AMERICAN PATRIOT
VIEW IN
FULLSCREEN AUGUST 11, 2010
ALCATRAZ THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND CAN’T YOU SEE THE SUN SHINE THE LEGACY OF JAMES TAYLOR STRANGE START TO
THE SMITHSONIAN
CLICK ABOVE
AMERICAN PATRIOT ALCATRAZ THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
4 6 STRANGE START TO THE
8
SMITHSONIAN
AMERICA’S CONDIMENT OF CHOICE
KETCHUP
10
12
BROWN V. BOARD OF ED EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT REMINDER
AMERICAN PATRIOT SUBSCRIBERS According to a published study, half of all medical errors occur because of mistakes made upon admission or discharge from the hospital. In an emergency, when you might not be able to speak for yourself, a medical ID bracelet or necklace speaks for you. And now, American Patriot members get 20% off Medical ID purchases as well as a free expandable wallet card and necklace chain.
CLICK HERE AND ENTER CODE PC242 AT CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNTS
CAN’T YOU SEE THE SUN SHINE THE LEGACY OF JAMES TAYLOR
14 QUOTE OF THE WEEK
15 THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
ALCATRAZ THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND
PHOTOGRAPH: BEN PEOPLES
Once a penitentiary for the most notorious criminals, Alcatraz Island will always hold a certain mystique for the American public. The small island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles off the coast of the city, and is naturally isolated because of the strong and hazardous currents in the area.
4 AMERICAN PATRIOT
ALCATRAZ ISLAND, 1895
ALCATRAZ CELL
Alcatraz was the first site for a lighthouse on the West Coast. Later, during the Civil War, the isolated island became a natural place for a prison. As more Americans moved West, the prison on Alcatraz Island continued to be overseen by the military, and its facilities extensively developed and expanded. During World War I, extreme antiwar critics the war were placed there.
gangster was caught in 1932 — on tax evasion charges rather than murder and mayhem — and delivered to Alcatraz in 1934.
In 1933, the U.S. Department of Justice took over the prison from the military and made it a civilian site. It became the stuff of legend, as the famous and infamous were incarcerated there, and tall tales of prison life and attempted escapes worked their way into the American popular culture. This included “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” an incredibly violent lifer who was the subject of books and a popular movie starring Burt Lancaster. Perhaps the most notable prisoner to walk through the gates of Alcatraz was Al Capone. Capone was a famed American mobster. He committed the classic Prohibition-era crimes such as smuggling and bootlegging liquor as well as more invasive crimes. The quintessential Chicago
Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy decided to close the prison in 1963 and the island became more-or-less deserted. In 1969, a group of Native Americans from several tribes came together to occupy the now-symbolic island to protest certain governmental policies regarding their tribes. Ultimately, the occupation prompted Richard Nixon to establish a new policy of selfdetermination for the tribes. In 1976, the island was declared a National Landmark, and it became an official National Park in 1993. It has since been discovered that the island contains rare flora and fauna. Conservancy organizations are working to preserve this amazing habitat. Visitors can now visit the island and enjoy both the human history and the natural history that has shaped Alcatraz. CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL NATIONAL PARK PAGE CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ MOVIE TRAILER AMERICAN PATRIOT 5
STRANGE START TO THE
SMITHSONIAN
When the English scientist James Smithson died in 1829, he had never visited the United States. However, his will had a peculiar note at the bottom; Smithson penned into his last testament that if his nephew died with no heirs, his entire estate would go to “the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.� As fate would have it, his nephew did, indeed, die without an heir. 6 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Joseph Henry, a famed American physicist was the first director (Secretary) of the Smithsonian. He had helped to create the telegraph, electric motor, and telephone with his nuanced discoveries about electricity. Henry organized the construction of the Smithsonian Institution building on the National Mall. It was soon nicknamed “the Castle” due to its crenulated architectural style. Henry’s vision was for an institution solely dedicated to science. It was not to be. Over time, the Smithsonian came to house various governmental collections, and has grown to include 19 museums and galleries. It is affiliated with 168 other museums nationwide,
Smithson was a renowned British mineralogist
and houses houses over 137 million objects,
and chemist. In 1802, he disproved the scien-
artwork, and scientific specimens for America’s
tific opinion that zinc carbonates were real
benefit. Approximately 30 million people now
carbonate minerals. When he died, he left over
visit the Smithsonian annually.
$500,000 in gold, his large mineral collection, and his personal scientific notes and library.
The Smithsonian continues to expand to this
President Andrew Jackson sent diplomat
day incorporating the forever growing American
Richard Rush to collect the items from England.
culture. The newest of the 19 museums is the National Museum of African American History
It took eight years for America to decide what
and Culture. The building is scheduled to open
to do with the fortune. Suggestions included a
in 2015, and currently the exhibitions are
library, a national university, or an astronomical
located on the second floor of the National
observatory. However, the notion of a national
Museum of American History. Not a bad legacy
museum took on momentum and, finally, on
for James Smithson, who never even saw the
August 10, 1846, President James K. Polk
United States.
signed into law the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
AMERICAN PATRIOT 7
HOW TO
LIVE UNITED: JOIN HANDS. OPEN YOUR HEART. LEND YOUR MUSCLE.
