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A historic, 1,000-year-old Redwood tree has greeted visitors to the Humboldt Redwoods State Park Visitor Center in Northern California for years. The slice of coast redwood, which is 76 inches in diameter, lies on its side to display its growth rings, with the oldest—at the center—going back about a thousand years. Plaques on the log mark rings in the tree’s growth and historical events at the time. One plaque noted when Columbus discovered America and another when “Cortez Conquered the Aztecs” (1521, for the record).
In recent years, plaques started disappearing, as the interpretation of the historical events became more controversial. People debated whether the messages reflected an uncritical attitude toward the history of colonialism. Another discussion centered around the events’ relevance to the park itself. The Redwood History Log needed to be adjusted, it was determined, to reflect changing perspectives on the past.
In other words, the 1,000-year-old tree, now dead, became politically incorrect, surely a rare occurrence in world history.
State Parks employees, seeking less controversial dates, removed the remaining plaques and replaced them with tamer ones that more closely relate to the local cultural and natural history. The captions now connect the tree rings to the history of logging, forestry and conservation, and pay tribute to the contributions of local California Native Americans instead of the general history of European discoveries.
##RVT1100b
Batter up.
LOL !
History…..lets see. things of past….you can put ANYTHING on a place marker to give relivence to a tree ring….people are soooo afraid of history…grow up…it happen some things were gotten wrong but that too is history…so many have an agenda to push and that’s what is the problem….who is in control …..enough….
Iam In Complete Agreement With Cancelproof…. Great Opener!!
I thought that was a good opener. LOL. 🤣😂🤣😂
You can remove the plaque but that doesn’t change history. Those that don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it.
What is it that causes people to bury their head in the sand
Why are some people so consumed by sociology of the past. They weren’t there and regardless of the media hype nothing in the events of the past directly affects these folks today. Judging the past by today’s standards is ludicrous since society of that time was different. Our past has helped us to become who we are today and to try and bury it or change it is doing the society of today a grave injustice by tearing up the road from where we came and in all reality there is nothing we can do about it now. It is an absolute shame that historical indicators and markers, especially in this case, are viewed through the ideology of and have such influence over the majority of governing from a minority of the social demographic. Again, the past was what it was. It is too bad that the intent of the grand scale of those historical markers, as a physical representation of the age of trees, is lost due to self centered ignorance of the few.
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I see you are in the few. It’s a historical inaccuracy to state “Columbus discovered America.” If I drive from the US to Canada, I didn’t “discover” it. The bigger question you should ask yourself is, “Why am I so upset with people striving for historical accuracy to educate others?”
So correct the plaque. Don’t pretend Columbus is a fictional character. History Deniers.
Agreed. 👍
👍
It is inaccurate to claim that the actions of the past have no effect on the current population. If your grandfather served in WW2 he might have benefited from the GI-Bill as long as he wasn’t black. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Bill Not receiving the benefits of low-interest loans would have definitely affected the prosperity of your family members living today. You are correct that actions of the past have helped us to become who we are today as receiving low-interest loans clearly helped some families in upward mobility while hindering others who were less fortunate because of past discrimination.
Agreed from a “modern” historical two or three generation perspective but the social thinking and overall day to day governing and beliefs from centuries past, not so much. History is about dates and events from people that did exist and were defined throughout multiple documents and records. We can do nothing to alter the events or change the character of the individuals behind those records. Denying our history, regardless of how cruel or utterly stupid it was by todays standard, is a travesty to learning from it. Shame on those who cave to the philosophy of the “go along to get along” a$$ covering mediocracy.
So true, our past history shows how when faced with adversity, we as one nation under God worked together to forge past differences and challenges to make America strong and great for all people. No matter, race, color, or creed. To try to erase history, is to erase what makes us strong. Today’s generation has totally gone oblivious to our strengths as a nation.
Ensuring historical accuracy isn’t trying to “erase history.”
You are correct. An example of erasing would be refusing to report on the Tulsa Race massacre.
California! Go figure!!
Good for California – they are at least trying to be historically accurate.
Yes
Yup
If they were trying trying to be historically accurate they would have corrected the information on the labels, but instead, they removed mention of Columbus by removing the labels because I guess nothing happened in 1492 AD at all and no one named Columbus did anything noteworthy in and around 1492 AD. They removed mention of Columbus completely, they did not correct the inaccuracies.
