The Mysteries of History (July 14 Edition)
French Revolution; Dr. Spock
1789 — French Revolution Begins
public domain image from wikimedia commons
A mere few years after the successful revolution by the Colonists/Patriots in the United States, the French Revolution began on this date in 1789 when a giant mob stormed the Bastille, a fortress/prison which represented repressive regal rule in France.
By 1792, France had violently morphed from a monarchy to a republic, and in 1793 the former king and queen, Louis the 16th and Marie Antoinette, were not just deposed but also decapitated (via use of the infamous guillotine) after being charged with treason.
Exactly 227 years later, in 2016, at a Bastille (National) Day celebration in Nice, a terrorist drove a truck into the crowd, injuring hundreds and killing 86, ten of whom were children.
Questions: Do you agree with me that the murder of children is the absolute worst crime and deserves the harshest punishment? Do you also agree with me that there is NEVER any justification for attacking a group of “innocent bystanders” simply because the majority of them are citizens of a particular government (or for any reason, for that matter)?
1946 — Spock Squelches Spanking
public domain images from wikimedia commons
There are two famous Spocks: Dr. Spock and Mr. Spock. Dr. Benjamin Spock (1903-1998) was real, and a man of warm emotions. Mr. Spock, on the other (splayed) hand, is fictional, and unemotional to the point of probably being “on the spectrum.” [for any who don’t know: Mr. Spock, or simply, “Spock,” was a character on the other-worldly television show Star Trek]
The real Dr. Spock (with the assistance of his wife Jane) published the first edition of his mega-bestseller The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care on this date in 1946, at the beginning of the arrival of the “Baby Boomers” (those born between 1946 and 1964, the first of which often became hippies and the last of which sometimes became yuppies).
One of the worst pieces of advice ever given was found in psychologist John B. Watson’s 1930 book Behaviorism, wherein he told parents how to treat their children:
“Never, never hug or kiss them, never let them sit in your lap. If you must, kiss them once on the forehead when they say goodnight. Shake hands with them in the morning.”
Dr. Spock countered this kind of creepy counsel by promoting displays of affection between parents and children, and in later editions of his book eschewing spanking altogether.
Benjamin Spock was well-qualified to guide parents: he had helped raise his five younger siblings, gaining practical, experiential, and empirical knowledge, to which he added academic knowledge at Yale and Columbia in pediatrics and psychology.
Dr. Spock was not your typical medical student, though. He was also a member of the Yale rowing team which won a gold medal in the 1924 Olympics.
He didn’t just make literal waves, though: Dr. Spock became a war protester and nuclear arms-disarmament advocate during and following the Vietnam era, and even ran for President as the candidate of the People’s Party in 1972 and in 1976 ran again as the Peace and Freedom Party’s candidate.
public domain images of Dr. Spock listening from wikimedia commons (unidentified baby on the left, activist Fred Hampton (1948-1969) on the right)
Questions: Have you read any of Dr. Spock’s books? If not, what was your understanding of his philosophy regarding child-rearing? Has your attitude about Spock’s methods changed over time? If so, in what way, and why?
