Assuming that the site identification is accurate (or at least they're pretty darned sure it's accurate), why not wait until the day before the national holiday to release the information to the public? Who cares? Might it add to a sense of national identity or pride or even patriotism? So what? Would that actually be a bad thing, if it happened?
So far, though, I haven't seen it being picked up and run with by the presidential candidates, and it barely got noticed in the mainstream media. Neither of the major presidential candidates is savvy enough to know how to make much of it; McCain probably has "I played there with George when we were kids" stories, and Obama is simply too irrelevant to understand its relevance. And most media outlets are too impressed with the sounds of their own voices to actually care about an announcement that might draw attention to the national past.
If one were interested in deconstructing pride in the national past, which Obama and many in the media think they are as long as they don't have to work at it, the announcement could call into question a couple more stories about George's mythic life. Curses. First the cherry tree, now the little cabin that burned and left the family to celebrate Christmas in the barn. Oh, and I noticed that they found toothbrush handles . . . what of poor George's wooden dentures?
Sigh.
Jeffrey L. Boyer, RPA
Project Director
Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico
mail: P.O. Box 2087, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504
physical: 407 Galisteo Street, Suite B-100, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501
tel: 505.827.6387 fax: 505.827.3904
e-mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Da_n the books! Let's go get some data!
________________________________
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY on behalf of geoff carver
Sent: Wed 7/2/2008 1:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Washington's Boyhood Home Is Found
Now, I'm a little suspicious about the timing of this particular press
release:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/03/science/03george.html?hp
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