Historical accuracy? Get a grip. It’s the canceling of non-politically correct history, not the correction of actual history. Need a new club for History Deniers Annonomys.
Yeah, California is the best. PC is for me. PC is for me, PC is for me.
And the award for best virtue signal goes to, CALIFORNIA for its lead role in $700,000,000 of restitution from Americans who never owned a slave transfered to Americans that never were slaves. PC is for me. PC is for me. PC is for me.
The Looney Left Lives on in CA!
+1
+1 So Agree!
“Columbus discovers America” is politically incorrect? It is historically incorrect.
You are Factually correct.
Several years ago while visiting the Gettysburg Battle Field National Cemetery we came across a family reading Lincoln’s address on a plague from where he stood. I asked the high school and middle school children if they had to memorize it and they said they never saw it in history class. The same was true about the emancipation proclamation. They were all amazed when I repeated the address almost word for word. The father said I missed a few words, which I responded it’s been 50+ years
A quote from Charly Brown – “Good Grief!”
Good to see all the red hats jump on this story. So predictable.
And all the history deniers chirp loudly from safe spaces with cuddle toys for emotional support.
Instead of politically incorrect, why don’t you say historically inaccurate. Columbus didn’t discover anything. Cortez pillaged and murdered. Nothing political, just history. Happy to see the changes.
I agree
Agreed.
But then so did the Aztec, Maya, Anasazi, and Inca pillage, enslave, and murder the local population before Cortez/Spanish. Even Cortez had the help of the locals to get rid of their enslavers. Name one civilization that did not in the last 10000 years
True that. ✌️
This a perfect example of how stupid younger generations are. When I was driving a school bus for a middle school in AL I would often wear my Vietnam veteran hat. Some of the kids started asking about the Vietnam war, it seems the school systems have quit teaching about history and geography. I answered all their questions and they thanked me for giving them history and geography information. It shocked me that the education system has totally abandoned where we as a country has came from. Parents and grandparents had better start paying attention to what their children are being taught in school. If you don’t know about history you can’t avoid the mistakes society made in the past, and those same mistakes will be repeated in the future. As a society we try not to repeat our blunders of the past, but there are many in the present who are trying to revive the racism of the past, I don’t want to go through that again.
Thank you Bob P.
Agreed Bob. The rascim of the past is dead and it needs to stay dead. It strains the brain to think some want to revive it and keep it alive for selfish gain and for power. It is being turned into an industry where people get rich selling the race hustle. Grifters one and all, from AL Sharpton to Rachel Dolezal and the BLM Incorporated directors, that have purchased 7 homes in the last 5 years.
Your misleading headline is just a dog whistle for your most ignorant and hateful readers. Please stop.
You sir, have again showed your ignorance, here and on the BLM article. I am not ignorant, but, every day I become more hateful over the social/political activities which are occurring in present day society.
I’m just glad I don’t have to live with such hate. I hope you don’t pass it along to others.
San Fran has professional hugging companies. Check online for your area if you need a cuddle.
That is one of the most ignorant and hateful statements I have ever seen. You seem to enjoy making inflammatory remarks.
Ha ha ha. In the year 2525 if man is still around….Historical marker will read “Dylan Mulvaney appears on Bud can – 2023”
They should change “when Columbus discovered America” to “when Columbus thought he landed in India.” And, if they can go back a thousand years on the tree, label an approximate date the Vikings built their settlement too. That should help clear up the Columbus myth.
They want to erase history, fine! There was no slavery, no Martin Luther King, no Jim Crow.
Yup, gotta take the good with the bad. All of it is in or all of it is out. A society cannot pick and choose. We cannot cherry pick the good things and be wilfully blinded of the bad things.
And with that, the Bible comes to mind. Can’t just believe only the parts you want to agree with. Believe all of it, or believe none of it…
Yep, isn’t remembering the bad almost more important? – so we don’t repeat it? Sticking a butter knife in an electrical socket, I think was bad, but I have never fought with electricity since. (Even before meeting Mike Sokol) That wasp nest when I was 5 was sort of memorable too – I don’t put my finger in there anymore. Almost every inventor will tell you that it was their failures led to success. As to history, we sometimes don’t realize what was bad until decades or centuries later or what appeared to be bad, became a godsend . Life happens – leave it alone.
