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Extreme Opposing Views
The Truth Is Somewhere In Between
Boston has evolved into a diverse and tolerant
city. Each important crossroad listed below changed the city in a
great way. Some of these events could be considered traumatic, with
lessons learned. The city has blossomed from a parochial child, to an
enlightened senior in its near 400 year history.
1633
The Puritan Fathers got the Native Americans drunk, stole their land, and
gave them smallpox.
The Puritan Fathers provided the Native Americans with modern technology and
Christian values, and it is regrettable they did not have natural immunity
to European diseases.
1656
The Town Fathers did not tolerate any disruptive behavior or varying
religious views. Deviation from the norm resulted in banishment or
even being hanged as
a witch.
The Town Fathers were inspired by God, and his will was exercised to ensure
the community did not collapse by deviant behavior.
c.1700
The Triangle Slave Trade was perfectly legal and allowed the town to
legitimately grow into a huge shipping port.
Slavery is immoral. The town accumulated great wealth by exploiting
fellow human beings.
1770
The Boston Massacre was caused by a drunken mob. The British
soldiers constrained themselves until pressed to defend themselves.
The Boston Massacre proved that the British overlords will slaughter
innocent civilians to maintain the order of taxation without representation.
1773
The Boston Tea Party was an act of criminal behavior, destroying private
property and inciting civil disobedience.
The Boston Tea Party emphasized that the citizens of Boston would physically
act to achieve Liberty, and that the laws of a tyrant King were not
legitimate.
c.1840
The abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison was an anarchist, and inspired
criminal behavior.
William Lloyd Garrison acted to eliminate slavery because it is immoral, and
the spirit of the U.S. Constitution justified such acts.
c.1855
The English descendents in Boston were educated, wealthy, and had attained
great enlightenment. The new Irish immigrants should be segregated
into slum areas to preserve the fabric of the community and the city's physical
appearance.
The English Merchant Princes rationalized a racist view with perceived great
self importance. They attempted to create a caste system and demonized
the new Irish immigrants.
1914
Irish immigrants gained control of city government and began to erase the
ancient English heritage in Boston.
Irish immigrants gained control of city government and greatly improved the
standard of living for the working poor. City construction projects
were started and jobs created to spread wealth among more citizens.
1963
The West End property owners were robbed of their property by eminent domain
statute. Short sighted government officials chose the easy route of
demolishing the entire area instead of making plans and spending money to
improve it.
The West End was demolished to eliminate slums and reduce crime.
Modern buildings made the area more attractive and also created more commercial
activity.
1974
School busses with Black children were stoned by bigoted residents, and
incited by a few opportunistic neighborhood leaders. The Black schools
were underfunded, and the Black neighborhoods were red lined by city
government officials and businesses.
Civil disobedience was justified because of a tyrannical Federal Judge that
imposed forced bussing. Boston residents should not have to send their
children to distant neighborhood schools because city government did not
adequately fund any predominately Black schools.
2003
The Big Dig was a colossal waste of money. The tunnel did not need
to be built in the first place. Deliberate plans were made to keep
streets open during construction and expand the scope of the project. The intent was
to draw
more federal funding and create more construction jobs.
The new Central Artery Tunnel will pay for itself in only a few years. All
one has to do is
drive to Logan Airport from the North or South in the afternoon and the
driving time is 30 minutes less. This decrease in travel time
increases business productivity, and also reduces noise and air pollution.
Return to Boston
Culture Page
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