Re-Enact What?

150 years ago in a Pennsylvania field a bunch of Americans decided to fight with each other. With cannons. With guns. With knives. With Swords. With their fists. And for chrissakes, about 51,000 of them were killed or wounded. Yeah it was Gettysburg, you guessed it. July 1-3, 1863. The Civil War. The one where good did triumph over evil, though these days, had it not been for that freeing the slaves thing, I'm not sure I'd have been for that war. Please Dixie, go.

Max has been to Gettysburg. I haven't. But the souls of thousands of people still haunt that place I am sure, and I don't even believe in souls. And one of the most disturbing things happen every year about this time, and that's a whole bunch of weirdos dress up in blue and grey and pretend fight each other, I mean "re-enact" the fun times of Gettysburg.

So what, Max's Dad, it's a lot of history geeks like you getting together and having fun. Big deal. What's the harm?

Well, nothing really. At least nobody gets hurt this time. But I really question why someone would want to take part in the "re-enactment" of an event where 51,000 people were killed or wounded? I mean, we don't "re-enact" the Twin Towers tumbling to the ground, or dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Hey, why not "re-enact" the Holocaust? Or why not take part in a fun time in which you can "re-enact" the fire bombing of Dresden? Or how about the Battle of Khe Sanh?

Hey, have fun. Whatever floats your boat. But taking part in a sterilized version of something NOBODY wanted to be a part of strikes me as odd. I just wish these folks went the whole nine yards so to speak. Let's re-enact the mortally wounded being devoured by hungry pigs, the infections from minor wounds that killed thousands, the amputations by hacksaw with no anesthetic, the piles of arms and legs, the screaming and the horror.

Just a thought to ruin your Gettysburg high. By the way, jamming opiates into guys with missing body parts so they could die in peace was the ultimate high.