FIND YOUR VOICE. GIVE 10%. GIVE 100%.
GIVE 110%. GIVE AN HOUR. GIVE A SATURDAY. THINK OF WE BEFORE ME. REACH OUT A HAND TO ONE AND
INFLUENCE THE CONDITION OF ALL.
GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.
LIVE UNITED
™
Want to make a difference? Help create opportunities for everyone in your community. United Way is creating real, lasting change where you live, by focusing on the building blocks of a better life– education, income and health. That’s what it means to Live United. For more, visit LIVEUNITED.ORG.
AMERICA’S CONDIMENT OF CHOICE
KETCHUP
8 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Ketchup has been declared America’s favorite condiment; studies show that ketchup is found in 97% of American kitchens. Americans consumes an average of three bottles of ketchup per person per year. President Reagan’s Department of Agriculture even designated ketchup as a vegetable in school lunches. The idea for ketchup is said to have originated in China, inspired by age-old Chinese oyster sauce. In the 17th century, Dutch and British seamen brought back a salty fish sauce called “ketsiap” from China. It was more related to soy or oyster sauce than what we know as ketchup today. Variations quickly developed all over the Western World. In 1690 the word “catchup” appeared in print to refer to the sauce and in 1711 “ketchup.” The first recipe for the condiment was published in Elizabeth Smith’s The Compleat Housewife in 1727. This recipe for ket-
Until recently, Ketchup did not have a standard-
chup included shallots, vinegar, and anchovies.
ized name. Manufacturers who were looking to distinguish their ketchup brand called ketchup
The first known sale of bottled ketchup was
everything from catsup to cackchop to kutpuck.
in 1837. A New England farmer sold bottled
All were tomato-based products, but only three
ketchup for 33 cents. By 1837, Jonas Yerk had
major ketchup brands stood out from the crowd
mastered the ketchup trade and was selling
and survived the overload of ketchup brands.
ketchup in quart and pint sized bottles. In 1872,
Now ketchup is commonly spelled either catsup
H.J. Heinz added ketchup to their line of pick-
or ketchup.
led products. Before Heinz standardized the tomato paste we know now, ketchup was made
Since the origin of ketchup products, Ameri-
with many ingredients like mushrooms and
cans cannot imagine a burger and fries without
anchovies. Over the years ketchup grew in pop-
a dollop of ketchup. The most ketchup is sold
ularity nationwide. By 1907, Heinz produced
in the summer to go along with barbecues and
12 million bottles of ketchup every year. Now,
outdoor picnics, but the sweet and sour ketchup
Heinz sells over 650 million bottles of ketchup
taste is in demand all year long.
worldwide per year and 11 billion single-serve packets every year.
CLICK HERE FOR A HOMEMADE SPICY KETCHUP RECIPE
AMERICAN PATRIOT 9
BROWN V. BOARD OF ED LIBERTY, EQUALITY AND PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS May 17, 1954 changed the course of American history. On this day, the Supreme Court ruled that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” The Court had been debating Brown vs. the Board of Education case for almost three years when the unanimous decision was announced. 10 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Prior to this announcement, race relations in the United States had been characterized by racial segregation. America had largely been operating under the ruling from Plessy v. Ferguson, which said as long as separate facilities were equal, then segregation did not contravene the Fourteenth Amendment promise of due process and equal protection under the law. The Brown v. Board of Education was first filed in Topeka KS by thirteen Topeka parents on behalf of their children. In actuality, five cases of similar natures were combined under the heading of the case. The details were complex, but the challenge was simple: can separate schools
Of course, not everyone immediately accepted
ever be equal schools.
or followed the court ruling. There was a lot of backlash over the decision. Perhaps the most
Chief Justice Earl Warren presided over the court
infamous incident was Alabama’s Governor
in 1951 when the case was first brought to the
George Wallace standing in the door at the Uni-
court. The judges deliberated back and forth
versity of Alabama and personally blocking the
discussing issues of incomplete assimilation
enrollment of Black students. He moved aside
and the lack of desegregation legislation. They
only when the National Guard forced him to,
were unable to decide on the case, and asked
under orders from President John F. Kennedy.
to rehear it in 1953. Despite these setbacks, the case moved America After listening to the case again, Justice Warren
forward. In the end, the case not only impacted
called together his justices and made the simple
education, but also helped advance the Civil
argument: the only reason to uphold segregated
Rights movement in America. Students were
schools would be if they still truly believed in
integrated into schools across the country. This
inferiority and superiority of races. Almost all the
helped foster what experts believe is a new gen-
justices were convinced, and the vote came down
erational acceptance and tolerance.
as a unanimous 9-0. The decision stated that even if the segregated facilities were exactly equal on the surface, there was still a psychological disadvantage to segregated environments.