It would appear that in attempting to be politically correct they forgot to look in a dictionary.
Unfortunately discover is the precise definition for what happens when you get in a boat and head east from Europe. What happens when you find anything?
By definition you make a discovery.
“When I can’t find my glasses 👓 in the morning I begin a search and, “discover” that they fell off the bedside table onto the floor under the bed. I could say I found them but the meaning is the same.
Perhaps if society could “discover” education again we could find our way out of our current national turmoil.
Why bother putting any plaques on the tree? Whatever is placed there surely will antagonize someone someday.
Next time someone asks you what you did yesterday, just tell them you can’t comment. It’s history! No wonder the younger generation is the way they are. They know nothing about the way our country evolved. The Civil War was a terrible time in our history and it may have been wrong, but just ignoring the fact that it happened, is causing more civil unrest now.
Banning books because some questionable language?. Just listen to the language kids use now. Sheltering the young is one reason they act the way they do. They do not know right from wrong, and it’s the parents fault.
BTW, we’re heading into another civil war.
It’s already started.
The headline is either clickbait or comment-bait. Either way, “politically incorrect” has become right-wing editorial code whether you are riling up the MAGAs or the libs. Do better.
👍 got that right. I repeat, Batter up.
Since factual history is no longer being taught from an objective point of view, suppression of the past is completely in order. Instead of learning from the past, we will be able to make the same terrible mistakes again.
Cancel culture is alive and well. Sorry whiners, history can’t be changed or denied. Grow up.
This may be the stupidest bs I’ve seen in a while. You can’t deny history happened just by ignoring it. I say leave the old markers and add the new pc markers.
EXACTLY, as long as the new markers are correct and not just pc.
The plaques are intended to provide significant familiar historical milestones that occurred so that people who were taught accurate world and American history could relate to a timeline and gain a clearer perspective of the history of the tree. Although not a history lesson, the events should be accurate and easily recognized in order to understand the timeline that it is trying to impress on the person reading it. If children are not being taught accurate history by omission of certain historical events, then I can see why the original intent of the plaques have lost their timeline relevance, which is sad.
If they are able to go back 1,000 plus years, maybe list the ‘Midevil Warm Period’ from around 950 AD thru 1250 AD or the “Little Ice Age” period 1303 AD thru 1850 AD. That way the people making the labels get 2 for ones on an issue that is in the current public square for placement on the slab of dead tree trunk. Virtue signal some planetary climate crisis awareness and at the same time they won’t trigger anyone and force them to seek shelter in a safe space by the mere mention of Columbus or quick cuddle with an emotional support animal at the mention of Cortez.
The park could mention the 1619 Project and Juneteenth, which is the celebratory day to acknowledge the last of the DEMOCRAT owned slaves being freed by Republicans. Lots of indisputable history could be listed still.
Politicians have screwed America up for votes. History is what made America not the political correctness groups.
Throwing dark, as my Debate Squad mentor used to say. Politicians and voting is not the subject. Explanatory historical markings correlating to tree rings is the subject. My feelings on historical markings are explained above
As I read all the comments below, the pattern I see is that the libs are trying to justify canceling as simply making corrections. Removing mention of Columbus in the effort of being historically accurate. If that were the case, then correct the label, don’t remove it. Columbus lived. He made significant contributions, good and bad. Instead of removing plaque, try correcting the information on the plaque to reflect accuracy. 1492 happened and Christopher Columbus lived, making significant contributions during that period. Stop pretending the removal of a Columbus plaque is for accuracy. Disingenuous History Deniers.
If “libs” are disingenuous history deniers, You “cons” are disingenuous history whitewashers.
You mean like the way the cons are making the Afghanistan withdrawal being an unmitgated success story? That kind of whitewash? 😂😆😂🤣😂😆 The report on the Afghanistan withdrawal last week….
Because getting 135,000 people out of Afghanistan seems braggable but with over 80% being stow aways is not really that brag worthy. And leaving $85 billion of weapons behind is certainly a historical whitewash. OK, you caught us, it’s a deep fake. The conservatives made up that paper John Kirby presented last week. Sheesh. Another lamb off to the slaughter house.
