What Do President Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots Have in Common?

My hubby and I need one of these.  Feed the starving writer!

We don't have a dishwasher.  We live in an older home with a small kitchen, so there isn't room for one.  Therefore, dish washing time is when my husband and I discuss daily matters.  We talk about dinner, work, our son, but usually we get into heated debates about politics, religion or history.

Yesterday, my husband informed me that while he hadn't read my post yet, he didn't like it.  Apparently he had seen my title "My Favorite Ghost Story, The 1960 Presidential Election," and decided that I was perpetuating Republican propaganda against the Democratic party.  Yes, these were big words.  He uses them a lot and my son and I just stare blankly at him.  I told him to leave a comment on my blog, which he did.  However, he insisted that I hear his argument in person.

While my son was banging on pots and pans and opening the honey container, hubby and I were in an intense, flirtatious debate about political propaganda.  This isn't the first time we have debated about historical topics.  Our most famous argument has to be the Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots debate of 2006.  We were still dating at the time and began talking about the two queens.  I stated that Queen Elizabeth was my favorite.  She was a survivor, had guts, political savvy and most importantly, didn't use violence unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Mary started it!"

"What," my husband said in his half astonished/half irritated tone, "blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."  Of course my husband didn't say blah, blah, blah, but that's what it sounded like to me.  This argument between us lasted for days until we finally agreed to disagree.  After all, he was kinda cute and I enjoyed having him around.

While my husband and I have our quirks, we aren't the only ones who like a good historical debate.  Last week at the http://www.elizabethfiles.com/, a heated debate occurred between supporters of Elizabeth I Mary, Queen of Scots.  They were contemporaries and cousins.  Elizabeth I being the daughter of Henry VIII and the infamous Anne Boleyn and Mary the granddaughter of Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII's sister.  While many viewed Elizabeth as being illegitimate and Mary the rightful heir to the English throne, Elizabeth was still crowned queen.  Assassination plots in Elizabeth's early reign were common and Mary was implicated in one of them.  Eventually, Mary, Queen of Scots, is arrested and reluctantly beheaded by Elizabeth.

While the event occurred over 400 years ago, the debate at the http://www.elizabethfiles.com/ was ugly.  The words whore, martyr, illegitimate and rightful heir were thrown around.  Some called Mary stupid, others called Elizabeth cruel.  Just like the presidential election of 1960, the rivalry between the two queens still causes intense emotions to this day.  This is why history is used for propaganda.  Immediately, a person, event or idea stirs up the desired emotions and feelings the person propagandizing wants you to feel.  History is a powerful tool, use it carefully.

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My Favorite Ghost Story, The 1960 Presidential Election
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