Capitol here in Raleigh, we pass by this path between the buildings from one street to another. This morning there was a Tesla Roadster parked right in front of the path, with the flag flying in the breeze.

The stone monument to the right above the Tesla, marks the birthplace --about 100 feet from its location --of the 17th President of the United States, Andrew Johnson. Those of you who are familiar with him will remember he became President after Lincoln was assassinated. He is known for having been impeached by the House of Representatives and barely escaping conviction--by one vote--in the Senate. Many historians consider him to be one of the worst presidents in the history of the country. His failing? Abuse of executive power.

The Tesla Roadster also has an inglorious history: even Elon Musk has admitted that it was a disaster when it was introduced.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/news/a29378/elon-musk-admits-to-shareholders-that-the-tesla-roadster-was-a-disaster/

They have kept working on it, though, and a new model is going to be launched in 2020 for the price of $250,000. The test model is receiving rave reviews. If at first you don't succeed...https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/17/watch-teslas-new-roadster-show-off-its-record-breaking-speed/

A couple of days ago I took some shots of the hydrangeas that are in bloom along the path.

[cyclonefence]

1. Andrew Johnson must bear much blame for today's racism

He betrayed the promise of the Union after the civil war. Among many other things, freed slaves had been promised "40 acres and a mule"--the plantations were supposed to have been broken up and given to the former slaves who had created them. Instead, Johnson not only reneged on all the promises and plans that would have changed everything and instituted even harsher conditions for black people in this country. He flushed down the toilet the only chance our country had for any kind of meaningful reparations, and just as Trump has worked to eradicate Obama's legacy, so Johnson worked to eradicate Lincoln's. John Wilkes Booth was more than an assassin, and Johnson was much more than a really bad president. It's rare, I think, that historical causality can be pinned so personally on those responsible for calamity.

[mnhtnbb]

2. It amuses me that the marker for Andrew Johnson

is quite attractive to dogs for peeing. Andrew Johnson was a horrible person.

I hope some day a similar marker for the orange one will provide relief for many dogs, too.