WATCH A PBS SPECIAL ON THE SUPREME COURT WITH A FEATURE ON BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION
AMERICAN PATRIOT 11
CAN’T YOU SEE THE SUN SHINE THE LEGACY OF JAMES TAYLOR
PHOTOGRAPH: PAUL KELEHER
12 AMERICAN PATRIOT
When “Fire and Rain” hit the airwaves in 1970, the melodious tune and powerful lyrics changed American music forever. Taylor was, and is, an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter of acoustic rock style. The song was his major breakout hit and, soon after his initial success, “You’ve Got a Friend,” reached #1 on the pop and rock charts. Taylor has been a mainstay of American music ever since. Born into a musical family on March 12, 1948,
In 1983, Taylor and Simon got a divorce, and
his mother had studied singing before having
later Taylor later married actress Kathryn Walker.
children. As a child, Taylor first had lessons on
He lived in Manhattan and continued to produce
the cello but switched to the guitar at age 12.
and perform, more or less under the radar. In
At age 14, he had written his first song. Taylor
the late 1990s, he created Hourglass, an in-
had an unsuccessful stint as a performer in
trospective album that again won him great
London after high school and returned to the
critical acclaim and commercial success. This
West Coast.
included his third Grammy; he would go on to win three more including the “Musicares”
In California he recorded “Fire and Rain” and
person of the year in 2006. This honored
then “You’ve Got a Friend.” These songs were
Taylor’s increasing involvement in politics and
embraced by young people and Taylor won
social activism. This included tours on behalf
his first Grammy. After the Grammy, he hit a
of 2004 Democratic candidate John Kerry and,
career dry-spell. During this time, he married
in 2008, a series of free concerts throughout
the equally renowned singer-songwriter Carly
North Carolina in support of Barack Obama.
Simon and they had two children. In 1976, Taylor returned to the recording studio with a
Taylor continues as a supremely popular per-
vengeance. He recorded with colleagues like
former, playing his unique body of sensitive,
Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, and Art Garfunkel,
gentle and easy-to-listen work. He is best
and the result was a hit album that featured
known, after all these years, for his songs of
the song “Shower the People with Love.” His
careful introspection and personal feelings
“Greatest Hits” from 1970 to 1976 was re-
based on his experiences battling depression
leased the next year, again with huge sales.
and divorce.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR JAMES TAYLOR’S “FIRE AND RAIN”
AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers." —
EDGAR W. HOWE AMERICAN NOVELIST AND FAMED MAGAZINE EDITOR OF THE LATE 19TH CENTURY
14 AMERICAN PATRIOT
THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1863. LINCOLN AND DOUGLASS MEET As the Civil War rages, Abraham Lincoln meets with Frederick Douglass, who pushes the President to provide full equality for “Negro troops” serving in the Union Army. Douglass had been born a slave and became an American social reformer, orator, writer and spokesperson for the Abolitionist movement. AMERICAN PATRIOT 15
Open the door to m Refinance t
Open the door to monthly savings. Refinance today. Get rid of that higher rate. Pay off credit cards. Make home improvements. Whatever your resolution is this year, make it happen by refinancing through the MyHomeBenefits program.
Ge Ma res refi pro
It’s ag fro sav
It’s simple and convenient, and you’ll enjoy a great rate, with preferred customer service from experienced loan counselors. Plus, it can save you time and money every month.
Refinance today and save.
Refinance tod
• Fixed rates below 5% APR available* • Adjustable rates below 4% APR available** • No hassle, quick closings • Plus, receive $350 off closings costs
* Fixed rates below 5% * Adjustable rates belo * No hassle, quick clos Receive a * Get a $300 credit wh
Contact us now for a free consultation.
$350 closing cost credit! Contact us now for
Call 800-593-2526 and say you are an American Patriot Subscriber.
Call 800-593-2526
*This is not an offer of credit. This is not an offer to enter into an interest rate agreement. Interest rate availability subject to credit qualifications. Mortgage approvals are rendered based on individual credit qualifications. **Rate is subject to adjustment after initial five years.
US01-1452_8.5x11_Layout 1 11/30/09 10:28 AM Page 2
Upgrade Your Life
With Smart Circle Cards
Save 15% Use the savings code AMPAT15 at checkout
Let’s face it. Most of us, even if we haven’t lost a job or seen our retirement savings shrink, have taken a hard look at how we spend our money. That is smart thinking. Many people have cut back on things they really enjoy like vacations, recreation, entertainment, and dining out. Golfers play fewer rounds, massage enthusiasts don’t spend quite as much time at the spa, fans are catching fewer games. That smarts! You can still enjoy vacationing at a resort, playing golf at great courses, spending a day at the spa, dining out, and other activities you love without busting your new budget. How? By spending smarter
with Smart Circle Cards.
Visit us at www.smartcirclecards.net or call us at 1-800-775-1975 to see how you can get four rounds of golf for the price of one, three spa services for less than the price of a massage, 50% off dining, and more.
Live better. Live smart.