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It All Depends On Your Paradigm…
September 6, 2021 by Laura Heilenman · Leave a Comment
Recently, while in Cancun, Mexico I was struck by a small yet complicating life perceptive… one man’s villain may very well be another man’s hero. Here at Rare Newspapers, we see varying sides of news stories on a daily basis… from American Revolutionaries vs. the British perspective to The Confederate troops vs. The Union soldiers. This day, however, as I stood in the Mexican sun, talking history with a young man who was the age of my children, I realized there was a new paradigm I had not considered. As he questioned what I did back in the states, his eyes lit up as he asked if we had any issues covering Pancho Villa. I quickly responded, “Oh, I’m sure we do. Let me check and I will get back to you.” Later as I scrolled through our inventory, I realized I would be hard pressed to find an issue that would excite him since the American perspective of this controversial figure was very different from my new Mexican friend’s view. I determined to find something to show him and finally settled on a rather benign Harper’s Weekly image without a splashy headline. He seemed pleased enough. My take away was a reminder to analyze my own heroes more carefully and to be sensitive to other people’s paradigms. There may only be one truth however, our paradigm can make it hard to distinguish at times.
The Traveler… the Irish uprising ends… Is Villa dead or alive?
May 2, 2016 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, by the way of The Atlanta Constitution dated May 2, 1916. I found that Easter had been anything but a time of peace and reflection in Ireland as the news of the surrender of the Sinn Fein rebels was being reported on the front page. “All the rebels in 
Dublin have surrendered… There were 1,000 prisoners in Dublin yesterday, of whom, 489 were sent to England last night… They were informed that the only terms that could be entertained were unconditional surrender. These terms were accepted by them at 6 o’clock this morning. It was reported later that the rebels were surrendering today on these terms…”
Also being reported was “Villa Is Eliminated, According to Mexicans”. “‘We are satisfied that Villa bandits are no longer to be looked upon as a menace to the peace of the country,’ he said. ‘The American troops should be withdrawn to restore tranquility among the people. It is believed that Villa has either been killed or driven to refuge where he will no longer molest either Americans of Mexicans’…”. The report of Pancho Villa’s death was false as he did not die until 1923.
~The Traveler