You flunk Debate 101 yet again, Cancelproof. Afghanistan withdrawal has nothing to do with the labelling of historical dates in the tree rings. Once again you’re throwing dark to obfuscate the issues.
Personally, I would like to see some correlations with major volcanic eruptions/Little Ice Age/ history making droughts etc.
OMG. Once again, I direct you to the comment I replied to. It was off topic and got an off topic reply in kind. You are no different than the rest, cancel what you disagree with. Gaslight and cancel. As is well identified the past 24 hours, it is the left that changes topic whilst losing the debate and then gaslights you for being off topic. Go back to Berkely where canceling is easier.
There ends debate lesson #3 for the day Mitzi. Move on. Gaslight someone weaker.
For the record, the article title was “Politically Incorrect”…. an “censored”. If your going to Gaslight someone for being off topic, double check the topic. It seems censorship and politically correct speech may have had more to do with the subject than the tree.
Not sorry, this makes me furious! Whining little babies need to be spanked!
Destroying/not teaching history allows them to tell you anything they want, with no reference points to dispute their stupidity. This is how they teach our youth that communism works, by removing historical examples of total failure.
Can you please cite some statistics to uphold your incendiary stated comment?
Evidence? Have you been in a cave the past 5 years? Willful ignorance or willfully turning a blind eye to lived experience is the evidence. Read Saul Alinsky’s book, “Rules for Radicals”. One of the lefts favorites including Obama. That’s like asking for evidence that the sky is blue.
This virtue signaling is ridiculous. Columbus “discovering” (to European awareness) the North American continent is an historical fact worth acknowledging despite his subsequent genocidal treatment of the native people. And as far as “Cortez conquering the Aztecs”, thank goodness he did — if anyone wants to defend the psychopathic Aztec cultural practice of sacrificing tens of thousands of innocents every year to their sun god, let them speak up. The Aztecs subsequent subjugation by Spain and the Catholic church at least ended that kind of sanctioned, ritualized horror. And, no, great architecture does not justify barbarous social practices like organized, mass human sacrifice, IMO.
Right!
Disgusting and sad state of affairs our beautiful country has come to! SAD, INDEED, SAD!
Absolutely agree, very sad
All ” By Design”…. Yes, Sad!
So sad. I had my picture taken in front of this in 1968. I guess if we don’t talk about it then it didn’t happen and heaven forbid someone’s feelings get hurt!!!!
That should certainly make the Aztecs feel more included.
About the “political incorrect Redwood”. Surely you understand that the dead (for hundreds of years) Redwood is apolitical. The tags may have become political due to todays’ political environment or outdated because of research done after the tags were attached, but I can assure you that the dead Redwood neither had nor has political opinions.
Keep up the good work! I love your newsletter, information, and your views.
Only thing political incorrect is the writer. Dates reflected are still historical correct.
14 comments by “cancelproof” – a new record? Any excuse to bash California or Democrats or Liberals is just candy to this repugnican
15.
Do you have nothing to add about the Redwood article or is your post just a typical libtard drive by? I love California. Spend 2 months every summer and one the winter. It’s the policies make me cry with laughter, not the physical State of Ca.
Pammy – Seriously, you have no common sense. Dem****.
Personal attacks are unwarranted, gene.
I agree, but..personal attacks are unwarranted.
Just working at keeping a level playing field. It’s like being Ann Coulter at Berkeley some days. See how I went opposite gender in my comparison. Pretty woke huh?
Doesn’t everyone know, history doesn’t exist anymore….
I really like to read and think about these ring connections to explorers and events in time. Sorry to see them go. This is so wrong.
Perhaps the Redwood should have identified as a willow, then the plaques could have remained? Too late to transition now, it’s dead.
🙂 Bingo!
This is really going too far now and must stop. These Cancel Culture people are ruining history for future generations. The Correct nature of humans IS to conquer things, it’s what we have done since the dawn of time, nothing will stop that. It’s our nature. What these people are doing is wiping the slate and making fools out of the rest of us for letting them get away with it. This Nation will fall from within.
So State parks employees decided their vision is the correct one amidst all others and that they represent a valid cross-section of the human population, giving them the authority to unilaterally determine what references should or should not be shown on the tree. There’s the root of the problem right there! Stop caving in to the myth of wokism.
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