Two funny things about satire. First, it breeds more satire. When I write a history piece in a humorous vein, the responses tend to be humorous too. Like a sneeze or a yawn in public, one usually leads to another. Second, not everybody gets the joke. So we want to clarify, that the recent letter in the Portsmouth Herald by New Castle resident Bill Greeley was a gag, or at least, we think it was. (Continued below)
Bill’s article appeared in response to my essay on "Turkeygate" which has gotten a lot of press recently. It appeared on the front page of the Herald, was quoted in New Hampshire magazine, and was read aloud by an actor on NH Public Radio.
I saw Bill’s humorous response in the OPINION page of the paper and laughed out loud. Any holiday letter that ends with a "Harrumph" was either written by a comedian or Scrooge himself. I admit, however, I had to go look up "apostasy". And I agree, I’m definitely an advocate of destroying the Book of Pilgrim, and replacing it with what really happened at Plymouth Plantation.
Surprisingly, a bunch of people took it for real. I got a flush of emails from readers wanting to know why some guy in New Castle hated my guts. Maybe they didn’t get all the way to the end of the letter. Maybe they didn't get the memo that Paul Revere actually did ride here from Boston to warn locals that the British were coming to New Castle.
Anyway, thanks to Bill for doing what we wish all readers would do – writing back with gusto. And for those who missed the furor altogether, we heretofore include the original missive.
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From the Portsmouth Herald, November 24, 2008
History columnist is writing out of control
To the Editor:
Enough of this apostasy. While we all enjoy and admire Dennis Robinson's flair for history, don't let things go too far. It is the slippery slope not the snowy one you must beware of.
First it's "the fishermen save Thanksgiving." Next thing you know, he'll be telling us that the fishermen saved the pilgrims from the Indians (Native Americans).
Can we countenance stories that suggest Captain Miles Standish should negotiate with the terrorists who were attacking the pilgrims as they helped themselves to the bounty of nature neatly harvested and stacked in piles? Please!
Good heavens, if he's allowed to continue he might have the temerity to suggestion that Paul Revere rode out to warn of the Red Coats coming to grab stores of gunpowder — not in Lexington and Concord — but months before in, well, some place like New Castle! Harrumph.
This rewriting history must stop.
William Bradford (Greeley)
New Castle, NH
Seacoast History Blog #17
